A.                Summary

Water Supply

There are 13 community water systems, nine school water systems and over 30 other water supplies in the Addison Region that meet Vermont's definition of a public water supply. In Vermont, a public water supply is defined as any system that provides drinking water through pipes or other constructed conveyances to the public, which has at least 15 service connections or serves an average of at least 25 individuals for at least 60 days a year. Approximately 45 percent of the region's households are connected to a public water supply. The remaining 55 percent obtain drinking water from private or shared wells and springs.

 

Public and private water supplies are regulated through the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). The Water Supply Division undertakes inspections, plan reviews, water quality monitoring and issues operator certificates and operating permits to public water supplies. Private wells are regulated through the licensing of well drillers and state water supply and wastewater permits. The main intent of the water supply and wastewater permit with regards to wells is ensuring adequate isolation distances between potable water supplies and on-site septic systems.

 

In the Addison Region, there is little specific information on the quantity and location of groundwater resources. Due to topography and soils, the groundwater recharge area for much of the region is in the Green Mountain National Forest or along its western boundary. Drought and contamination are the major concerns relating to groundwater in the region.

Wastewater

A smaller percentage of the region's population is served by community wastewater treatment systems than by community water supplies. Only around 22 percent of Addison Region households are served by a wastewater treatment facility. The majority of residents rely on on-site septic systems to treat waste.

 

As with water supply, the Vermont ANR regulates both wastewater treatment facilities and on-site septic systems. Wastewater treatment facilities need water pollution control permits and undertake programs of testing and monitoring. Facility operators are also licensed. In 2002, Vermont made significant changes to how it regulates on-site septic systems. When the new rules are fully enacted in 2007, all subdivisions, new construction, system replacements and modification will need a state permit. The new septic rules operate under the basic requirement that all effluent remain at least six inches below ground. The rules do allow for new types of septic systems to be certified for use in Vermont.

 

Phosphorus reduction has been an important issue facing wastewater treatment facilities in the Addison Region for over ten years. The Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL signed by Vermont and New York in 2002 sets limits on the amount of phosphorus the treatment plants can release. The TMDL will not have any immediate effects on the region's facilities. However, in order for the treatment facilities to accommodate growth over the long-term, they will have to become more efficient at removing phosphorus from the effluent.

Solid Waste

The Addison County Solid Waste Management District (ACSWMD) serves 19 of the region's 21 municipalities. The district operates a transfer station in Middlebury and currently contracts with a landfill outside the region for waste disposal. The towns of Bristol and Salisbury operate pre-existing, unlined landfills under a 1,000-ton exemption.

 

Vermont revised and readopted its Solid Waste Management Plan in 2001. The 2001 plan addressed a number of issues and increased the statewide recycling goal from 40 to 50 percent diversion. As part of that plan, all municipalities and solid waste districts must have updated their plans by May of 2003.

 

In their 2003 implementation plans, ACSWMD estimated a disposal rate of 3.2 pounds per person per day, Bristol's rate was 1.15 pounds per person per day and Salisbury's rate was 2.05 pounds per person per day. None of the plans indicated any significant changes to their current services or proposed new facilities in the region.

 

B.                Goals and Objectives

The Addison County Regional Planning Commission establishes the follow­ing goals and objectives for the Addison Region through this plan.

Water Supply Goal A.

To have safe and adequate drinking water to serve the needs of the region's current and future residents.

To meet this goal, it is our objective:

1.      Water Quality:

a.       To maintain and improve, where feasible, the quality of ground and surface water in the region to provide for safe and adequate drinking water.

b.       To identify and implement measures to ensure the continued viability of the region's aquifers.

c.       For future development to maintain or improve the quality of the region's drinking water according to the current, applicable state and federal standards.

d.       To support the efforts of local community watershed groups and operators of public water supplies to test the quality of existing surface water and groundwater drinking supplies.

2.      Availability of Water:

a.       To implement effective water conservation measures and promote water conservation through education efforts in the region.

b.       To develop aquifer maps that provide accurate information on the location and quantity of the region's groundwater.

c.       To balance the available water resources and the demand by all users for water for the good of all the region's residents.

d.       For municipalities to consider the availability of water when deciding what density of development is appropriate in particular areas.

3.      Water Supply Infrastructure:

a.       For the region's public water systems to utilize capital planning and budgeting to meet their future maintenance and improvement needs.

b.       To develop source protection and risk management plans for the region's public water systems.

c.       For the region's small water supply systems to work cooperatively whenever possible to increase their administrative capacity and efficiency.

d.       To secure the region's public water supply facilities against sabotage.

e.       For municipalities to plan for future infrastructure needs in those areas that are zoned for higher density.

f.        For any infrastructure projects built in the region to be cost-effective, locally endorsed and meet the needs of residents.

Wastewater Goal B.

To treat the region's wastewater and stormwater in a safe and cost-effective manner that meets the needs of current and future residents while protecting environmental quality.

To meet this goal, it is our objective:

1.      Human Health and Environmental Quality:

a.       To prevent wastewater from contaminating the region's surface and groundwater.

b.       To replace polluting, failed wastewater systems with safe, functioning and cost-effective systems.

c.       For there to be technical and/or financial support for individuals, businesses and communities needing to replace failed wastewater systems.

d.       To prevent stormwater run-off from degrading the quality of the region's surface waters.

e.       To continue to improve the quality of the effluent released from the region's wastewater treatment facilities and to continue to lessen the environmental impacts on the receiving waters. 

