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On
March 4, 2008, Waitsfield voters rejected
a bond article for a new municipal water system 442 (51%)
to 398 (46%) -- a difference of 44 votes. In light of
the narrow margin of defeat, and in response to preliminary
feedback the Selectboard received from citizens after the
bond vote, the Selectboard convened a task
force to reach out to the community -- particularly those
who voted "No" -- to better understand the
basis for the negative votes and attempt to understand what
direction -- if any -- the town should take from this point
forward. The result of this outreach is a revised
water project proposal and bond
vote scheduled for Tuesday, June 10.
What's
Different?
1. An additional $1.6 million in grant funding has
been allocated to this project. These funds were originally
assigned to the proposed wastewater project.
2. There will be no separate protection assessments for all
properties near hydrants. With a total of $3.6 million
in grants now supporting this project, fire protection costs
will be covered by grant funds.
3. The service area explicitly includes the Loop Road and
Tremblay Road. These areas were part of the last proposal,
but this was apparently not clear to voters.
Why
Is It Needed?
In Waitsfield Village and Irasville, and throughout
Waitsfield, property owners need to provide for both water
supply and septic disposal on an individual basis. Several
decades ago, most of the buildings were fed with water from
springs on the hillside to the west. As these were found
unsafe or undependable, many people drilled wells. The
drilled wells, although more reliable than springs, resulted
in new issues, such as proximity to nearby septic systems,
underground fuel storage tanks, roads and highways, and stormwater
runoff.
Stringent state
rules have made the permitting of new well and septic
sites, as well as replacement of systems, very difficult for
most the Irasville and Waitsfield Village areas. A
vast majority of the more than 150 properties within the proposed
service area are currently served by a well that is not
in compliance with the required isolation distances from their
own or neighboring on-site water or wastewater systems.
The Selectboard has identified this public health concern
as an "emergent
condition" that needs to be addressed.
A large number of rural Vermont communities have developed
community water systems for their village centers, including
Rochester, Bristol,
Bethel, and Cabot.
As a commercial center for the Mad River Valley, Irasville
and Waitsfield Village need a safe, reliable water supply
for residents, business owners, employees, students, and visitors
to the stores, library, school, and restaurants.
Background
Development
of a municipal water system to serve Irasville and Waitsfield
Village has been identified as a priority in the Waitsfield
Town Plan for many years, not only to address public health
concerns, but also to protect water quality of the Mad River,
to provide for economic development, and to reduce the potential
for sprawl outside these areas.
Several sites in town were studied as a potential municipal
water supply. Test wells drilled on sites near the Village
did not yield adequate results. A water source in the
southeast quadrant of town was ultimately found for a municipal
water system was identified and, after further study, a well
was drilled at the end of the Class 4 Reed Road in 2006. Final
engineering and permitting are underway for a municipal water
system that would begin at the Reed Road wellhead and follow
the Town's rights-of-way along Long Road, down Bushnell Road,
and to a new storage tank to be constructed on the Town-owned
former LeClair gravel pit site. From the tank, the transmission
mains would follow a right-of-way to Tremblay Road, where
it would meet Route 100 and continue on to the Village and
Irasville. Hydrants will provide fire protection along the
route. Although not part of the original alignment,
an alternative route following Old County Road is currently
being explored, which will provide fire protection for the
residential neighborhood.
Proposed
Improvements
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project is currently planned to include these major
components: |
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Water supply will come from a well that has been drilled
at Reed Road (off of Long Road), with an estimated yield
of 200 gallons per minute. This well is sufficient to
provide the projected future demands of the proposed
service area. |
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Approximately
7,000 linear feet of new 4-inch water transmission main
from the well to the proposed storage tank site (up
Reed Road, along Long Road, East Road, and Bushnell
Road to the Town-owned LeClair site, which is a former
gravel pit). |
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A
500,000 gallon covered storage tank and treatment control
building at the LeClair site. |
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Approximately
11,000 linear feet of new 12-inch transmission main
from the storage tank to North Road, along Tremblay
Road, and Route 100 to the Village service area; and
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Approximately
8,000 linear feet of water distribution mains (mostly
12-inch), fire hydrants, and service connections for
most properties in the Waitsfield and Irasville Villages. |
Documents
& Links
Source
Evaluation Report for Reed Road Well, March
22, 2007 (Main
report: 34 pgs, 1,574 KB) 
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Transmittal
Letter (1 pg, 57 KB)
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Cover
& Table of Contents (3 pgs,
106 KB) |
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Sections
1.0 to 8.0 (30 pgs, 1,424 KB)
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Appendix
1 (44 pgs, 8,681 KB)
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Appendix
2 (52 pgs, 9,291 KB)
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Appendix
3 (50 pgs, 3,714 KB)
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Appendix
4 (26 pgs, 1,671 KB)
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Wellhead
Protection Plan for Reed Road Well, June 15,
2007(Full
document: 33 pgs, 4,620 KB)
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Proposed
Service Area
Although
Waitsfield Village and Irasville are the
primary areas to be served
by the municipal water, hookups will be possible all
along the transmission line, from Tremblay Road and
along Route 100.
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Benefits
Safe, proven, and reliable drinking water supply to
all connected users.
Firefighting capacity from new hydrant system.
School and other public buildings will comply with State
and Federal rules.
Capacity for building owners to install sprinkler systems.
Reduction in fire insurance premiums.
Potential to expand on-site wastewater capacity on properties
that currently use on-site water supply wells or springs.
Infrastructure needed to support Village
Growth Center; reduces pressure to grow in a "sprawl"
fashion.
Expansion of tax base, business retention, and potential
for modest growth in Irasville and Waitsfield Village.
Costs for construction and maintenance of the system
will be paid for only by the properties receiving a
direct benefit of water supply and/or fire protection.
The more users, the lower the cost per user. |
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Important Schedule Items
Citizens
are encouraged to be aware of and/or participate in
the following activities:
| May
28, 2008, Weds., 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. |
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Pre-bond vote public information meeting at Valley
Players Theater. |
| May
29, 2008, Thurs., 7:45 - 9:00 a.m. |
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Pre-bond
vote conversation over coffee or tea at Three
Mountain Cafe, Mad River Green Shopping Center. |
| June
5, 2008, Thurs., 7:45 - 9:00 a.m. |
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Pre-bond
vote conversation over coffee or tea at Three
Mountain Cafe, Mad River Green Shopping Center. |
| June
5, 2008, Thurs., 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. |
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Pre-bond vote public information meeting at the
Elementary School. |
| June
9, 2008, Mon., 7:30 p.m. |
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Pre-bond
vote public hearing at Waitsfield Elementary School. |
| June
10, 2008, Tues. |
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Vote
on Water Bond at Waitsfield Elementary School,
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. |
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2008 - 2009 |
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Secure
Rural Development funds. |
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Secure
state and local permits. |
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Put
project out to bid; select contractor(s). |
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CONSTRUCTION! |
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Handouts,
May 2008
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Contact
Valerie J. Capels, Town Administrator
Waitsfield Town Office
9 Bridge Street
Waitsfield, VT 05673
Phone: (802) 496-2218
Fax: (802) 496-9284
E-mail: 
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Updated
August 15, 2008
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Waitsfield's
Official Web Site
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VT 05673.
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