Frequently Asked Questions
Currently, all sewage disposal needs in Irasville and Waitsfield Village are addressed by private septic systems. This piecemeal approach to wastewater management in the highest-density portion of town is an environmental and public health risk for effluent contamination. These risks increase as septic systems age. The majority of properties within the villages are severely limited in their ability to replace leachfields that have exceeded their useful life. Further, the lack of central wastewater collection and treatment has stymied the town’s efforts to foster the compact settlement pattern envisioned for its twin villages, resulting in sprawl and a corresponding loss of the town’s rural character. Historic Waitsfield is the largest village in Vermont without municipal wastewater and the only “ski town” without such centralized wastewater service. The Waitsfield Community Wastewater Project will: protect environmental health; protect public health; increase housing options; support economic activity; and incentivize compact growth in Waitsfield's designated areas. A number of priorities and policies in the 2023 Waitsfield town Plan support the exploration and creation of a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system for Waitsfield Village and Irasville (Top Priority Action: vi; Policies: 4.G-7, 5.I-2.i, 7.K-7, & 11.L-53).
The goals of the Waitsfield Community Wastewater Project are the following:
- Protect water quality in the Mad River and associated streams & wetlands;
- Protect human health where septic systems are close to water wells;
- Offset the economic hardships of replacing aging and/or failing private septic systems;
- Expand housing options and boost economic activity;
- Support the historic settlement pattern of concentrated villages surrounded by open countryside and forested mountains; and
- Construct and operate an efficient 21st century wastewater system with an affordable user rate at no cost to Waitsfield taxpayers.
A municipal wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal system [as detailed in the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER)].
- Wastewater Collection
- Serving Irasville & Waitsfield Village (consisting of the Irasville Commercial, Village Business, and Village Residential Zoning Districts).
- Neighborhood STEP (Septic Tank Effluent Pumping) system, utilizing gravity collection to four municipal septic tanks and associated pump stations for conveyance of liquid waste to the Munn Site.
- Treatment & Disposal
- Located south of Irasville at the town-owned and undeveloped Munn Site, located on the corner of VT Route 100 and Kingsbury Rd.
- Multi-stage treatment facility to treat all wastewater and remove nitrogen and phosphorus.
- In-ground disposal at the Munn Site - maximum net wastewater treatment and disposal capacity of 89,000 gallons per day (GPD).
Properties within Irasville & Waitsfield Village, west of the Mad River, from Waitsfield Elementary School to the North and Fiddlers Green to the South. The goals of the Waitsfield Community Wastewater Project include protecting environmental and public health, increasing housing options, supporting economic activity, and incentivizing compact growth in designated areas. As such, the PER identifies conditions for priority connections to the wastewater system:
- Existing properties with leach fields that are:
- 40 or more years old;
- located in a mapped floodplain;
- located in the River Corridor;
- Located within well shields for existing private and public drinking water wells; and
- Future capacity to accommodate infill housing and economic activity.
For decades, the urgent need for a wastewater management solution in Irasville and Waitsfield Village has remained at the forefront of the town's priorities. The confluence of several critical conditions has now created a compelling imperative to transition this long-standing aspiration into tangible reality.
Current Needs are Urgent
- The pressing environmental concerns stemming from inadequate wastewater management cannot be overstated. As our community continues to grow and develop, the strain on existing infrastructure exacerbates the risk of pollution in our natural surroundings, especially in a time of enhanced flood risk. The degradation of water quality not only poses a threat to local ecosystems but also jeopardizes the health and well-being of our residents.
- The project directly serves Waitsfield’s identified Growth Center, Irasville & Waitsfield Village, but the lack of sufficient and predictable wastewater options has to date severely limited change and expansion of uses. This has become critical at a time of enhanced housing pressure, which has resulted in a 0% rental vacancy rate.
- Recent Waitsfield Planning Commission efforts, such as the 2023 Town Plan and 2024 Zoning Bylaws, encourage infill development in the proposed service area. Coordination of these efforts with a centralized wastewater service is necessary to meet the documents’ goals, enhancing the vibrancy of Waitsfield’s twin villages.
Wastewater Treatment Technology
- Technological advancements and innovations in wastewater treatment have reached a pivotal stage, offering unprecedented opportunities to implement efficient and sustainable solutions. The integration of state-of-the-art technologies can significantly enhance the efficacy of our wastewater management system while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs in the long run.
Favorable climate for outside funding
- The availability of funding and resources for such a transformative project has never been more favorable. With various grants, subsidies, and financing options accessible at state and federal levels, we possess the financial means to initiate and sustain this crucial endeavor without placing the burden on taxpayers.
- All work on this effort to date has been funded through state and federal sources. Waitsfield’s Community Wastewater Project is on existing state funding priority lists, and the town is poised to apply for design and construction funding from the State’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, State ARPA program, USDA Rural Development funds, and Congressionally Directed Spending. To be eligible for additional grants and loans, the town needs to be able to demonstrate its commitment to the project. Passing a bond will demonstrate that commitment.
Town's Demonstrated Infrastructure Experience
- The Town of Waitsfield’s municipal water system went online in 2013. It was funded entirely through grants and loans, with the loan payments and operating costs fully covered by its customers via affordable monthly user fees. Waitsfield voters passed a bond vote to construct the system in 2008, with connected users paying 100% of the debt service and the operating costs.
- As a result of diligent management by the town's Water Commissioners and new user connections, the quarterly Water Fee has reduced by 30% over its 11 years of operation.