2.      Wastewater and Stormwater Infrastructure:

a.       For the region's public facilities to continue to improve their ability to treat wastewater and stormwater in a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner.

b.       For the region's public wastewater and stormwater facilities to utilize capital planning and budgeting to meet their future maintenance and improvement needs.

c.       For any infrastructure projects built in the region to be cost-effective, consistent with municipal plans, locally supported and meet the needs of residents.

d.       For safe and cost-effective on-site wastewater treatment systems to be available to meet the needs of the region's rural residents.

3.      Wastewater and Stormwater Planning:

a.       For municipalities to consider the potential for on-site wastewater treatment and the capacity of any wastewater infrastructure when deciding what density of development is appropriate in particular areas.

b.       For the region's municipalities to consider and plan for mitigating stormwater impacts from current and future development.

c.       For municipalities to plan for future infrastructure needs in those areas that are zoned for higher density.

d.       To use wastewater treatment infrastructure to support the regional goal of encouraging development that follows the traditional pattern of village centers surrounded by agricultural land.

e.       To use wastewater treatment and stormwater management infrastructure to improve the well-being and viability of existing areas of higher density settlement in the region.

f.        To no longer use state or local wastewater regulations as a substitute for land use plans and regulations in guiding future growth and development.

Solid Waste Goal C.

To manage the region's solid waste in a safe, cost-effective and efficient manner and to work on reducing the amount of waste generated per person.

To meet this goal, it is our objective:

1.      Infrastructure and Services:

a.       To manage the region's solid waste as close to the source as reasonable.

b.       To encourage composting of residential and institutional organic waste.

c.       To develop a cost-effective and convenient household hazardous waste collection and management system in the region.

d.       For there to be convenient access to local drop-off centers for all the region's residents.

2.      Pollution Prevention:

a.       For all currently used waste facilities and junkyards to be properly operated, closed when their use is discontinued, and monitored to prevent adverse impacts on human health or the environment.

b.       To identify, evaluate, monitor and properly clean up if necessary former waste sites to prevent adverse impacts on human health or the environment.

c.       To eliminate illegal burning and dumping of solid waste.

d.       To promote effective, non-polluting products for household and business use.

e.       For local producers of goods to be assisted and encouraged to reduce their use of non-recyclable packaging materials.

f.        For any land application of septage and sludge to be done in a manner that does not conflict with local land use plans, and that prevents negative human health impacts and environmental degradation.

3.      Solid Waste Planning:

a.       For all the region's municipalities to actively participate in solid waste planning.

b.       For municipal plans to address solid waste management.

c.       To gather accurate data on solid waste generation, composition and disposal in the region.

d.       For all future solid waste management facilities to be sited to best meet the region's needs and result in the least negative social, economic and environmental impacts.

e.       To consider the indirect impacts and costs of solid waste management - such as those related to the transportation system, water quality and air quality - when planning for where and how to dispose of the region's rubbish.

C.                Recommended Actions

The Addison County Regional Planning Commission recommends that the following actions be incorporated into its annual work plans, as issues or opportunities arise, to move towards accomplishing objectives and meeting the goals outlined above.

Water Supply

1.                  Work with interested municipalities in the region to find funding to complete aquifer mapping.

2.                  Continue to support both local and regional watershed planning efforts.

3.                  Determine whether a study based on the existing data collected from the region's drilled wells would yield valid information on the region's groundwater supplies. If such a study were feasible and of value, ACRPC should look for funds to undertake it.

4.                  Assist public water systems with tracking and participating in Act 250 hearings on projects that could impact their water supply.

5.                  Work with the region's small water supply systems to build administrative capacity, coordinate with each other and develop capital improvement plans and budgets.

6.                  Support local and regional efforts to plan for water source protection.

7.                  Assist municipalities interested in developing and seeking funding for water infrastructure projects.

8.                  Assist municipalities interested in undertaking capital planning and budgeting for water supply infrastructure.

9.                  Seek funding to support a water conservation education programs.

10.              Support the efforts of public water supplies to protect and secure their water supply infrastructure.

Wastewater

1.                  Assist municipalities interested in developing and seeking funding for wastewater or stormwater infrastructure projects.

2.                  Assist municipalities interested in undertaking capital planning and budgeting for wastewater or stormwater treatment infrastructure.

3.                  Continue to offer educational programs on wastewater and stormwater issues in the region.

4.                  Work with the region's legislators and state agencies to ensure that the state statutes and rules offer cost-effective, realistic options for wastewater treatment in the Addison Region.

5.                  Support efforts to allow a greater variety of innovative treatment systems to be certified for use in the region.

6.                  Work with municipalities interested in reexamining their local planning and ordinances in light of the 2002 changes to the state wastewater rules.

Solid Waste

1.                  Work to identify and map all former and current waste disposal sites and junkyards in the region.

2.                  Continue to assist the Addison County Solid Waste Management District and municipalities with gathering data and statistics needed for solid waste planning.

3.                  Review all solid waste management implementation plans for conformance with the regional plan and encourage municipalities to address solid waste in their municipal plans. 

