Background: Sources of Bacteria Contamination 1. Stormwater 2. Agricultural Activities 3. Public Sewer Leaks 4. Wildlife & Domestic Pets 5. Septic Systems Note: Septic Systems are the focus of the Wastewater Management Plan
On ‐ Site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS)
Drinking Water Resources • Public water resource maintained by Newport Water Department • Public water supply source water from 9 surface water reservoirs on the island, 4 being in Middletown • Public water services approximately 75% of Middletown homes • Areas not served by public water rely on groundwater wells • Wetlands comprise 4.4% of total land area and provide valuable protective buffer strips around drinking water reservoirs
Owner’s Responsibility Under Current RIDEM Rules & Regulations
What is an On ‐ Site Wastewater Management Plan? • A management program for septic system inspection and maintenance • Homeowner education materials aimed at encouraging proper use and maintenance (public forums, mailings and Town’s website) • An Ordinance outlining system inspections & process
Why Create an On ‐ Site Wastewater Management Program? • Homeowners can now participate in the Community Septic System Loan Program (CSSLP): low interest loans to assist property owners with repairing or replacing their system • Protects surface and groundwater resources, including the drinking water supply, the environment and public health • Provides a cost ‐ effective alternative to municipal sewers in locations where the extension of public sewers is not practicable.
Wastewater Disposal • Public sewers service approximately 78% of existing buildings • Sewer system tied into the City of Newport system BUILDINGS Residential Commercial Total Other Served by Public Sewer 4,532 508 108 5,148 Served by OWTS 732 13 677 1,422 Total 5,264 521 785 6,570 Percentage Served by 13.9 2.5 86.2 21.6 OWTS
OWTS Repairs and Alterations • Study Period: 1992 – 2016 • Total Applications: 409 • Repair/Alterations = 209 • Average Repair/Alt. = 8 per year
Common Septic System Failures can be attributed to: • Improper siting • Inadequate sizing • Hydraulic overloading • Large quantities of non ‐ biodegradable solids • Failure to pump system regularly • Improper installation or construction materials • Adverse action at the leaching field (i.e. planting tees)
Common Soil Characteristics in Middletown • Glacial till with slow permeable soil • High seasonal water table • Tend to contain a dense layer which slows the permeability of the soil • Moderate to high stormwater runoff potential • Approximately 89% have percolation and wetness limitations that are classified as severe • Approximately 18% are considered to be generally prohibitive for community development
TABLE 1: APPROXIMATE ACREAGE BY SOIL SERIES SCS Symbol Series Name Acres Percent of Town Pm Pittstown 3,895 46.7 Ne Newport 2,000 24.0 Se Stissing* 1,040 12.5 UD Udorthents ‐ Urban Land 540 6.5 Complex Ur Urban Land 235 2.8 Rp Rock Outcrop ‐ Canton 135 1.6 Complex* Ma Mansfield* 120 1.4 Ba Beaches* 80 1.0 Mk Matunuck* 80 1.0 CaC Canton ‐ Charlton* 45 0.5 (All minor units 0.5%) 170 2.0 Total 8,340 100.0 * Soils generally prohibitive for community development Source: Soil Survey of Rhode Island, USDA, Soil Conservation Service (SCS), July 1981, pp 112 ‐ 114
Major Drinking Water Watersheds • Bailey Brook • Paradise Brook • Maidford River • Gardiner Pond The watersheds, some of which extend into Portsmouth to the north, naturally drain the basins in a southerly direction where they feed three large ponds: • Easton/Green End • Gardiner • Nelson Ponds Bailey Brook flows into Easton/Green End Pond, while the Maidford River feeds Nelson and Gardiner Ponds.
Watershed Protection District (WPD) • Article 11 of Zoning Code • Zone 1: Critical to the protection of surface and sub ‐ surface water supplies • Zone 2: The watershed area which is contributory to Zone 1 via surface water runoff or groundwater movement
Wastewater Management Area • Encompasses the entire Town • Total Area = 13 square miles • Public beaches which depend on water quality for safe recreational use • Drinking Water Watershed Areas • Soil Limitations • Phase 1: Watershed Protection Zone 1 • Phase 2: Watershed Protection Zone 2 • Phase 3: All Other Areas
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT AREA Area (Acres) Percent of WMD Entire Wastewater Management Area 8,388.93 100.00 Hydric Soils 1,278.10 15.24 Zone 1 within 200' of centerline of 704.54 8.40 water course, etc. (as defined by Town Ordinance) All of Zone 1 * 1,633.89 19.48 Zone 2 4,091.32 48.77 * Includes the hydric soils and buffers around water courses, but is lower than the sum of those two parts due to substantial overlap
Approximate Average Costs Repair or Replace OWTS – 3 Bedroom Home • Conventional System $8,000 ‐ $15,000 • Alternative/Experimental System $20,000 ‐ $30,000+ Extend Public Sewers • $200 ‐ $300 /foot, depending on level of road repair, subsurface conditions and utility conflicts • Cost of engineering, varies by size and complexity of project Property Owner Connection to Public Sewer • $6,500, excluding costs to extend sewer within road right ‐ of ‐ way
CSSLP Loan Terms (Community Septic System Loan Program) • No income limit for program participants • Can be used for residential properties up to 4 units • 2% fixed interest rate • One ‐ time $300 origination fee to RI Housing and a 1% service fee on the outstanding loan balance that is split between RI Housing and the RI Infrastructure Bank for servicing the loan • Other program criteria vary from community to community. Most programs cap loans at $25,000, require debt ‐ to ‐ income ratio for borrowers of not more than 45% and allow for non ‐ owner occupants, as well as homeowners whose primary residence can benefit from CSSLP, to participate • Funding can generally cover engineering, as well as system replacement costs • Funding is released to homeowner when RI Housing receives a DEM Certificate of Conformance after the work is completed • Work must be completed by a state ‐ licensed installer
Inspection and Pumping Estimated Costs Inspections Pumping $100 ‐ $400 1000 gallon tank $200 ‐ $250 1500 gallon tank $285 ‐ $375 Note: Costs provided by local inspection/service contractors
Town of Middletown ON ‐ SITE WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN Next Steps • Public Outreach – Website updates – Informational brochures • Public Informational Hearings with Roads & Utilities Advisory Comm. – Mail informational brochures and invitation to residents – Public Informational Hearings at Town Hall – Follow up information from input at hearings • Community Partnering – Aquidneck Land Trust, Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, Clean Ocean Access & Norman Bird Sanctuary
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