Public Information Session May 2012 Created and charged at May 3, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Public Information Session May 2012

 Created and charged at May 3, 2010 Town Meeting  Purpose  Four guidelines driving the study ◦ Sustainability of a clean water supply ◦ Economics ◦ Environmental ◦ Consistency with community character  Study Area ◦ Village Common District ◦ Village Overlay District

• Provide sewering to enable growth In the VCD/VOD • Create affordable limited sewering that does not require funding via the wider community (user based) • Limited sewering prevents sprawling growth and maintains Littleton’s character

 Treatment plant design (phasing)  Distribution Design  Economics of sewer district  Life cycle costs  Power generation

 Ted Doucette, Chair - Board of Selectmen  Megan Ford, Vice-chair – Citizen at Large  Peter Cassinari – Board of Health  Joe Collentro - Permanent Municipal Building Committee  Richard Crowley – Planning Board  Savas Danos – LELWD  Stephen Jahnle – Citizen at large  Donald MacIver – Citizen at large  Ken Smith – Citizen at large  Warren Terrell – Citizen at large

 Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA)  Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) - Grant obtained by CRWA (from Barr) $100,000 - CRWA in kind work $25,000

 Approved at town meeting $50,000  Expenses to date ◦ Natural Systems Utilities $28,500 ◦ Admin/misc $500 ◦ Soil testing (budget) $10,000 ◦ Balance/other expenses (SP details, permits) $11,000

Definition: Systems that are traditionally used to collect municipal wastewater in gravity and/or pressure sewers and convey it to a central primary treatment plant, before discharge on receiving surface waters. Large capital expenses are bonds paid by the general fund - all taxpayers contribute whether or not they are served by the system. Typical process with conventional sewer:  Target sewer district/area  Calculate maximum flows and capacity  Preliminary Design  Design system for full build out and capacity  Apply to State for Permit  Town Meeting approve funding  Bid documents and bid award  System construction  System operational and property connections

 Chelmsford ◦ $165 million ◦ 3.1 million GPD discharged out of district  South Acton ◦ Cost being borne by tax base ◦ Full capacity built - actual flow underutilized  Tewksbury ◦ Cost shifted to all tax payers ◦ Discharged out of district

 Smart Sewer Overview ◦ Wastewater is a resource ◦ Smart Growth  Enhances economic growth  Reduces overall energy  Increases short term affordability  Optimizes benefits to environment

 Economic Component of Smart Sewers  Sewer districts  Installed in response to growth/demand  Focuses development  Reduces risk of conventional sewer  Reduced upfront capital  Installed in response to demand  Paid by users  Betterment  User fees

Reducing carrying costs by using technologies that are  affordable at small scale and then installing capacity in phases to match growth – “just -in- time, “fit -for- purpose” Large carrying costs – higher risk or tax increase to subsidize user rate Small carrying costs – reduced risk to tax base and user

 Economic and Environmental benefits (Potential future phases) ◦ Subsidizing service from:  Water reuse  Energy generation  Anaerobic digestion of organic matter  Reduces methane gas in environment ◦ Reduced Disposal Fees  Septage  Food waste

 Environmental Benefits ◦ Water goes back to the source  Preserves natural flows ◦ Improves water quality (eliminates septic)  Reduces nitrate burden

carbon carbon water water cost nutrients nutrients

carbon carbon water water cost nutrients nutrients carbon water Potential income nutrients

 Property improvements  Variety of businesses ◦ High density mixed use  Increase in tax base ◦ Improved buildings leads to property tax increase  Revenue generated by sewer district  Development is confined to service area  Minimal risk to tax payers outside of district ◦ Construction paid by betterments ◦ Operation and maintenance paid by user fees ◦ Funds paid out by town roll into district expenses

 Costs ◦ Setup of (sewered) development overlay district ◦ Wastewater design and construction  Benefits ◦ Energy generation from wastewater ◦ Sprawl contained - less utility costs ◦ Open space protection - resource value ◦ Tax revenues from overlay district and development rights  Source CRWA

 Process ◦ Mapping ◦ Sewer Survey ◦ Preliminary design calculations ◦ Smart Sewering Analysis ◦ Meeting with property owners ◦ Financial

Map appin ing

 Town provided priorities for a sewer system in Littleton – Community Values Assessment ◦ Financial – paid by users not taxes ◦ Aquifer Protection ◦ Reduce solid waste by-product ◦ Quality of life – scenic vistas Survey of Property Owners in VCD and VOD - 95% of respondents interested

Respons onses Parcels ls % parcels Acres % acreag age Yes, interested 69 78.4% 108.1 67.2% Need more info 17 19.3% 47.4 29.5% Not interested 2 2.3% 5.4 3.3% Sub-total 88 100.0% 160.8 100.0% No response 37 28.0 Total 125 188.8

 Calculated flow for build out of study area  Estimated the length, cost of collection systems

 Reuse water – flush water, irrigation  Biogas – sell or use to power treatment plant  Anaerobic Digestion – septage, tipping fee  Food Waste – tipping fee, anaerobic digestion  Partnership with land owners subsidize costs  Transfer of Development Rights

 Growth Projects ◦ Local build out, national trends, New England/Massachusetts recovery, I495 Metrowest  Financial Model ◦ Parameters – phasing, cost of land, private vs. public financing, connection fees, subsidies  Ownership Options ◦ Municipal, Quasi-Government, Private non-profit, Public Private Partnership  Conclusions

 The LCSFC feels that the results of the report indicate a sewer common district is financially viable in the Littleton Common.  Requesting $35,000, offset by additional Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) by LELWD, budget neutral, to go through the next steps ◦ Further Hydro/Geo Study ◦ Request for Qualifications ◦ Owners Representative

 Questions and Answers