D.                Documentation and Analysis

Water Supply

a.      Water Supply Regulations

The Water Supply Division of the Agency of Natural Resources regulates public water supply systems to ensure their compliance with state drinking water quality standards.[1] It also regulates private water supplies in regard to their proximity to on-site septic systems.

 

The regulations for public water supplies differ depending on how the system is classified.[2] The Water Supply Division has programs of inspections, plan reviews, water quality monitoring, certified operator requirements and operating permit requirements to continually monitor and evaluate a water system's compliance with regulations. The state also offers technical and financial assistance to public water supplies, especially the small, community systems and those serving rural schools.

 

Private water supplies are regulated by the state mainly through the process of licensing well drillers and requiring drillers to report information on newly drilled wells. Once the water and wastewater rules enacted in 2002 are fully implemented, all new development will need a single state water supply and wastewater disposal permit. The main concern of the state with regard to individual wells has been and continues to be ensuring that the necessary isolation distances are maintained between potable water supplies and on-site septic systems.

b.      Public Water Systems

There are currently 13 community water supply systems and nine school water supply systems in the Addison Region. There are another 30 systems in the region that meet the state's definition of a public water supply system serving facilities like campgrounds, parks, restaurants and motels.

 

The region's community water systems serve approximately 6,000 households, or 45 percent of the region's households.[3] In 1980, nearly 4,800 households reported to the Census Bureau that their water came from a public system. In 1990, that number had increased to over 6,200.[4]

1.Middlebury Town Water System[5]

The Middlebury Town Water System serves around 1,950 residences, businesses and institutions in and around Middlebury's downtown. The water system does serve some customers in Weybridge and New Haven as well. There are approximately 1,560 residential connections to the system.[6] Middlebury College gets its water from the system, although the college has its own distribution mains.

 

The system is fed from several wells with a maximum sustainable capacity of 2.2 million gallons per day. The system could pump up to 3.7 million gallons per day, but continued operation at that rate would exhaust the water supply. Middlebury has a 1.5 million gallon reservoir and future second reservoir is planned, construction of which is not expected in the near future. Currently, the average daily flow is around 1.98 million gallons per day. The town's capital improvement plan calls for continued replacement of aging pipes and mains throughout the system.

 

Middlebury believes that the capacity of their water source is ample and will supply their needs well into the future. The water quality in Middlebury's aquifer is good and is expected to remain so due to the aquifer's location largely within the Green Mountain National Forest. Each of Middlebury's wells has a source protection plan.

2.Vergennes-Panton Water District[7]

The Vergennes-Panton Water District began operation in 1973 and currently serves the City of Vergennes and portions of the towns of Panton, Ferrisburgh, Addison and Waltham. The system has 1,874 connections, of which over 1,500 are residential.

 

Water from Lake Champlain is drawn, treated and pumped from a facility in Panton. The plant has a sustainable pumping and treatment capacity of approximately one million gallons per day and a maximum capacity of around 1.5 million gallons per day. The average daily flow is approximately 620,000 gallons per day. The district utilizes a storage tank that holds 750,000 gallons. Currently the district is working on a $1.4 million upgrade, mainly replacing older pipes.

 

The spread of zebra mussels in Lake Champlain has caused problems for the system. Zebra mussels attach themselves to underwater objects such as intake pipes and pumps, necessitating additional maintenance or replacement. Management strategies currently focus on controlling their attachment to surfaces and water intake pipes. The district feels that the problem is currently under control.

 

The district has no specific short-term expansion plans. However since it began operation in 1973, the district has expanded its service more than doubling the number of connections. This expansion has allowed the system to maintain low, stable rates. The district does envision continuing to add new users to the system in the future.

3.Tri-Town Water District[8]

The Tri-Town Water District serves the towns of Addison, Bridport and Shoreham. The system began operating in 1965. The system draws water from Lake Champlain at a facility in the Town of Addison. The system has a potential capacity of around two million gallons per day. The current maximum daily flow is around one million gallons per day. The district has two reservoirs: one in Addison that holds 625,000 gallons and another in Shoreham with a capacity of 750,000 gallons.

 

The system serves approximately 1,500 households and about 100 businesses in the three-town area. The Tri-Town and Vergennes-Panton systems are connected, allowing them to serve as back-up systems for each other.

 

The Tri-Town system currently has no plans to extend new lines, but will continue to add customers onto existing lines and make improvements to the infrastructure. The system covers the largest geographic area of any of the region's systems. Tri-Town just finished upgrades to its plant including improved clarifiers and filters. Tri-Town was one of the first water plants on the lake to deal with the problem of zebra mussels and currently feels that their infestation is under control.

4.Bristol Water Department[9]

The Bristol Water Department serves Bristol's village area. There are 646 connections, the vast majority of which are residential. The system has demonstrated a capacity of 1.1 million gallons per day. Current demand is around 250,000 gallons per day. The system is supplied by a local spring. Most of the spring's aquifer is within the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The department works with GMNF and several additional landowners to protect the water source from any potential contamination.

 

The department has no expansion plans in the near future. In the long-term, the department will likely need an additional storage tank to meet state requirements for reserve supply. The system's current reservoir holds approximately 610,000 gallons. The department also sees a future need for upgrading the water mains along North Street.

5.East Middlebury Fire District[10]

Fire District #1 in East Middlebury serves approximately 250 residences and a handful of businesses and community buildings. The system is supplied by two wells in the East Middlebury village area and by shallow springs along Route 125. The district does have a source protection plan for its water supplies. Current demand is over 55,000 gallons per day.

