Asked during Tuesday’s public meeting by Mattapoisett River Valley Water District Commission member Nick Nicholson to characterize the overall progress of the long-awaited filtering-systems upgrade at the Mattapoisett Water Treatment Plant, Tata & Howard engineer Jon Gregory indicated that the MRV is waiting on the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
“As soon as we have DEP approval, we’re going to go out to bid,” said Gregory, telling the commissioners that the project is at a 95% stage of design. “It’s just a question of procurement … I hope we’ll know a lot more at the next meeting (August 13) where we are with all of that. They (DEP) have everything for review.”
The designer of the new filtering system, Koch Separation Systems, has been taken over by a company named Kovalus; the MRV is staying the course.
Commission Chairman Vinnie Furtado offered a sketch of funding history, noting that the MRV was originally denied on its loan application but that Representative William Straus stepped in to advocate for the project with a positive result. A lack of borrowing history since approximately 2006 factored in the delay.
“It’s just been a litany of things,” said Furtado, who joked that the state is waiting until he retires before allowing the MRV to upgrade the plant that serves four member communities, including Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester.
Asked by commissioner David Pierce regarding production of the new filters, Gregory said that the last time he was in touch with the manufacturer, the project was on schedule. There was “a slight issue” regarding the availability of high-density polyethylene pipe. “Construction will stay on schedule for those filters, as far as we know,” said Gregory.
In his monthly Tata & Howard report, Gregory told the commission that FY25 chemical bids were opened in June, but that the MRV received no bids for liquid oxygen (bids were received for three other items). The good news, he reported, was that costs for the other items are down from FY24, especially citric acid which has fallen from $1.69 per pound in FY24 to a current price of $0.90 per pound.
Where it concerns equipment procurement and SRF funding, Gregory anticipates a $987,750 reimbursement from MassDEP.
In his Treatment Plant Operations Update, Henri Renauld discussed a compressor repair and said the facility ran on power from a generator while running a test for a switch. He said Fall River Electric repaired subsequent issues.
“We’re moving a lot of water … everything’s holding up fairly well,” said Renauld, referencing issues with the control board but noting that “everything seems to be working well.”
The MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee, which meets for a half-hour before the MRV Water District Commission – the separate entities’ memberships overlap almost entirely – plans to reach out and offer data and assistance to Michelle Tinger, principal environmental planner at the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD) regarding her June 28 letter to the committee.
SRPEDD is involved in a grant-funded Groundwater Modeling Study of the Mattapoisett River Watershed. As the letter explains, the agency received funding from the state Division of Ecological Restoration to begin preliminary work to better understand how groundwater and surface water flow between the neighboring Mattapoisett River and Assawompset Ponds Complex (APC) watersheds.
Described by Gregory as a preliminary modeling tool primarily focused on Snipatuit Pond’s waterflow dynamics, presumably a key to understanding the divide between the two watersheds. Rochester-based engineer Rick Charon explained that SRPEDD’s involvement was requested by Rochester Town Planner Nancy Durfee.
“They’re trying to figure out if there is contribution from the Snipatuit Pond into the Quittacas (ponds),” said Charon, indicating that there is some dredging going on. He noted that the pond enjoyed a productive herring run this year and that SRPEDD is trying to encourage the herring migration.
MRV counsel Blair Bailey said that depending on the people and residencies one talks to, the water flows in both directions. Identifying a main concern that any research conducted without the MRV’s tends to get used without important background information and historical data. He suggested the MRV reach out to SRPEDD and offer to help. “You’re better to be in the loop than out of it, is my point,” he said.
Vinnie Furtado proposed reach out to Tinger to offer MRV data and assistance.
The commission heard a report from Renauld of paid invoices totaling $123,991.08 and voted to approve chemical bills totaling $43,728.04 and two other invoices, including Hub Insurance at slightly over $30,000 and $150 for legal counsel. Renauld said the commission has approximately $91,000 in insurance claims related to a repaired transfer switch at the water treatment plant.
MRV Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee Treasurer Jeff Furtado was unavailable to attend Tuesday’s meeting because he was attending to water-main break in Fairhaven. Invoices approved for payment included a $1,506.45 invoice from Tata & Howard for water-monitoring services.
In his Tata & Howard report to the committee, Gregory said he is waiting on additional graphs from Megan McCarthy and that there are no issues with river-monitoring equipment. Gregory said a 2023 Hydrologic River Monitoring Report should be ready in August.
The next meeting of the MRV Water District Commission/Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, at 3:30 pm (committee) and 4:00 pm (commission).
MRV Water District Commission/Water Supply Protection Advisory Committee
By Mick Colageo