- The proposed Waitsfield Community Wastewater Project is informed by multiple decades of commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of Irasville & Waitsfield Village. The proposed approach is right-sized, focusing on today’s pertinent issues as well as accommodating the needs of the future.
- All planning and design work to date has been funded through state and federal sources (~$400,000) at no cost to taxpayers.
The project’s Opinion of Total Project Capital Cost for the proposed wastewater project is approximately $15 million (as detailed in the PER). The town is seeking 100% project funding through federal and state grants and loans, with no taxpayer impact beyond connections to municipal properties.
The town has identified over $13 million in federal and state grants through the VT Clean Water State Revolving Fund, USDA Rural Development (RD), and Congressional Discretionary Spending. A federal low-interest USDA RD loan is identified for the remaining $2 million, with the principal and interests paid back via affordable user rates
This approach results in a wastewater system built and operated at no cost to Waitsfield taxpayers, similar to Waitsfield’s municipal water system (it was constructed 11 years ago with grants and loans, and the loan payments and operating costs are fully covered by its customers via affordable monthly user fee).
Taxpayers are expected to pay $0 for the proposed wastewater system.
As designed, the cost of the system would be shared by its users after deducting grants. The only cost to taxpayers will be to cover wastewater user fees to public buildings. Public buildings within the proposed service area consist of The Waitsfield Town Office and General Wait House, and a portion of the Joslin Memorial Library & Waitsfield-Fayston Fire Dept.
Planning Stage:
30% Final Design
Jan - June, 2024
Initial Property Owner Outreach
Jan - March, 2024
Public Bond Vote
June 11, 2024
Second Property Owner Outreach
June - July, 2024
60% Final Design
Aug - Dec, 2024
90% Final Design
Jan - March, 2025
Construction Bidding
April - June, 2025
Construction
July 2025 - Oct. 2026
Project Online
Fall 2026
The June 11, 2024, bond vote date most effectively capitalizes on the funding opportunities currently available to the project, most of which are time-sensitive. There is a window of opportunity available to the town to support the proposed system, and it is essential that the town not miss this opportunity to fund the project as outlined. A positive bond vote increases the town’s likelihood of securing the substantial state and federal funding necessary to meet the project goals of an affordable user fee and no taxpayer impact outside of connections to municipal properties. Specific benefits of a June bond vote include:
(1) Higher probability of securing an estimated ~$4,000,000 of state ARPA and other grant funding.
VT DEC recently informed the town in January 2024 that they will be re-allocating the remaining ARPA Village Wastewater funds in late summer 2024. A positive bond vote prior to the re-allocation will improve the town’s relative ranking on the DEC priority list to access these funds.
(2) Higher probability of securing an estimated ~$7,000,000 in USDA RD grants and loans.
USDA RD has encouraged the town to apply for the USDA loans and grants needed to fund the project in April 2024, and is willing to consider our application complete if we can hold a bond vote in the summer. The town estimates that the project would be eligible for approximately $5,000,000 in grants and $2,000,000 in direct loans. This estimate is based in part on the Median Household Income (MHI) data for the project’s proposed service area. VT DEC recently approved a favorable MHI number for 2024 but is required to update the number annually, so the sooner the town proceeds with a bond vote, the more certain VT DEC will utilize the current MHI.
(3) Avoid obligating town funds for the completion of design work prior to a successful bond vote.
To date, the project has not used any taxpayer funding for feasibility study and preliminary engineering. The town has executed an Engineering Service Agreement with Dubois & King for the next phase, 30% project design, to be completed by June 2024. The 30% design costs will be fully funded by a grant from the VT State Clean Water Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and a portion of Town ARPA funds. In order to proceed with the remainder of the project design in the second half of 2024, the town will need to spend or borrow any portion of the remaining design cost that is not covered by available CWSRF subsidies. The town estimates that CWSRF could cover up to 50% of the remaining ~$420,000 design costs, leaving ~$210,000 to be paid by the town. Approval of a June 11, 2024, bond vote avoids obligating taxpayer funds for the project.
(4) Facilitate the Village Master Plan for Irasville effort.
A June 11, 202,4 bond vote ensures the Planning Commission can pursue its Municipal Planning Grant-funded Village Master Plan for Irasville work with more confidence in the future availability of community wastewater. The combination of the town’s recently updated zoning bylaws and the availability of community wastewater is poised to unlock additional infill development opportunities in Irasville.
A positive bond vote for the full project cost ($15 million) is required to secure the maximum amount of state and federal funding. This funding is necessary to achieve project goals of affordable user rates and ensuring no taxpayer impact beyond connections to municipal properties.
The primary funding sources for this project (USDA Rural Development & Vermont State ARPA Village Wastewater & Drinking Water Initiative) require authorization of all town voters in order to be eligible for funding, not just those who will connect to the system.
One of the goals of the proposed wastewater system is to have its construction and operation take place at no cost to Waitsfield taxpayers, similar to Waitsfield’s municipal water system (it was constructed 11 years ago with grants and loans, and the loan payments and operating costs are fully covered by its customers via affordable monthly user fees).
The project’s benefits extend beyond those properties that will be directly served, as it will enhance environmental impact (safe swimmable Mad River), economic vitality (critical mass of restaurants and shops), provide for infill housing (places for people to live), and economic activity (places for people to work and shop).
A successful bond vote does not obligate the town to build the wastewater system, or pay the full $15 million project cost. If the town does not secure grants to cover a majority of the project costs, then the project would not be affordable to the taxpayers or the users. In that case, the Selectboard would stop further work on the project until such funding could be secured.
The town would not be obligated to proceed with the project.