 

There are concerns that the on-site sewage disposal in East Middlebury could migrate into the aquifer that supplies the district's wells. Some years ago, the older well near the Methodist Church was threatened with contamination from a fuel spill. That well is being monitored and currently the water is potable, although not regularly used.

 

In an emergency it would be possible to supply the East Middlebury system by connecting fire hoses to the Middlebury Town water mains. A permanent connection does not exist because the Middlebury water system operates at a different reservoir level and higher pressure and because the East Middlebury Fire District prefers to remain separate.

6.Starksboro Aqueduct Company[11]

The Starksboro Aqueduct Company (SAC) is a privately incorporated water system that serves Starksboro's village center. The system is spring fed and supplies over 60 households, as well as several farms, the Robinson School and municipal facilities.

 

SAC has leased the infrastructure to a cooperative of the system's users, which is now responsible for operating the system on a nonprofit basis. As a condition of this transfer, there can be no additional hook-ups to the system. As a nonprofit, the cooperative is eligible to apply for revolving grant funding to address system improvements that were not available when it was a privately held. Currently upgrades are being made to address the acidity of the water, which leads to pipe corrosion and the potential for elevated levels of metals like copper or lead in the water.

7.Whiting Water Corporation[12]

The Whiting Water Corporation is also a privately incorporated water system with 23 connections that serves approximately 17 residences, several businesses and community buildings including the school in Whiting's village center. The system has two water sources a well and a spring, which have a defined source protection area. The maximum daily flow of the system is estimated to be around 2,500 gallons per day, with a storage capacity of 4,000 gallons.

 

Currently, the system's aging pipes need to be replaced. There is around a mile of galvanized pipes that run along and under Route 30. Age, wear and vibration have taken their toll on these pipes leading to frequent leaks and breakages. A major break could cause serious problems along Route 30, potentially flooding the road with several thousand gallons of water. The Whiting Water Corporation is actively working to find an affordable means to fund the needed upgrade. The system currently has no plans for expansion.

8.Other Community Systems

There are four community systems serving mobile home parks in Starksboro, Bristol and Vergennes. Together these four systems serve over 700 residents. The Long Point system in Ferrisburgh serves around 125 mainly seasonal residences and there is a system serving the Woodland Apartments in Bristol that serves approximately 30 households.

 

In Starksboro, Lazy Brook Mobile Home Park (MHP) has 52 connections and Brookside MHP serves around 55 households.[13] The parks' water systems are supplied from on-site wells that have wellhead protection plans. The KTP MHP in Bristol has 45 connections and water is supplied through the Bristol Water Department. The Otter Creek MHP in Vergennes serves 73 households and gets its water from the Vergennes-Panton Water District. Addison County Community Trust owns and operates all four parks. [14]

 

The Long Point water system distributes water from Lake Champlain to around 110 seasonal residences from May to October. On Long Point there are also about 15 year-round residences with individual wells. The Long Point Association's water system does not currently meet the state's standards for public community water supplies. The association is in the process of decertifying as a public community system and being classified as a non-transient, non-community system. If decertified, the system would still need to provide filtration, in addition to its current disinfection, of the lake water. It is also possible that the Vergennes-Panton Water District could provide water to Long Point in the future.[15]

9.School Water Supply Systems

There are nine elementary schools in the Addison Region with their own water supply systems, nearly all of which get water from on-site wells. Important issues for these school systems include source protection, the need for technical assistance in meeting state regulations and funding the continued operation or upgrades of their systems. Together these systems serve over 1,200 students and staff.[16]

10.      Other Public Systems

There are around 30 other water systems in the Addison Region that meet the state's definition for public water supplies. Most of these are campgrounds, motels and restaurants that are not hooked up to a community water supply. There are also a number of National Forest Service facilities in and around the Green Mountain National Forest and several state parks in the region with public water systems.

c.       Groundwater

Except for those areas served by the public systems that draw water directly from Lake Champlain, the most residents of the Addison Region rely on groundwater for their potable water supply. Parts of the region that are not served by public water systems have private or shared wells and springs. According to the 1990 Census, nearly 950 Addison Region households relied on dug wells for their water supply.[17] As homes sell, dug wells are often upgraded to deeper, drilled wells to meet requirements for financing.

1.Groundwater Recharge Areas

Groundwater supplies are recharged through precipitation and run-off percolating down through the soil to aquifers. Shallow, dug wells and springs tap groundwater before it reaches the aquifer, while drilled wells take water directly out of the aquifer. Therefore, springs and dug wells are more susceptible to drought or contamination.

 

Water travels through areas with sand or gravel soils more quickly than through denser clays, affecting the rate at which groundwater is recharged. Due to topography and soils, the recharge and source protection areas for a significant amount of the region's water supply is within the Green Mountain National Forest or along its edge.[18]

 

In the Addison Region, there is little specific information on the quantity and location of groundwater resources. State environmental protection rules have required that well drillers file reports, which include data such as well yield, well depth and depth to bedrock. The new state water and wastewater rules require more accurate information on well locations be reported. However, a regional assessment of groundwater based on the information in the filed reports has never been done. Additionally, aquifer mapping examining the underlying geology of the region has not been done.

