SAXTONS RIVER — Saxtons River Trustees finally got to the table in August for wastewater treatment talks that began last year.
They met with representatives from the Bellows Falls Trustees, as well as interim Town Manager Francis “Dutch” Walsh, to discuss their counter proposal for a possible wastewater connection pipe from the Saxtons River pump station to the Bellows Falls wastewater facility.
The delay was a matter of overcoming conflicting schedules.
Saxtons River Trustees Chair Louise Luring explained, “The reason we are talking to Bellows Falls about accepting our sewage via a pipeline through North Westminster is because our plant is up for its 20-year inspection in a while.”
In September 2009, Saxtons River Trustee Ben Wallace explained to the Bellows Falls Trustees that the only options are to either repair the Saxtons River facility, or consolidate the waste at the Bellows Falls facility.
“We are looking at all the options open to us since we believe we will be required to upgrade. Funding would be through the issuance of a bond,” Luring said.
Getting permission to go through North Westminster with the pipe has hit a snag.
“This past spring, Louise Luring and I attended the annual meeting of Fire District 5 [the municipality that owns the sewer line running through North Westminster],” said Wallace. “During the public meeting we expressed our interest in potentially connecting through their sewer line en route to the Bellows Falls Treatment Plant.”
In order to connect to the Bellows Falls Wastewater facility via a pipe from Saxtons River, the pipe must go through North Westminster.
The Saxtons River board has considered several options including upgrading and installing their own wastewater facility, bringing Westminster on board as well. But Westminster isn't ready to consider this yet, Wallace reported to the board last week.
“Westminster formed Fire District 5 to manage their sewer system,” Luring said, and “…is awaiting an engineering study that will tell them what the capability of their line is…whether it can handle our flow.”
Wallace attended last month's meeting with the Bellows Falls Trustees and Walsh, along with Louise Luring and Matt Brennan.
“I was impressed with the new board[s] and amazed at the civility,” Wallace said.
Wallace brought a counter proposal from the Saxtons River's Trustees to the Bellows Falls' meeting and presented it to the board. He said “they are open to [it].”
Walsh said he will have the draft proposal ready to present to the two boards to review this week.