2026-11-05 - Somerset Needs Area Sewer Extension Information Session

00:11Okay, it is 5:30 on the dot, so we're

00:13going to get started. And I'll say good

00:15evening everybody and welcome to this

00:17evening's public information session on

00:19the Somerset Needs Area Sewer Extension

00:21Project. Joining me this evening on the

00:24call, we have members of both our

00:25project team and representatives from

00:27different town departments would be here

00:29to answer any questions you have. For

00:31the info session, we do have a slide

00:33deck presentation which is going to give

00:35you an overview of the project, but more

00:37importantly, what we've accomplished

00:38thus far working on the Somerset project

00:40for the last year and what we hope to

00:42accomplish moving forward in the coming

00:44months and new year. After the

00:47presentation, we'll be happy to take any

00:48comments, questions, or feedback that

00:50members of the public have. And of

00:52course, if we can't get an answer to you

00:54this evening, I'll follow up directly

00:55with you after this evening's info

00:57session with a response.

01:00Now, before we get into the

01:01presentation, I just want to make two

01:02notes. First, this info session, just

01:05like all of our past info sessions, is

01:07being recorded and will be posted to the

01:08town's YouTube page for later viewing.

01:11But also, if you are interested in

01:13finding out more information about the

01:14projects, looking at project documents,

01:16or even going through our long list of

01:18frequently asked questions, we do have a

01:20project page which you can find from the

01:22town website. We post on there regularly

01:24with updates, changes to the project,

01:27and you also have direct contact

01:28information from me should you like to

01:29reach out.

01:31So, with that being said, I'll now hand

01:33it over to Anna who's going to take us

01:34through the project overview slide

01:36presentation.

01:38>> Great. Thanks, Kevin. We'll share my

01:40screen here.

01:44Can everyone see the presentation?

01:48Great. Okay. Well, good evening everyone

01:51and thank you for joining us. Uh my name

01:53is Anna Wick and I'm one of the design

01:56engineers for the project. As Kevin

01:58mentioned, we're here to provide an

01:59update on the Somerset Needs Area Sewer

02:01Extension project. As the design

02:03continues to advance and we move closer

02:05to bidding and construction, uh we've

02:07held several public outreach meetings

02:09over the course of this year, including

02:11three this spring leading up to annual

02:13town meeting and another in August where

02:16we provided updates on specific aspects

02:18of the project. So tonight, we'd like to

02:20build on those discussions and provide

02:22an update on where the project currently

02:24stands as we move through final design.

02:29So before we get into the presentation,

02:31I'd like to briefly reintroduce the

02:32project team. As we've discussed at

02:35previous meetings, this project involves

02:37coordination across a number of town

02:38departments, including town

02:40administration, the sewer department,

02:43department of public works, planning and

02:45land use services, the water department,

02:48health and human services, as well as

02:50town council. and representatives from

02:52those groups are here with us along with

02:53the design team from Weston and Samson

02:56and the owner's project manager Apex.

03:01And for tonight's presentation, we're

03:03going to start with a quick look back at

03:05the planning history and the

03:07environmental drivers behind the

03:09project. Some of you may have seen this

03:11information at previous meetings, but we

03:13want to provide a brief recap for those

03:14who may be new to the project. And for

03:17those who have been following along, a

03:18reminder of what led us here and why the

03:21project is moving forward. And from

03:23there, we'll provide an overview of the

03:25project and the proposed infrastructure

03:27improvements and touch on some of the

03:29common questions we've heard from

03:31residents as the project has moved

03:33through design. Then finally, we'll talk

03:36through the current project schedule and

03:38next steps before opening the floor for

03:40questions and discussion.

03:45So to start, I'd like to provide a

03:46little background on how we got to where

03:48we are today. The need for improved

03:51wastewater management in the Somerset

03:54area has been identified by the town for

03:56more than 20 years, driven by the

03:58environmental concerns associated with

04:00on-site septic systems. Somerset was

04:03first identified as a needs area

04:05recommended for sewer service back in

04:07the town's 2004 comprehensive wastewater

04:10management plan. Then following that

04:12report between 2004 and 2014, additional

04:15information became available through the

04:17Massachusetts Eststeraries projects or

04:20MEPs which evaluated water bodies across

04:23the Cape Islands and identified nitrogen

04:26as an important contributor to water

04:28quality impacts. Uh that information

04:31along with subsequent watershed planning

04:33helped inform the town's 2014 CWMP

04:37update which reaffirmed the need for

04:39sewer service in the Somerset area uh to

04:42help protect nearby water bodies and the

04:44groundwater in the area. So as you can

04:46see from the timeline, the town has

04:48continued to build on that work through

04:50additional wastewater planning,

04:52infrastructure improvements, and a more

04:54detailed evaluation of the Somerset

04:56area. moving from identifying the need

04:59to evaluating solutions and ultimately

05:02to advancing the sewer extension that is

05:04now in final design.

05:09And that brings us to the project

05:11drivers and why sewer is being proposed

05:13for Somerset. As discussed on the

05:15previous slide, Somerset was identified

05:17as an area recommended for sewer service

05:20through the town's wastewater planning

05:22documents. One of the factors considered

05:25was the soil conditions within the

05:27Somerset needs area. Much of the area

05:29consists of highly permeable sandy

05:32soils. And while these soils can

05:34accommodate septic systems, their high

05:36permeability means septic discharge can

05:39move through the soil relatively quickly

05:41and this provides less time for

05:42treatment before reaching the

05:43groundwater. So that creates a concern

05:46for the groundwater quality itself. But

05:49groundwater can also act as a pathway

05:51for nutrients and other contaminants in

05:53septic discharge to travel towards

05:55surrounding surface waters. So as shown

05:57on the maps here, the Somerset needs

06:00area is located within the Humik Pond

06:02and my pond watershed areas. Now,

06:05through the town's wastewater planning,

06:08including the MEP studies and the

06:11CWMPPS, nitrogen from on-site septic

06:14systems has been identified as an

06:16important concern for groundwater and

06:18surrounding water resources. So, while

06:21conventional septic systems are designed

06:23to treat waste water, they're not

06:24designed to adequately remove nitrogen

06:27in nitrogen sensitive areas. So also

06:29looking specifically at the Humm Pond

06:31watershed on the lower right. Something

06:34important to note is the Humm and Hum

06:37needs areas. These needs areas were also

06:40identified as areas recommended for

06:43sewer service in the town's 2014 CWMP

06:46update. and Somerset is an important

06:49first step because the infrastructure

06:51constructed through this project will

06:53ultimately be needed to convey future

06:55sewer flows from those areas as well

06:58into the town's collection system. So,

07:00taking all those factors together, the

07:02town's wastewater planning identified

07:04sewer as the most effective long-term

07:07approach for addressing the wastewater

07:09and environmental needs of the Somerset

07:11needs area.