2.Drought

In recent years there have been several periods of drought in the Addison Region. Lack of rain and snow cover during 2001 caused a drop in both surface water and groundwater levels. In the region, many springs and shallow wells went dry. Drought affects the region's mountain towns first and most severely. In those communities, many households get their water from springs or shallow, dug wells. In 1990, the Census indicated that around 70 percent of households in Lincoln obtained water from dug wells or springs, the highest percentage of any Addison Region municipality.

 

Drought also impacts farming operations, potentially causing crop loss. Farms in the Addison Region are generally not equipped to irrigate fields. Periods of drought, especially during times of high temperatures, also lead to increased household water usage for activities such as watering lawns and filling swimming pools, thus increasing demand at a time when there is little to no recharge of groundwater supplies.  

3.Groundwater Contamination

Contamination of groundwater is another threat to the region's potable water supply. In the Addison Region, potential sources of contamination include leaking fuel storage tanks, improperly stored road salt, old dump sites or illegal dumping of waste, failed on-site septic systems and improperly stored or spread farm wastes. Several Addison Region towns have had to supply drinking water to nearby residents when improperly stored road salt has contaminated their wells.

 

Contamination of groundwater can be in the form of high bacteria levels, excessive amounts of nitrates, petrochemicals, pesticides or herbicides, and elevated amounts of elements like lead, arsenic or sodium. Once contaminated, groundwater is extremely difficult to treat and in some cases may not be safe to drink for many years. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Waste Management Division tracks potential sources of groundwater contamination. There are over 80 sites in the Addison Region currently listed on the active hazardous sites list. A large percentage of these are locations of abandoned or leaking underground storage tanks. These sites are in various stages of monitoring and remediation.

 

While public water supply systems generally have source protection plans and regularly test their water, very few private well owners are certain about where the groundwater recharge area for their water source is located and very few have their water tested annually.

 

Wastewater

a.      Wastewater Regulations

The Agency of Natural Resources' (ANR) Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) oversees the state's programs and regulations relating to wastewater treatment and disposal, as well as stormwater discharge.

1.Wastewater Treatment Facilities

Wastewater treatment facilities in Vermont are divided into domestic and industrial facilities. There are five different classes of domestic facilities and four classes of industrial facilities. The classification of industrial facilities is based on the type of industry and method of treatment and disposal. The classes for domestic facilities are based upon design flow and method of treatment. The classes of domestic facilities range from Class 1, which are small systems not utilizing any specialized treatment methods, to Class 5, which are large systems utilizing specialized methods. The certification requirements for facility operators are based on the facility classification.[19]

 

In 1972, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program was established to improve water quality. Under NPDES, all facilities that discharge pollutants from any point source into the waters of the United States are required to obtain a permit. All wastewater treatment facilities in Vermont need a water pollution control permit from the state DEC.

2.On-Site Septic Systems

In 2002, the DEC adopted new regulations for on-site septic systems. The rules went into affect in July 2002 with numerous exemptions. However by July 2007, all subdivisions, new construction, and system modifications and replacements will need a state water supply and wastewater permit. Additionally, certain modifications to existing structures and changes in use will need permits.

 

The on-site rules establish three different sets of minimum site conditions and approaches to meeting the requirements: prescriptive, enhanced prescriptive and performance based. The basic condition is that the system functions year-round and keeps all effluent at least six inches below ground. The rules also allow for new types of septic treatment systems to be certified for use in Vermont.

 

While the 2002 rules have had many positive effects, their acceptance and impact in the Addison Region are still somewhat unknown. Many of the region's towns with heavy, clay soils, generally west of Route 7, are concerned that the strict interpretation of the rules combined with seasonally high water tables in large areas of these towns may combine to effectively eliminate residential development in many areas or allow development only with large and expensive mound leachfields.

3.Lake Champlain's Phosphorus TMDL

Phosphorus reduction has been an important issue facing the region's wastewater treatment facilities for over ten years. The federal Clean Water Act required states to identify water bodies for which wastewater effluent limitations normally required were not stringent enough to meet desired water quality standards. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the pollutant of concern had to be established for water bodies so identified. A TMDL establishes the allowable pollutant loading from all contributing sources at the level needed to meet the applicable water quality standards.

 

Since 1991, there has been a statutory requirement (10 VSA § 1266a) for most treatment facilities within the Lake Champlain Basin that discharge more than 200,000 gallons per day to limit their monthly average concentration of phosphorus to .8 milligrams per liter or less. In 2002, Vermont and New York State adopted a TMDL for phosphorus in Lake Champlain. Currently, the TMDL recommends two changes to the phosphorus removal policies for Vermont wastewater treatment facilities.

 

First, the TMDL calls for the statutory exemption for aerated lagoon plants to be removed. In the Addison Region, this applies to the Vergennes Wastewater Treatment Facility, which currently has a monthly average phosphorus limit of 1.0 milligram per liter.

 

The second change will set an annual cap on phosphorus discharges in addition to the monthly average maximum of 0.8 milligrams per liter. The annual cap was set by multiplying a phosphorus concentration of 0.6 milligrams per liter by the currently permitted flow. This cap will not change if the permitted flow changes. In the region, this change affects the Middlebury and Vergennes treatment facilities. Due to the fact that all the municipal treatment facilities in the region are currently operating at well under their permitted flows, the annual average load limit is not likely to have any immediate impacts. However over the long-term it means that in order for the facilities to accommodate growth, they will need to improve their ability to remove phosphorus from the effluent.

