2/8/16 Caucus
Councilman Bill Petrick
PERTH AMBOY – Topic for discussion: Annual Report – USA-PA. (Utility Service Associates Perth Amboy) Middlesex Water Company). At a previous Council Meeting B.A. Peter Pelissier told the Council that they should schedule a meeting with Middlesex Water Company so they could go over the problems that the City is experiencing with huge amounts of water (water/wastewater) leakage.
Present at this meeting were: Dennis Doll, President and CEO of Middlesex Water Company and Richard Risoldi, President of USA-PA. Risoldi came forward and did most of the talking and to answer any questions from the Council. He started out by saying, “There is no lead (lead or copper) problem in Perth Amboy. We are within compliance.”
Councilman Bill Petrick said, “There are no lead bends?”
Luis Perez Jimenez – Director of Operations at the USA-PA fielded the question, “There were some in the past, but not recently. The lines we’re discussing would be from the curb of a property to the main line.”
Risoldi came back to speak, “Based on the NJEP (New Jersey Environmental Protection) Safe Water Act, we are on reduced monitoring. The NJEP’s standards are based on micrograms per liter (mcg/l) for lead and copper compounds. The standard is 150g/l for copper. We are way below that number which I consider high. We do samples periodically to make sure levels are within the compliance for safe water. Carbon in water is natural. There are more in the wells than in the surface water. We chlorinate water which stops bacteria. We have plastic main lines. Certain problems pertaining to the sewers were fixed in 3 years and we were given 15 years to do so. Your system is still very old and a lot of work still needs to be done (long term and expensive). Some of the lining has to be cleaned and lines replaced. We are checking the sewer systems to see where the water is going and we also checked the line going into the river. 200,000 gallons of water a day has been leaking into the river and other places.”
Councilman Joel Pabon was concerned about work that was done on State Street and Harrison Place, plus the work that was done on Davison Street where the residents are complaining about major bumps.
Risoldi said, “We will look into that.”
Councilman Bill Petrick wondered if it was possible to put another line alongside the main line.
Risoldi responded, “The best thing to do would be to do an examination and study first before we take any action.”
Council President Lisa Nanton’s concerns were with galvanized pipes, “Are they replaced with plastic going into the homes?”
Risoldi responded, “We replace with copper if needed. Most complaints are about low water pressure.”
Perez interjected, “We will look into that.”
Risoldi also discussed the Second Street Pump Station and the need to have it flood proof. “CSO permits have to be approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the NJDEP (New Jerey Department of Environmental Protection). The cost will be several million dollars. This is part of the Clean Water Act. We’re talking about 10 years of work to meet those regulations.”
Risoldi then talked about the Runyon Reservoir, “1999 was the last time any work was done there. It needs to be upgraded. Bids came in for work that needs to be done at this location and they’re being revaluated. The City may need to use a water tank in place of the reservoir because the reservoir will continue to leak in other spots. This reservoir is too old. An engineering analysis has to be done to see the best place to put a tank. A tank costs anywhere between $2 – $3 a gallon. The cost to purchase one may run at least $30 million depending on the materials used. The Florida Grove Reservoir (6 acres) is a short term solution and the coating will have to be applied to a large surface. Other towns have opened structured reservoirs which are superior to closed reservoirs. Tanks will increase or decrease water levels depending on usage. There are 31 wells in Middlesex County. Edison Township and South Plainfield are two that have them. Knock on wood! Our wells have never gone dry. You can turn your reservoir into a park.”
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez had comments to make about this presentation, “In 2018, our contract with Middlesex Water is terminated. We are evaluating our relationship with them now.”
Risoldi responded to these comments, “Anyone you deal with in the future will be dealing with the same problems you have, now. We are now putting meters to be located at the southern and northern sites of the river because the meters at the plant are not working that well.”
Former Business Administrator Greg Fehrenbach came up to speak during the public portion which tied into the presentation made by Risoldi. Fehrenbach responded to Resolution R-102/2/16 Authorizing various professional agreements for legal, financial and engineering services to firms who have submitted requests for qualification for the project team: Water & Wastewater Partnership. He requested that the Council hold this resolution. “I gave the Council reports on our water/wastewater situation, but I’ve gotten no responses. There are 4 operators that can do the work and we can also partner with other municipalities for shared services. We are working on elevation of generators for the Second Street Pump Station. There are FEMA grants of up to 90% for improvements. We are two weeks away from receiving reports on possible future grants. I will try to be available for meetings with qualified professionals.”
B.A. Peter Pelissier said, “The City asked for this resolution about authorizing various professional agreements for the project team dealing with the water/wastewater partnerships. Around September 2015 was when the City asked for a team to be assembled. The debt agreement with Middlesex Water in 2034. If you pass this resolution (R-102) you can meet with those who are qualified to provide these services.”
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez said, “We need to make sure we have input from the community.”