07:16Uh so we've talked about some of the

07:17environmental drivers behind the

07:19project. This slide provides a little

07:21more context on what extending sewer

07:23service can mean for water quality in

07:24this area. So under existing conditions,

07:27septic systems discharge nutrients

07:30including nitrogen to the ground where

07:31they can enter the groundwater and

07:33ultimately make their way into

07:35surrounding water resources. uh too many

07:38nutrients in the water can lead to

07:39excessive algae growth and lower oxygen

07:42levels and also cause other water

07:44quality problems that can affect the

07:46health of the ponds. So one visible

07:48example is of harmful algo blooms or

07:51habs. The green material you can see

07:54along the shoreline in those photos from

07:56Hik Pond and my pond show the types of

08:00conditions that we're talking about.

08:01These blooms can degrade aquatic habitat

08:04and water quality and can also affect

08:06the recreational use of the ponds. Um so

08:10what changes with sewer? Instead of

08:12septic discharge continuing to enter the

08:14ground, instead waste water is collected

08:17and conveyed to the town treatment

08:19system. And this is removing any septic

08:21derived nutrient loading from the

08:23project area into the ponds and also

08:26addresses other contaminants found in

08:28septic discharge including PAS which has

08:31become an emerging issue uh

08:33pharmaceuticals and other emerging

08:35contaminants. So ultimately extending

08:37sewer service in this area helps reduce

08:39those inputs into groundwater and to

08:42surrounding surface waters uh with the

08:44long-term goal of protecting water

08:45quality and the ecosystems of hum and my

08:48comment ponds. So now that we've covered

08:51really the why behind the project, we're

08:53going to take a look at what's actually

08:55proposed for infrastructure.

08:57Uh this project began as a sewer

08:59extension project with the goal of

09:02providing municipal sewer service

09:04throughout the Somerset needs area. The

09:06figure on the left shows the overall

09:08area proposed to be served as part of

09:09the project. Uh the current design

09:11includes approximately 15,200 linear

09:15feet of gravity sewer which is shown in

09:17blue and approximately 9,500 linear feet

09:21of low pressure sewer which is shown in

09:23orange. The roadways proposed to receive

09:26each type of sewer service are also

09:27listed on the right side of the slide.

09:30And as design has progressed, we've

09:32continued to refine where gravity and

09:34low pressure sewer are proposed based on

09:36more detailed evaluation of the

09:38elevations and existing conditions

09:41throughout the project area. Uh in

09:43particular, at the end of Clara Drive,

09:46Henderson's Drive, and Doc Riders Drive,

09:48the homes sit at lower elevations

09:51relative to the proposed sewer. So at

09:53those locations, it's not feasible for

09:55those properties to connect by gravity.

09:58So those areas are now proposed to be

09:59served by low pressure sewer. And for

10:02anyone less familiar with the

10:03difference, whether a property is served

10:05by gravity or low pressure sewer is

10:07primarily driven by the existing

10:09topography and elevations throughout the

10:12project area. Where the elevations

10:14allow, flow can move naturally through

10:16the system by gravity. Um but in

10:19lowerlying areas providing gravity

10:21service would require the sewer

10:22throughout the entire project area to be

10:24installed at significant depths. So low

10:27pressure sewer is utilized to convey the

10:28flow instead.

10:30Uh we also know residents may have

10:32questions about what the proposed system

10:34means for their specific property

10:36including whether they would be served

10:37by gravity or low pressure sewer. And as

10:39the project advances toward

10:41construction, property owners will

10:42receive additional information about

10:44their individual connection point and

10:46the type of sewer service proposed for

10:48their property. So in the meantime, if

10:50you have any uh individual property

10:52specific questions, please reach out to

10:54the project team and we'd be happy to

10:56work through those with you.

11:01This figure just builds on the previous

11:03map and shows the proposed Somerset

11:05system and how it will connect into the

11:07town's existing sewer infrastructure. So

11:09flow from the entire Somerset needs area

11:12will be collected at the proposed pump

11:14station at the town owned property 77

11:17Bartlett Road and pumped through a new

11:19force main along Bartlett Road. And that

11:21force main will connect the existing

11:23sewer collection system near Surfside

11:25Road and from there flow will continue

11:27to the Surfside wastewater treatment

11:29facility for treatment.

11:35And as we've discussed, this project

11:36includes coordination across a number of

11:38town departments. And that coordination

11:41has created opportunities to address

11:43other infrastructure needs while the

11:44sewer work is being completed. So as

11:47part of the current design,

11:48approximately 7,000 linear feet of new

11:50water mane is proposed within the

11:52Somerset needs area, which is shown in

11:55blue on this figure. The water man is

11:57proposed on all streets within the

11:59project area that do not currently have

12:02town water service and allowing those

12:05improvements to be coordinated with the

12:07sewer construction.

12:09Just want to point out one update to the

12:11water man layout since our last public

12:13meeting. At that time we showed the

12:15proposed water man on high brush path

12:18terminating near a nine high brush path

12:20rather than continuing to the end of the

12:22culde-sac. Uh but based on further

12:24evaluation, the design is being revised

12:26to extend the water mane to the end of

12:28high brush path which is consistent with

12:30what had been originally proposed for

12:32the project.