4.Stormwater

As required by the Clean Water Act, ANR has been regulating certain types of stormwater discharges to prevent pollution. Currently, stormwater permits are issued primarily to large construction, commercial and industrial sites. However, ANR is in the process of revising its stormwater management program to meet federal requirements. As the second phase of stormwater regulations go into affect, a wider variety of activities on smaller sites will be required to go through the permit process.

 

Stormwater has also been an issue facing the region's wastewater treatment facilities, especially in Middlebury and Vergennes. When the region's sewer infrastructure was first constructed, wastewater flowing in from the sanitary and storm drains was not separated. Large quantities of stormwater that flowed into a wastewater treatment facility during a heavy storm could overload the plant's storage and treatment capacity leading to untreated wastewater being discharged directly into lakes and rivers. These combined sewer overflows (CSOs) were a significant source of water pollution.

 

Throughout the 1990s efforts were made to separate wastewater and stormwater to reduce CSOs and increase plant capacity in the region. Middlebury and Vergennes have both separated a significant portion of their stormwater infrastructure from their sanitary sewer systems.

 

Due to the TMDL and changes to the stormwater regulations, in the near future the region's municipalities will need to start developing and implementing plans for stormwater management. As stormwater drains continue to be separated from the sanitary sewer, alternative infrastructure may be needed to store and treat runoff from developed land.

b.      Domestic Wastewater Systems

There are currently six domestic wastewater systems operating in the Addison Region. Four municipalities have wastewater treatment facilities and there are two additional domestic systems serving Basin Harbor Club and Button Bay State Park. The Towns of Middlebury, Shoreham and Orwell have municipal systems that serve portions of those communities. The entire City of Vergennes is on public sewer. Additionally, a limited portion of Bristol's downtown is served by a community septic system. Together the municipal systems serve approximately 2,800 households or 22 percent of Addison Region households.[20]

1.Middlebury Wastewater Treatment Facility

The Town of Middlebury is served by a municipal sewer system that covers the downtown area and a portion of Route 7. The sewer system serves a somewhat smaller area than is covered by the municipal water system. There are approximately 1,550 residential and around 390 non-residential connections.[21]

 

Middlebury's Class 4 treatment facility went online in 1999, replacing an older plant. The new facility utilizes sequencing batch reactors, has a system for phosphorus removal and uses ultraviolet radiation for disinfection. The facility discharges into Otter Creek and has a permitted limit of 2.2 million gallons per day. The average annual flow is over 825,000 gallons per day or 38 percent of permitted flow. The facility has an uncommitted reserve capacity of over one million gallons per day.

 

The Middlebury treatment facility is currently permitted to discharge over 2.4 metric tons[22] of phosphorus annually. Under the TMDL, their limit would be just over 1.8 metric tons. In 2001, their actual phosphorus load was less than 1.3 metric tons.[23]

2.Vergennes Wastewater Treatment Facility

Vergennes has a Class 2 lagoon wastewater treatment system with a filter to remove phosphorus and chlorination for disinfection. The system discharges into Otter Creek. The facility serves the entire city and some customers in the Town of Ferrisburgh. In total, there are approximately 1,145 residential and 90 non-residential connections.[24]

 

The plant has permitted capacity of 750,000 gallons per day and an average annual flow of over 330,000 gallons per day. The facility has an uncommitted reserve capacity of over 405,000 gallons per day. The Vergennes facility is currently permitted to discharge just over .91 metric tons of phosphorus annually. Under the TMDL that limit would be reduced to around .62 metric tons. In 2001, the plant had an actual load of just over .23 metric tons.[25]

 

The city has a separated storm drainage system and has been installing culverts, piping and improving ditches in the newer sections of the community. The city is also addressing illegal roof drain connections, sump pumps and other devices that deliver stormwater to the wastewater collection system.

3.Shoreham Wastewater Treatment Facility

Shoreham's wastewater treatment facility began operation in 2001. The gravity collection system serves around 55 residences and 15 non-residential connections in the village center. The Class 1 wastewater treatment facility is an in-ground recirculating sand filter with a permitted flow of 35,000 gallons per day. The effluent is disinfected with ultraviolet radiation and discharged underground into Cedar Swamp.

 

The average annual flow is close to 9,000 gallons per day. Shoreham has an uncommitted reserve capacity of nearly 24,000 gallons per day. There is no phosphorus removal at the treatment facility. Instead, Shoreham decided to implement a town-wide, non-point source phosphorus reduction program. Under the TMDL, Shoreham has a phosphorus limit of over .24 metric tons. In 2001, their actual load was less than .03 metric tons.[26]

4.Orwell Wastewater Treatment Facility

Orwell has a Class 1 lagoon wastewater treatment system, which serves approximately 65 households and a handful of businesses and community buildings in its village center.[27] The system uses chlorine to disinfect the effluent before it is discharged into the south fork of East Creek. Currently, the facility does not remove any phosphorus from its effluent.

