HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-03-21 Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Minutes
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Minutes
Councilors Attending: Councilor D’Errico, Councilor Stone, Council Gratwick
Staff Attending: Ed Barrett, Jim Ring, Brad Moore
Others Attending:
Committee convened at p.m.
1. Easement Request from Bangor Water District-Former Hammond Street Right of
Way.
With no discussion due to familiarity and dependability of the Water District,
Councilor Stone moves to pass and Councilor D’Errico seconds the motion.
Jim Ring stated the draft document stated a 50 foot wide easement request and
since spoke with them and suggested a 30 foot wide easement.
2. Sewer Fee Surcharge – High Strength Discharges.
Brad Moore states this issue has been addressed several times through the
years. But now there is a probability of increasing the sewer rate fees during the
next budget. Bangor Code allows surcharge to any entity that discharges
excessive waste loads to the treatment plant. The Code defines excessive waste
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loads and a formula to calculate. The March 16 Memorandum indicates two
companies in the service area that do excessive discharge waste loads. The
memo indicates the amount of revenue that could be generated if they were
surcharged over and above the actual billed amount. The Council would have to
pass an order what the fees would be.
Jim Ring stated this has been discussed several times in what was the Sewer
Committee, now Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. There was
interest, but had not pursued. One thing noted: the company with that would
be subject to the larger surcharge has made quite a bit of progress and they are
aware this is something we’ve been considering for some time. If this was
looked at a couple of years ago the surcharge would have been 50% rather than
about a third of an increase.
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Councilor Stone asked what is the difference between the two companies and
why is there such a spread between the actual billed and the surcharge amount.
And what was used as a benchmark for the excessive waste load.
Brad Moore responds to the first question which is all based on the concentration
of their waste load, the strength of the waste they’re discharging. The first
company discharging a much stronger waste, thus taking more energy at the
treatment plant to reduce the waste load. The benchmark of 350 milligrams per
liter is an industry standard - i.e. the average coming from a residential
household is 200 milligrams per liter. Some businesses in town may be affected
by this if the numbers were to be lower, such as a laundry facility. More
sampling will need to be done if the number were to be lowered. 14-15
companies are in the pre-treatment due to potential source of contamination to
the sewer flow. Those companies are usually high water users that are involved
in some kind of industrial process and are routinely checked and required to
monitor waste, examples are restaurants, hospitals-a lot of facilities aren’t tested
regularly. Those facilities take care of pre-treatment at the source.
Upon further discussion of scenarios and possibly doing some sampling Ed
Barrett suggests that this be brought back to the Committee along with the
companies that would be impacted for a future date.
Brad Moore explains for Councilor Gratwick that the 350 milligrams per liter is
biochemical oxygen demand. What that measures is the demand of oxygen that
the waste in the water places on the oxygen in the water. Anything that would
take oxygen out of the water, would consume it in order to break down organic
material, that is a measure of the waste load. Being a BOD test (Biochemical
Oxygen Demand) which is a five day test. Brad also responds to Councilor
Gratwick regarding a test for inorganic materials, which is COD (Chemical
Oxygen Demand).
The Committee requests the actual data on the companies that are currently in
the pretreatment program. Other potential categories of sewer users that might
exceed the standard household waste. Actual field testing on some of those
facilities to see what the local situation is.
Councilor Gratwick suggests having a TIC meeting at the WWTP, to go over the
requested items in a month.
3. Executive Session – Contract Negotiations, Pine Tree Landfill Use of Wastewater
Treatment Plant (1 M.R.S.A.§405(6)(E).
With no discussion-Councilor Stone moves, Councilor D’Errico seconds the
motion.
Meeting Adjourned.
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