12:38And in addition to the sewer and water

12:40improvements, the project also provides

12:43an opportunity to address roadway

12:45drainage and multi-use path improvements

12:47within the same corridor. So starting

12:50with the figure on the bottom left, uh

12:52new drainage infrastructure is proposed

12:55along Raceway Drive uh to help address

12:58existing drainage and flooding concerns.

13:00On this street, storm water will be

13:02collected and directed to a new

13:04infiltration system to improve storm

13:07water management in the area. Um this

13:10project also includes roadway

13:11improvements at the intersection of

13:13Forway Drive and Bartlett Road. uh the

13:16existing intersection has a very sharp

13:18turn. So the proposed realignment is

13:21proposed to soften that curve and

13:23improve the overall roadway

13:24configuration and safety through the

13:26intersection.

13:29We're also proposing improvements to the

13:32multi-use path network in the area. The

13:34existing sidewalk on Raceway Drive will

13:37be upgraded to a multi-use path and

13:40relocated to the opposite side of the

13:42roadway to improve connectivity and

13:44mitigate roadway crossings through the

13:46corridor. Uh on the top right, you can

13:49see the current preferred alignment for

13:51the new multi-use path along Somerset

13:53Lane. This path will provide a

13:56connection between existing Cisco and

13:58Bartlett road path networks. And the sum

14:01southern alignment is still preferred as

14:04the preferred alignment because it

14:05reduces impacts to the adjacent

14:07properties and allows the path to

14:10continue along Somerset Lane without

14:12requiring an additional roadway

14:14crossing.

14:15And as the rendering shown on the top

14:18left of the slide uh gives you an idea

14:20of what that proposed multi-use path

14:22will look like as you travel down

14:24Somerset Lane from Raceway Drive toward

14:27Hum Pond Road.

14:34So talked about the environmental and

14:36wastewater needs driving the project and

14:38what's included. Another important piece

14:40is funding and the state revolving fund

14:43provides a very favorable opportunity

14:45for the town to finance a project that's

14:47already moving forward to address those

14:49needs. The town pursued financing for

14:52the project through the clean uh water

14:54state revolving fund or CWSRF and has

14:58received eligibility for favorable

15:00financing through that program. An

15:03important step in maintaining that

15:04eligibility was appropriating the

15:07necessary project funds by June 30th,

15:092026, uh, which the town voted to

15:12approve at the 2026 annual town meeting.

15:15So, with that funding authorization in

15:17place, the town submitted a $35.6

15:20million application to the CWSRF in

15:23September, and Mass E's review is

15:26currently underway. And for context, the

15:29SRF program provides below market

15:31financing for eligible clean water

15:34projects. And specifically for Somerset,

15:36the town is eligible for 1.5% financing

15:40with the potential for that rate to be

15:42reduced to 0% based on the project's

15:45nutrient removal benefits. We are

15:47anticipating that the project will

15:49qualify for 0% financing, but we're

15:52still waiting to hear from Mass D on

15:54that determination.

15:57And the interest rate really does make a

15:58difference on a project of this size. As

16:01you can see here, financing at 1.5%

16:03would result in approximately 5.6

16:05million in interest over the life of the

16:08loan compared to 0% financing. And for

16:11context, the town has recently seen

16:13borrowing rates in the range of 4%. And

16:16at that rate, the same financing would

16:19result in approximately $16.2 million in

16:21interest. And of course, if the project

16:23ultimately qualifies for 0% financing

16:26through SRF, those interest costs would

16:28be eliminated altogether.

16:30There's one more important timing

16:32requirement to maintain eligibility for

16:34this funding cycle. Uh the project needs

16:37to be awarded for construction by June

16:3930th, 2027. That deadline is an

16:42important consideration as the town

16:43moves through final design and bidding.

16:50Looking ahead, we wanted to provide some

16:51context on what property owners can

16:53expect once sewer service becomes

16:55available in the area. So once sewer

16:58service is available, the town will

17:00provide notice to property owners and

17:02from that point, properties abuing the

17:04new sewer will have two years to

17:06connect. As part of the project, the

17:08town will provide a sewer service stub

17:10to the property line and property owners

17:13will be responsible for the costs

17:14connecting their home to that service as

17:17well as decommissioning their existing

17:19septic systems which will need to be

17:21decommissioned in accordance with health

17:23department requirements.

17:25There is a process for property owners

17:27to request a waiver from the board of

17:29health for this requirement. Those

17:31requests are reviewed on a case-by case

17:33basis.

17:38And next, we also wanted to provide some

17:39information on the cost property owners

17:42should expect when it comes time to

17:43connect. Uh the first is the sewer

17:46connection permit application fee, which

17:49is currently $4,000 per dwelling and is

17:51due with the required application to

17:53connect to sewer.

17:55Next is the sewer capacity fee. Uh for a

17:58home with three bedrooms or fewer, the

18:00minimum fee is currently approximately

18:03$6,700.

18:05For larger homes, that fee increases

18:07based on the number of bedrooms and

18:09anticipated wastewater flow for the

18:11property. And the third component is the

18:14private property connection itself. And

18:17that includes hiring an engineer and a

18:19contractor to design and install the

18:22sewer service from the dwelling to the

18:24connection stub provided at the property

18:26line, as well as properly

18:28decommissioning the existing septic

18:30system. The cost of that private

18:32connection will vary depending on the

18:34individual property. Uh things like

18:37distance to the house from the house to

18:38the connection point, whether the

18:41property is served by gravity, low

18:43pressure sewer, existing site

18:45conditions, and the amount of

18:46restoration required will all factor

18:48into that cost. And since all these

18:50factors can vary from property to

18:52property and actual connections are

18:55still approximately 2 and 1 half to 3

18:57years away, it's difficult to provide

18:59one estimated construction cost that

19:02would accurately represent what every

19:04property owner should expect.

19:07Another thing to note is the original

19:09article 15 presented at the 2026 annual

19:13town meeting included the ability to

19:15recover up to 25% of the project cost

19:19through betterments to project area

19:20properties. Uh based on estimates at the

19:23time that could have resulted in a

19:25betterment of roughly 20,000 to $25,000

19:28per property in addition to the

19:30connection costs we just discussed. But

19:32at town meeting that betterment language

19:33was removed from the article. So

19:35property owners will not be assessed

19:37that additional project betterment as

19:39part of the Somerset project.