 

The Orwell facility has a permitted capacity of 33,000 gallons per day. The average annual flow is over 9,000 gallons per day. Orwell has an uncommitted reserve capacity of over 21,000 gallons per day. In the TMDL, Orwell's phosphorus load is set at just under .23 metric tons annually. In 2001, their actual load was around .07 metric tons.[28]

5.Bristol Community Septic System

Bristol's downtown has a large septic system that serves the businesses, municipal buildings and a few apartments on Main Street. The system is essentially two large conventional in-ground septic systems. It is regulated by a state wastewater permit, similar to other on-site septic systems. It is not considered a wastewater treatment facility like the previous systems. Currently, there is little additional capacity in this system.

6.Other Domestic Wastewater Treatment Facilities

The Basin Harbor Club has a Class 2 wastewater treatment facility consisting of septic tanks and a lagoon. The system has a permitted flow of 52,400 gallons per day.

 

Button Bay State Park has a Class 2 wastewater treatment facility with a permitted flow of 5,000 gallons per day. The system consists of septic tanks, a sand filter and chlorination for disinfection.

 

c.       Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facilities

There are two industrial wastewater treatment facilities in the region; one serving the Agri-Mark plant in Middlebury and the other serving the Goodrich plant in Vergennes. These facilities pre-treat the industrial wastewater before it is sent to municipal treatment facilities.

 

Agri-Mark has a Class 1 treatment facility with a permitted flow of 350,000 gallons per day. Their average annual flow is nearly 91,000 gallons per day. Additionally, Agri-Mark sent nearly 270,000 pounds of waste to Middlebury's treatment facility in 2000.[29]

 

Goodrich has a Class 2 treatment facility with a permitted flow of 50,000 gallons per day. Their average annual flow is 34,000 gallons per day.

d.      Disposal of Septage and Sludge

Septage is the residue remaining in on-site, individual septic tanks. Septic tanks are periodically pumped and the septage removed. In the Addison Region, the Middlebury Wastewater Treatment Facility is the only system that accepts septage. The Vergennes treatment facility stopped accepting septage in 1995 due to odor concerns and evidence of an accelerated buildup of sludge in the lagoons.

 

Septic sludge is the residue remaining after the treatment of wastewater in a treatment facility. Once removed from the treatment facility, sludge is considered solid waste. The Middlebury treatment plant was designed to produce biosolids that could be applied to farmland as fertilizer. For a number of technical and political reasons, this is currently not happening. Most sludge from the Middlebury Treatment Plant is currently transported out of state for composting. This has increased the operating expense of the new plant. The facility is still testing its disposal of some material via land application.

e.      On-Site Wastewater Disposal

Currently, only a small percentage of the Addison Region's land area is served by municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Structures outside those service areas are dependent on individual, on-site septic systems to treat wastewater.

 

Conventional soil-based systems require specific soil and site conditions to adequately treat septic waste. Depth to bedrock, depth to the water table, slope and soil texture all affect a site's ability to effectively treat septic waste. For soil-based treatment to work, partially treated effluent must be able to slowly percolate through the soil. The soil provides secondary treatment of the wastewater by allowing aerobic (oxygen-using) bacteria to continue deactivating the disease germs that remain in the effluent. Two elements are necessary for proper treatment, time and air. Water drains too quickly through sand and gravel soils, not allowing sufficient time for treatment. In clay soils, there are not enough air pockets to allow the effluent to drain through and aerobic treatment to occur.

 

Large areas of the Addison Region, mainly in the lakeshore towns, have heavy clay soils. It is also common in these areas for the seasonal high water table to be close to the surface during in the spring. The soil texture and seasonal high water table have made conventional soil-based treatment and disposal difficult in many areas.

 

Vermont's 2002 on-site rules do allow for alternatives to the conventional soil-based treatment systems, which have been the only permitted systems for the last 30 years. However, the new regulations still require that treated effluent remain at least six inches below ground at all times, which continues to be a limiting factor in some parts of the Addison Region.

 

Solid Waste

In 1968 the Vermont State Legislature passed legislation that required every municipality to provide for the proper disposal of solid waste. At that time there were ten operating disposal sites, dumps, in the Addison Region. All types of waste were being deposited in these dumps and generally the pile was burned periodically. These waste disposal practices lead to concerns about air pollution, rodents and dangerous compounds leaching into surface and groundwater.

 

To protect public health and the environment, state legislation required that the dumps be turned into landfills where the refuse is required to be compacted and covered with soil daily. The municipal dumps started closing during the 1970s. While the legislation made proper waste disposal a municipal responsibility as the local facilities closed, there was a shift towards regional and private market solutions for solid waste management.

 

By the early 1990s, five unlined municipal landfills remained active in the towns of Bridport, Bristol, Lincoln, Salisbury and Starksboro. By 1992, state law required the unlined landfills to close or to accept less than 1,000 tons of trash per year. Currently only two Addison Region towns, Bristol and Salisbury, continue to operate their municipal landfills and plan their own solid waste strategy. The remaining 19 municipalities have joined together to create the Addison County Solid Waste Management District and accept the district's planning efforts as their own.

 

There are only three remaining unlined municipal landfills operating in Vermont; two of which are in the Addison Region. The remainder of Vermont's solid waste is delivered either to one of two privately owned lined landfills in Moretown and Coventry or is exported out of state. Currently, a few large solid waste management companies control the majority of the landfill capacity and operate most of the collection and transportation infrastructure. While municipalities and solid waste districts are still responsible for solid waste management, most utilize private sector services and facilities to meet this responsibility.

a.       Vermont Solid Waste Management Plan

Vermont's Solid Waste Management Plan was last adopted in 2001. Statute requires this plan to be revised every five years and requires that municipalities be responsible for the management of solid waste in conformance with the state plan. As the region's municipalities and solid waste district develop their management plans, they will need to decide what actions they will take to meet the state's goals and targets.

 

The 2001 plan has a number of goals including reducing waste through prevention, reuse and recycling. The previous state plan called for diversion of 40 percent of municipal solid waste. The 2001 plan has a goal of 50 percent diversion by 2005. The 2001 plan also points to the need for proper monitoring and maintenance at closed landfills to prevent future environmental degradation from those facilities. Other goals include reducing illegal disposal and better management of junkyards. The plan also addresses disposal of other types of waste such as biosolids, septage, household hazardous waste and other special wastes. As part of its plan, the state required that all municipalities revise their solid waste implementation plans by May of 2003 to be in conformance with the state's plan.

b.      Addison County Solid Waste Management District[30]

The Addison County Solid Waste Management District (ACSWMD) was created in 1988. The district's solid waste implementation plan guides the disposal of solid waste for its 19 member municipalities. The district has also adopted two ordinances, a Waste Management Ordinance and an Illegal Burning and Disposal Ordinance, which provide implementation and enforcement of the plan. ACSWMD is a nonprofit governmental entity, which is funded through tipping fees, donations or fees for special events, sales of items like compost bins and a per ton surcharge on all other waste generated within the district to be discarded.

 

The district currently operates a transfer station in Middlebury where waste, certain recyclables and white goods are collected. The transfer station is designed primarily to serve licensed waste haulers. Private haulers provide curbside collection services in the district and the majority of them tip their waste at the transfer station. Waste haulers who operate in the district are required to offer recycling services. In addition, most district residents have access to a local drop-off for recyclables. The district has had a mandatory recycling ordinance in effect since 1993.

 

District waste is disposed of outside the region at a contracted landfill. The district has a contract with WSI Landfill in Moretown for waste disposal and transport to the facility that will expire in November 2003. The district will be going out to bid for disposal services. During its 2003 to 2008 planning period, the district does not intend to site or own a landfill or any other new solid waste facility.

 

In 2001, the generation rate for the district was 4.62 pounds per person per day and the diversion rate was 1.42 pounds per person per day. That made the disposal rate 3.2 pounds per person per day for a total disposal tonnage of nearly 17,800 tons. Nearly 7,900 tons of waste was diverted for a diversion rate of around 30 percent.

c.       Bristol[31]

The Town of Bristol's solid waste implementation plan guides its disposal strategies and it currently operates an existing unlined municipal landfill under a 1,000-ton exemption. Bristol adopted a mandatory recycling ordinance in 1991 and collects recyclables at its landfill. The town also offers a used oil collection tank, a lead acid battery collection, scrap metal and tire drop off and a yard waste composting area. Bristol contracts with the Addison County Solid Waste District to dispose of household hazardous wastes and contracts with private companies to take its recyclables and white goods. Residents can drop off trash at the landfill during its regular hours of operation or contract with a private hauler for curbside pick-up. In the village, there is a municipal collection service.

 

In 2001, Bristol's generation rate was estimated at 1.15 pounds per person per day. The total municipal solid waste disposed of in 2001 was estimated at 861 tons. The 2003 Bristol Solid Waste Implementation Plan does not propose any new facilities or significant changes in its services during the 2003 to 2008 planning period.

d.      Salisbury[32]

The Town of Salisbury was originally a member of the Addison County Solid Waste Management District, but decided to withdraw in 1991. At that point, the town began using an existing unlined municipal landfill with a 1,000-ton exemption for solid waste disposal. In 1993 that landfill received interim certification from the state and it was fully certified in 2002. Salisbury adopted its first solid waste plan in 1997 and prepared a new plan to meet state requirements in 2003.

 

In addition to the landfill, Salisbury operates a recycling center, a yard-waste management area and an inert materials disposal site. The town also has hazardous and special waste collection programs and a public information and education program. In 1995, Salisbury adopted a mandatory source separation ordinance. A recycling center is operated at the landfill for resident drop-off. Salisbury contracts with private companies to take its recyclables and any hazardous or special wastes collected. Residents can drop off trash at the landfill during its regular hours of operation or contract with a private hauler for curbside pick-up. Currently, there is no curbside pick-up of recyclables.

 

Salisbury does not accept some white goods, such as televisions and computer equipment, at its facility. Their implementation plan indicates that the Addison County Solid Waste Management District takes those items at their Middlebury transfer station. Salisbury's 2003 solid waste plan does not propose any new facilities or significant changes in its services during the 2003 to 2008 planning period.

 

In 2002, the solid waste generation rate for Salisbury was estimated at 2.05 pounds per day. The plan states that due the unknown number of seasonal residents and tourists that visit the Lake Dunmore area each year, it is difficult to calculate a per person disposal rate. The plan also notes that the businesses that serve large numbers of seasonal residents add significantly to the waste stream during the summer months. Waste disposal in the landfill was approximately 549 tons in 2002, including 27.5 tons of construction and demolition waste, 16.3 tons of municipal solid waste from Middlebury and approximately 10 tons from Sudbury. 

 

 

Endnotes