19:46And uh we recognize that even without a

19:47betterment connecting to a sewer to

19:49sewer represents a significant expense

19:51for homeowners. So there are some

19:53options available to help spread certain

19:55costs over time. Uh for the sewer

19:57connection permit application fee, this

19:59is due in full at the time of applying.

20:03For the sewer capacity fee, property

20:05owners have the option to pay the fee in

20:07full upfront or spread the cost out over

20:10time through a voluntary sewer lean

20:12agreement. Under that option, the

20:14property owner is required to pay a

20:16minimum of 10% of the sewer capacity fee

20:19up front along with applicable recording

20:21fees. The voluntary sewer lean agreement

20:25is recorded at the registry of deeds and

20:27the remaining balance is added to the

20:29property tax bill and paid in

20:32installments with a 4.414

20:35interest over a period of up to 20

20:37years.

20:39Lastly, for the private property

20:41connection costs, there's also a septic

20:44management or title 5 loan program

20:47available through the Nucket Health

20:49Department subject to available funding

20:51for eligible costs. The current terms

20:53are 2% interest over 20 years.

21:00And we talked a little earlier about why

21:02topography in some areas requires low

21:04pressure sewer. So we wanted to provide

21:06a little more context on the grinder

21:07pumps that go along with those systems.

21:10In some of the lowerlying areas, homes

21:12uh can't simply feasibly connect to

21:14gravity by gravity without requiring the

21:17sewer to be installed at significant

21:19depths. So in um some cases there will

21:23be connection to low pressure sewer when

21:24low pressure sewer is fronting your

21:26property and then in some limited cases

21:29an individual property along a gravity

21:32sewer may still require a grinder pump

21:34if the elevation of the home doesn't

21:36allow for a feasible gravity connection

21:38or if the home is is too far from the

21:40sewer. Uh so for those properties, an

21:43individual grinder pump would be needed

21:45to collect flow from the home and pump

21:47it into the sewer in the roadway. Uh

21:50similar to how projects have been

21:52completed in the past, the town

21:54anticipates pre- purchasing the approved

21:56grinder pump units and selling them to

21:58the homeowner.

22:00We've also had some questions about pump

22:02reliability and what happens during a

22:04power outage. Uh the pump does require

22:07power to operate, but the tank provides

22:09approximately 150 gallons or roughly 48

22:13hours of storage depending on household

22:16water use. Uh there's also been a very

22:19limited number of failures um reported

22:22with existing grinder pump installations

22:24on Nucket. And proper use is really a

22:27very important part of keeping the pumps

22:29operating reliably. So as the graphic on

22:31the right shows, only toilet paper

22:33should be flushed. uh wipes, even

22:36flushable wipes, sanitary products,

22:38other materials can cause problems with

22:41the pumps. So being mindful of what goes

22:43into the system is really important.

22:45And also more detailed information on

22:47the equipment, operation, maintenance of

22:51the pumps will be provided to property

22:53owners before they're required to

22:55connect.

22:59And now looking ahead, this slide shows

23:01where we are now and the major

23:03milestones between today and completion

23:05of the project. One important point is

23:08that the schedule is also tied to the

23:10SRF process. So before the project can

23:12move into bidding and ultimately

23:14construction, the town will need the

23:16applicable permissions and approvals

23:18from Mass D to advertise the project and

23:21award the construction contract. So the

23:23schedule shown here assumes these

23:26approvals will be received within the

23:27anticipated time frames. Currently final

23:30designs ongoing with the current

23:32schedule for final contract documents to

23:35be ready for bidding in February of

23:372027.

23:38From there we anticipate approximately 2

23:40to 3 months for bidding uh with

23:42construction beginning in the spring or

23:44summer of 2027.

23:47Construction is expected to take

23:48approximately two years, bringing us to

23:51an anticipated project completion in

23:53spring of 2029.

23:55And another important point to note is

23:57that roadway construction will not occur

23:59during the summer months. So while the

24:00overall construction period is

24:02anticipated to extend over the two

24:03years, work within the roadways will be

24:05scheduled around those summer

24:07restrictions.

24:12And before we close, we want to

24:13encourage everyone to stay connected as

24:15the project moves forward. Uh the

24:17project website, which you can access

24:19using the URL or the QR code shown here,

24:23will continue to be the main source for

24:25project updates, schedules, meeting

24:28information, and other materials as they

24:30become available. You can also follow

24:32the town social media channels for

24:34project announcements and updates.

24:37We're anticipating another public

24:39meeting in late spring or summer of 2027

24:42which will be a pre-construction focused

24:44meeting. Uh by that meeting we will have

24:47the contractor on board and we'll be

24:49able to provide more detailed

24:51information on construction sequencing,

24:53anticipated roadway impacts and what

24:56residents can expect while work is

24:57underway. We will also have

24:59representatives from the contractor and

25:01the engineering team who will be working

25:03in the field available at that meeting.

25:05So residents will have an opportunity to

25:07ask more detailed questions about

25:09construction and how the work may affect

25:11their street. And of course, in the

25:12meantime, if you have any questions

25:14specific to your property, please

25:15continue to reach out to the town and

25:17the project team.

25:21And that brings us to the end of the

25:22presentation. I'll pause in case anyone

25:24from the project team has anything

25:26they'd like to add, but a thank you and

25:28we'll open it up for questions.

25:31I just want to start again. Anna, thank

25:33you so much for taking us through these

25:34slides. As a reminder, these slides as

25:36well as the ones that we've presented at

25:38all of our past public info sessions are

25:40available on the town project page on

25:43off of the website, excuse me, as well

25:46as other relevant project docs. A lot of

25:47the maps and aerials that you saw, we

25:49have that available. Uh and again, all

25:51of the past questions that have been

25:53asked during public info sessions or

25:55sent in to me or the project team are

25:57also there as well for your viewing. So

26:00with that, we will now open it up to

26:01questions. So what I'd like you to do if

26:04you would like to ask a question or

26:05provide feedback to the team, please

26:07raise your virtual hand. We'll call you

26:09out and unmute you and you can ask your

26:11question.

26:12Okay. So first we have Karen Alent

26:17and I see that I personally can't

26:18unmute. So Frank, from your standpoint,

26:20if you could unmute Karen, that'd be

26:22great.

26:27>> Hi. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Go

26:29ahead, Karen.

26:30>> Great. So, I have some comments I'd like

26:32to share with everyone who's listening.

26:34Um, when the voters approved allocating

26:36money for this project at last town

26:38meeting, the project was being pushed

26:41for environmental reasons as you spoke

26:43today, but specifically it was being

26:45sold to the voters as necessary to bring

26:47back the health of my pond. However,

26:51voters were unaware that there was a

26:53scientific research study commissioned

26:55by the town to assess the pond and what

26:58would be necessary to bring it back to a

27:00healthy state. That study in summary

27:03clearly stated that the only options to

27:06prevent the cyanobacteria blooms have

27:09been narrowed down to dredging and

27:11inactivation.

27:12Dredging would represent the true

27:14restoration and is highly desirable.

27:17So with that in mind, the town sought to

27:20override um an override to allocate 4

27:22million for dredging in 2023 and it was

27:25approved. For whatever reason, they

27:28didn't move forward until this fall and

27:31then the dredging bid came in almost

27:32four times as much as was allocated at

27:3516.6. So they recently abandoned the

27:38dredging project that would actually

27:39have restored the pond to health.

27:42Bringing in sewer lines will not have an

27:44effect on pond restoration. There's not

27:46been any study confirming that septic le

27:49leakage is traveling anywhere near my

27:51pond. So on top of that, there's a large

27:54group of opposition to this project who

27:57would like to see it stopped and the

27:59remaining money out of the 44 million

28:01diverted towards dredging the ponds

28:03which would actually have a positive

28:05effect. And I just wanted to share that

28:07that that's ongoing right now.

28:20Karen, thank you for your comments. I do

28:21think that that is referencing a

28:22completely different study though, but I

28:24do appreciate the feedback in the

28:26comments. We'll now move to Ed Sanford.

28:34>> Uh yeah, hi. Um I uh I'm got a little

28:37bit of confusion. Kevin, you know, we

28:39emailed a little bit about the cost of

28:42to the individual homeowner, and I just

28:45looked at the email you sent me. You

28:47told me that the sewer capacity fee

28:50would be at a minimum $25,000

28:53uh for this project, and I just saw the

28:56slide that said 6,700.

28:58So, what what's the discrepancy?

29:02>> So, I do apologize for that. It was

29:04recalculated after I sent that email.

29:06And what was presented this evening is a

29:07more accurate um estimate for that size

29:10of house.

29:13>> Okay. Uh the the other thing that that

29:16you know I'm I'm I'm obviously not

29:19thrilled about this. I have a I live at

29:2112 doer drive. I moved into my house in

29:242017. I have a a septic system that was

29:27designed according to Richard Ray's most

29:30stringent septic regulations. as we all

29:33been told to believe that he created the

29:35toughest septic regulations in the

29:37Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was

29:39lauded for all his hard work. You know,

29:42clearly I uh installed my system

29:46obviously to to to those current septic

29:49regulations. I maintain I maintain the

29:52system and and now I'm being told that I

29:55have to abandon it. I'm being forced to

29:57abandon it probably to a at a cost uh

30:01somewhere on top of the sewer capacity

30:03fee. So, it's at about $11,000

30:07for the uh the fees to the town. You're

30:10probably adding anywhere I would say a

30:13minimum of $50,000 for a homeowner to to

30:16do this connection. Uh and that that is

30:19maybe a simple installation. And I spoke

30:22to a civil engineer who said that most

30:25of of the properties will have to

30:27replace their septic tanks to install a

30:31tank that has a lowflow uh uh ejector

30:35pumpout system in order to get the waste

30:37to the to the town sewer line. Uh so so

30:41the long story short is for for the 400

30:43some odd property owners in this area,

30:46they're they're being forced to to come

30:48up with millions and millions of dollars

30:51to comply with this with this new

30:53regulation. And to to Karen's point, I

30:57think it's it's it's imperative that the

31:00town stop I I feel like that this

31:02environmental stuff is just sort of

31:03platitudes. Oh yeah, we're we're we're

31:06going to improve the health of my comet

31:08pond, but where are the studies? Where

31:10is the specific information that says

31:13specifically my septic system, which is

31:16over a half a mile away from my pond, is

31:19is causing nitrogen

31:22nutrient lo, whatever it is, nitrogen

31:25nutrient lo overloading in the pond. I I

31:28I don't know if the town's ever done

31:29anything like that. Have they ever

31:31tested any of the the wells in the area

31:33to see see what the groundwater the

31:35nitrogen the nitrogen levels in the

31:38groundwater are at the and the plenty of

31:40people have wells in this area? I have

31:43an irrigation well. Has any study been

31:46done in that regard. Uh I just it just

31:49seems like this is just uh it's it's a

31:53huge expense for for the neighborhood.

31:55It's going to it's going to cause a

31:57significant

31:59uh change to the makeup of the

32:00neighborhood because the people that can

32:02least afford this are year- round

32:05families uh may maybe who are retired.

32:08This is a very old year-round area. It

32:11was developed in the late 70s and early

32:1380s. So, you've got families that have

32:16been out there for 30 or 40 years. they

32:19they probably are at the end of their

32:20economic livelihoods and you're sort of

32:24saying, well, too bad. You know, you got

32:26to cough up 50, 60, 75,000 bucks. That's

32:29just the way it is to to to in theory,

32:32you know, save my comet pond. So, I I

32:36think before you go much further, you

32:38really need to come clear with the

32:40residents and in the island community

32:42that this is going to work, that my

32:44comet pond is going to be infinitely

32:46better. uh and that and that you know

32:49our our hard hard-earned and money that

32:53we're spending uh not to our uh our

32:57liking is uh is doing the job and I I

33:00don't frankly

33:02think that that's going to be the case.

33:04Uh last thing I'll say and then I'll

33:05shut up is that what this will also do

33:07is is open up this this is a very

33:10desirable area now as you as we all know

33:13uh the properties have sold in this in

33:15this sewer district area for 78 million

33:19property just closed on the dirt road

33:22portion of Somerset Lane for 7.5

33:24million. Uh a property on a uh in the

33:28Austin farm subdivision sold for over 8

33:30million. There's a fairly substantial uh

33:34uh spec build that's going on on

33:36Somerset Lane that'll probably be listed

33:38in the 8 8 figure range. So, it's a

33:40hugely popular seasonal area. And by

33:44eliminating board of health regulations

33:46and septic capacity issues which are

33:49currently in place, you're you're really

33:52opening up this whole area for

33:53significant seasonal home uh development

33:58which will just end up, you know,

34:01pushing pushing the year round residents

34:03who have been there for for decades.

34:05They're just going to have to leave. And

34:07I think that's really unfortunate. and

34:09and and then that result really how

34:11environmentally appropriate is it in the

34:14end run when you open up this huge area

34:16huge very very uh attractive area to

34:20seasonal residents to make it easier to

34:22to expand and to develop their

34:24properties. So thank you

34:29thank you Mr. Sanford

34:32>> Amy Eldridge.

34:36Hi. Um Amy Eldridge. I do not live in

34:40the area. I am a community member. Um my

34:44question is

34:46if they're worried about nitrogen

34:48loading into the pond, why are not the

34:51properties on the dirt part of West Mia

34:55and my Comet Road who are closer to the

34:58ponds?

35:00Why is that not included

35:03in this project? because I would think

35:05their septics are more susceptible to

35:07the nitrogen loading than the people

35:09that are living up on Somerset

35:12and uh High Brush Path and Austin Farm

35:14area. Um,

35:17I I understand that there are people who

35:19have failed septics in that area. And I

35:22understand there are people who, and I

35:25have friends who have just put in a

35:27$60,000

35:29um septic in a brand new house, and

35:34you know, you're supposed to be getting,

35:35you know, 20 to 30 years out of your

35:37septic. And now they're going to be

35:39forced to pay

35:41all this crazy money. Yes, I get there's

35:44variances with the health department and

35:45you can go to in front of the board of

35:47health and get pushed back a couple of

35:50years, but that's only going to go so

35:52far. And you're asking people that are

35:53going to be out of pocket way more than

35:56just the tie-in rate with the town.

35:59They're going to have to abandon, fill,

36:01remove septics on septics they just paid

36:04for it. It [snorts] I understand the

36:07need, but I also understand that you

36:10still have a lot of yearround

36:14year-round residents that live in this

36:15area, some on fixed incomes that aren't

36:19going to be able to afford this, whether

36:20there's an abetment or a 0% interest

36:23loan. Um, I just think that that this is

36:27um needs to get tabled and and and

36:30further study like Karen had mentioned

36:32because I'm not 100% convinced that the

36:35houses in this area are the culprits of

36:39the ponds.

36:41Thank you.

36:46Thank you, Amy. Drew.

36:52>> Yeah. Hi, everybody. Can you hear me?

36:53>> Yes, we can.

36:54>> All right. Thanks. Um, I I just wanted

36:56to touch on a couple things that I think

36:58Amy and Ed Sanford had brought up. Um,

37:02and and there was a lot, so I'm going to

37:03do my best to just cover a couple of

37:05them. Uh, for those that don't know me,

37:06I'm Drew Padin. the director of public

37:08works, formerly uh wastewater engineer

37:11myself. Um I think and and I'm not going

37:14to do these in order, but I'll try my

37:16best. So um as far as has the town done

37:18any studies, yes, the 2014 CWMP is

37:22available on the town's website. If you

37:23go to the sewer department page on the

37:25left, you click sewer archives and um

37:31under there you can click on

37:32comprehensive wastewater management plan

37:33and there's a ton of documents in there

37:35and I suggest that people take a look at

37:37those. Um something Anna touched on in

37:39the presentation is certainly not only

37:41is is groundwater quality in in this

37:44area and because of the properties in

37:46this area important, but this area is

37:49critical to extend sewers beyond that to

37:51Humuck North and Humuck South. So sure,

37:53this extension is not a magic bullet. It

37:55doesn't solve all of our groundwater

37:57surface water uh quality issues. Um but

38:00it is a step in the right direction as

38:02was you know taking 7 purchasing 77

38:05Bartlett for the pump station as was

38:07upgrading the Surfside sewer pump

38:09station at the corner of Windy Way and

38:11Surfside Road. I think additionally I

38:13I'd like to try to get ahead of a little

38:15bit of a misconception that we seem to

38:17hear at every one of these public

38:19meetings. I have a quote unquote

38:20perfectly good septic system. Sewer

38:23service

38:25removes 100% of, as Anna said,

38:28nutrients, dyes, detergents, uh, PAS,

38:33other things from your groundwater where

38:35if you're not on town water, uh, you're

38:38getting your the water that you drink

38:40and that you use to cook from from

38:43beneath your home, you know, beneath

38:45your property. Um,

38:47a perfectly good septic system does not

38:50remove the overwhelming majority or

38:53nearly any of that. Um, so, you know, we

38:56we certainly understand that there is a

38:58cost. Do not get me wrong. We we we

39:01understand that very much. Um, as far as

39:03what it'll cost for an individual

39:05property to connect, again, as Anna

39:07mentioned in the presentation, all

39:09properties differ. Um I think about I

39:12don't know if we have a number about how

39:13many properties would be serviced by

39:15gravity and how many would be let by low

39:16pressure. Um but it's your distance from

39:18the street. It's a lot of different

39:20factors that ultimately um you know we

39:23we can't put a number on. Um you know

39:26certainly at this time for for every

39:27individual property. Um

39:30I uh I I think there's a lot of

39:32additional secondary benefit to this

39:34project. Uh, as the DPW director, I've

39:38kind of struggled for the last three

39:39years while working for the town to

39:40understand what is the plan for Somerset

39:43Lane, for example, extending a a a bike

39:46path, repaving that road, which is

39:48obviously in in undeniably poor

39:50condition. Um, but we certainly wouldn't

39:52want to make these improvements and then

39:53dig them up and and disturb, you know,

39:56that that investment. Um, and so I I

39:59think the timing of this is is kind of

40:00critically important for a number of

40:02different reasons. Um, so anyways, I

40:04just I just wanted to respond to a

40:05couple of things that that have come up.

40:07So, thank you.

40:12>> Thanks, Drew. Dan, you have your hand

40:14up. Go ahead.

40:15>> Yeah. Um, I just want to answer I think

40:17it was um Amy asked the question. Um, my

40:20com the my pan needs area is a future

40:23needs area identified the CWMP.

40:25So, that project is coming down the

40:27road. Um, the town can't do all seven

40:31needs areas all at once. So they have

40:33to, you know, schedule the work out. So

40:36right now, Somerset was identified so

40:38that Humm North and Humm South can get

40:40done to help help with the the Humm Pond

40:43area. And then we'll follow up at a

40:45future date doing more work over at my

40:48um around my pond and the my needs area.

40:52So it is coming down the road at some

40:54point. It's just not not everything can

40:56happen at once.

41:01Thanks, Dan. Okay, next we have Jean

41:04Fonts.

41:06Jean, go ahead.

41:11>> I don't know if you can hear me or not.

41:12Hi, I'm Jean Fones. Um I my my question

41:15is is I'm in a low pressure area and I

41:18don't understand why um having to get to

41:21Human North and South

41:23areas has to include area the areas on

41:26the outskirts of Somerset Road and um

41:30this project here has 440 houses

41:33according to it and o over a hundred of

41:35them are going to have to have grinder

41:38pump systems put in and I know you

41:40mentioned [clears throat] that not many

41:42of them failed but

41:44um from the word on the street is a lot

41:46of them do fail and um that's just I

41:51think unfair to um homeowners to force

41:54them into systems that are really not um

41:57great. And then the other question is is

41:59when they fail, do they back up into

42:00your house or do they back up onto the

42:03land? Cuz I know you said 150 gallons

42:04now um of excess water um time 48 hours

42:10if the power goes out. But I I'm

42:12probably one one of the unique people

42:13who has had a pump system before. Not a

42:15ground pump system, grind pump system,

42:18but a um graywater pump system for

42:20septic. And um [clears throat] it took

42:23us quite a while to figure out and

42:25definitely more than 48 hours to figure

42:27out the system wasn't working. And um so

42:29I just want to know where the waste goes

42:31once the system breaks since it's been a

42:33record of showing that they do.

42:36Thank you.

42:39I can handle that one for you. Anna, the

42:41um so the the grinder pump unit, it's

42:44not a new technology. It's been around

42:47for a very very long time. Used in

42:49numerous numerous communities anywhere

42:52around water bodies. Flow cannot happen

42:55by gravity. They have to be using

42:56grinder pumps. We've designed them back

42:59in the early 80s when I when I graduated

43:02back in the late 80s. They've been in

43:04place. So it's not a new technology.

43:07number one and they they are reliable.

43:10Most of the problems with grinder pumps

43:11are user related. Um when things get

43:14flushed down the toilet, a lot of grease

43:17goes down the toilet. I mean, you know,

43:19down your sink, it's going to plug up

43:21the pump. You know, people, you know,

43:23little kids may throw matchbox trucks

43:25that is going to damage the pump. But

43:27the pumps are do come with an alarm

43:28panel. So, when you do have a power

43:31outage, you will have an alarm that goes

43:33off. when the the water level gets high,

43:35you do have an alarm that gets off goes

43:37off. So, you'll have an opportunity. I

43:40mean, if a lot of people have generators

43:42that put the power in their homes, uh I

43:45believe a lot of folks on Ant probably

43:47have those with with power outages. Um

43:51if not, you know, you do have like Anna

43:53was saying, 40 hours of time. You know,

43:56when we lose power up, I'm up in New

43:58Hampshire. You know, we don't take

44:01showers, hot showers. We don't do

44:03dishes. you don't do laundry, you you ve

44:06very limited amount of water gets used

44:07during those periods of time.

44:10Um so you know we will provide more

44:12information as we get closer and more

44:15information on operation and maintenance

44:18how to maintain and operate the grinder

44:19pumps as the time as we get closer to

44:22construction.

44:26>> Thank you Dan.

44:28Does anyone else have any other

44:29questions or comments for the project

44:31team?

44:35Okay. Karen Alance.

44:39>> Hi. Um, I just wanted to comment about

44:42the studies because I have gone on the

44:44board of health website. I have read

44:47every single study that was referred to

44:49and the [clears throat] one that not the

44:522014 but the one that is specific to

44:55restoration of the ponds was from 2017.

44:59It was a joint commissioning from the

45:01town of Nantucket, the land and water

45:04council and the pond coalition

45:06coalition. And this specifically said

45:10that the um septic ch moving over to

45:13septic lines is not going to have an

45:15effect on restoring the pond. The only

45:18thing that will work is dredging.

45:21Um, so and then the other thing is none

45:25of those studies have shown that septic

45:30runoff has reached the pond or even

45:33gotten close to it or they haven't shown

45:35anything where septic runoff has gone.

45:36What they have shown is where the

45:38groundwater flows and where the flow

45:40goes to the pond. But nothing was shown

45:43nothing is documented that anything from

45:46septic systems gets where they where it

45:49goes or groundwater. Thank you.

45:56>> Okay, I'll move to Brett Dean.

46:02>> Hey, can you hear me, Kevin?

46:04>> Yes, we can. Go right ahead.

46:05>> Thanks for uh taking my comment. At the

46:07risk of uh irritating my Somerset

46:10neighbors, I just want to tell you how

46:11much in favor of this project I am. I

46:15would be faced with very substantially

46:17higher costs should we not go ahead and

46:20do this. and and I know a number of my

46:21neighbors would be um as well. Um so I

46:25think you know once something like this

46:26passes th those that are in favor of it

46:29kind of go by the wayside and you hear

46:32more and more and I respect those that

46:33oppose it. But I just want to let you

46:36know that there's a lot of people in

46:38favor of it. I I never saw it as a

46:40simple proxy vote of saving the pond. I

46:44think this is a complicated area for

46:46septic. a lot of the locations or some

46:48of the locations in Somerset are um I I

46:51don't think it's as simple as saving uh

46:53the pond and I respect the varying

46:55opinions on the the studies. My question

46:57for you and I think you're hearing a

46:58little bit of it tonight uh your degree

47:01of confidence and do you have a degree

47:03of confidence at this standpoint that

47:06the existing appropriation will be

47:08sufficient to proceed with the projects?

47:11I I I think you may hear you'll be

47:13having some challenges if that's not the

47:14case. So, if you could give me any in

47:17any any information on that, I

47:18appreciate it and thank you for your

47:19time and for doing this.

47:23>> Yeah, thank you Brett. I don't want to

47:24speak for everybody on the project team,

47:25but I think we are confident in the

47:26current estimates that the appropriation

47:28that was passed is sufficient to cover

47:30the cost for this project.

47:34Drew, go ahead.

47:37Yeah, sorry to jump in. I was I was kind

47:40of just remembering some of the things

47:41that were brought up. Um, I know we

47:43don't have any representatives from the

47:45planning department here, but you know,

47:46we've heard, you know, on a number of

47:49occasions that there's concern about

47:51development and buildout and um, you

47:53know, just to reiterate, if this project

47:55goes out to bid in February, I think you

47:59know, construction maybe at the pump

48:00station maybe starting over the summer,

48:02working in the roadways probably not

48:04starting till the fall and we're looking

48:05at two and a half to three years. So I

48:08think we have somewhere between two to

48:09three town meetings to um two two or

48:14three opportunities at town meeting to

48:17address development concerns in the area

48:19for example. So, I know that um I think

48:21there's an an initiative from our

48:24planning department to reach out to a

48:25Butters in the neighborhood um or in in

48:28the area to kind of gauge uh concern

48:31interest uh in in addressing their

48:34concerns and and coming up with ideas um

48:37well in advance because again, you know,

48:39it's going to be I would say at least 3

48:41years before people are expected to

48:43start to connect. Oh, and it looks like

48:44Megan is here, so I'll stop putting

48:46words in Megan's mouth. But um yeah, I I

48:50you know, the town definitely hears

48:51these things and and uh there's stuff in

48:53the works. But sorry, Megan, not to put

48:55you on the spot, but if you want to jump

48:56in, feel free.

48:57>> No, that's okay. That's why I'm here. Um

49:00so, we are going to be sending out a

49:04very very brief survey um to all

49:07affected property owners. Um that's

49:10going to be step one. So, the intent of

49:11that survey is to just let planning

49:14staff and the planning board know um the

49:16neighborhood's thoughts on existing

49:18development um potential future buildout

49:22so that we can gather more information

49:24on um whether or not zoning changes

49:27would be warranted in the future. Like

49:29Drew mentioned, there will be several

49:31town meeting cycles um for any changes,

49:34if necessary, to be put into place. So,

49:36it's not going to be a rush for this

49:39town meeting cycle. That said, um it's

49:42important to us to kind of get that line

49:44of communication started and just kind

49:46of see where um where everyone's at on

49:50future development.

49:57>> Thank you, Megan. Thank you, Drew.

49:58Sorry, I know you're in the attendee

50:00section, Megan, for most of this. I was

50:01able to finally push you over.

50:05Um all right. Any other questions uh for

50:07the project team? Miss FS,

50:12>> thank you and thank you for answering my

50:13questions and I understand um you know

50:16people think they don't use water during

50:18during blackouts or whatever, but um you

50:20didn't answer the question of where does

50:22the water go if it if that 150 gallon

50:24tank fells up. So I'd like to know where

50:26the raw sewage will go

50:29um

50:30from these pump systems because that's

50:32what I'll be on.

50:35Thank you.

50:43Dan, go ahead.

50:44>> Yeah, I mean I I don't know what the

50:46system what her pump system is going to

50:47look like once it's designed, but um I I

50:52don't imagine I mean I'm assuming if

50:53this alarm goes off that there's going

50:56to be, you know, the high water alarm

50:58that someone's going to come with a

51:00generator or a power source to pump that

51:03thing down. Um, so it doesn't go back up

51:06into your basement or into your home or

51:09onto the street. But if you have a

51:12basement service, yeah, it would end up

51:14toward in your basement if it

51:16overflowed. Just like if somebody's on a

51:18gravity line and their line breaks, it's

51:21going to back up into their the lowest

51:23fixture in their home. Um, if you happen

51:26to be on

51:28only a first floor level service above

51:30the street, I would have to look at how

51:32that was designed to figure out where

51:34it's going in overflow. But I would not

51:36if you, like I said, you're going to get

51:38an alarm and at that point, you know,

51:40you're going to call somebody to come

51:41out and they're going to have to pump it

51:43down for you. But again, I mean, I'm not

51:46sure how much water use people are going

51:49to do during a power outage, but

51:50typically there's not a lot other than

51:52flushing a toilet. All

52:02right. Does anyone else in the attendee

52:04section have any questions for the

52:05project team?

52:14Okay, seeing none, I want to take the

52:17time to thank everybody for attending

52:18this evening's public info session.

52:20Again, as a reminder, this session is

52:22being recorded and will be posted at the

52:24town's YouTube page for later viewing.

52:26And of course, if any questions come to

52:28mind uh after this evening session,

52:30please feel free to reach out to me

52:31directly and I'll get a response back to

52:33you as soon as we can. So, thank you

52:35again everybody for your time. We

52:36appreciate it. Have a good rest of your

52:38evening.

52:41And we can stop the recording now.

52:42crying, please.

52:50All right. Thank you everybody. I

52:53appreciate your time as always. Great

52:55job again.

52:57>> All right. Thanks everybody. Have a good

52:58night.

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