OLD LYME — Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold gave LymeLine.com an update Wednesday via e-mail on the presentation scheduled today on the Old Lyme Regional Wastewater System.
The event will be held at 10 a.m. in the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School.
Griswold advised that it will be hosted by the heads of the three private beach associations and Sound View Beach Association, and the chairs of the respective Water Pollution Control Authorities (WPCA).
Griswold stressed that this informational meeting is, “an update for beach residents and others.”
He added, “We think an update before seasonal residents head back home is a wise thing.”
Griswold also clarified that, “A number of distinguished guests [Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, State Senator Paul Formica (R-20th), State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23rd)] have been invited but only State Sen. Formica has responded – he will attend via phone. The US Senators have worked on trying to secure funding.”
Griswold reported previously in his Aug. 19 newsletter to residents that State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23rd) is unable to attend.
Questions regarding the project can be submitted in advance to [email protected] for review by the committee. A panel will then select questions to be answered at the meeting and at the end of the presentation, the selected questions will be answered.
There will be no open Q&A after the presentation.
Griswold commented, “This is a very complex and expensive project. It includes not only sewers but storm water drainage and road repaving. The sewer shared assets went out to bid twice and, due to the very high cost, had to be rejected. We believe additional outside funding must become available for the entire project to be viable.”
The meeting will start with the introduction of the four WPCA entities involved with the project.
Then the following guests will make comments:
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- State Senator Paul Formica (R-20th) — by phone
- Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold (R)
The next agenda item will be a PowerPoint presentation regarding the project.
The final item will be a review of the selected questions regarding the project, which were submitted in advance. questions.
To attend this session virtually, visit https://oldlymect.webex.com/oldlymect/j.php?MTID=m7bb8ab96d52e54ddb27ed079eb689dfc or dial +1-408-418-9388 and enter access code: 2343 721 4416.
As a result of the current drought conditions in the Northeast and specifically in the Old Lyme area, CT water has been supplying water to shoreline residents using tanker trucks. My concern is that the installation of sewers will further increase the transfer of ground water from Old Lyme to New London and that residential wells south of I-95 will experience a reduction in inventory and that many of the wells will go dry. If this occurs, I believe that the project will be facing lawsuits seeking compensation for properly owners that will need to drill new wells. Does the project have a plan to address the potential adverse impact of the sewers on adjacent residential properties?
The WPCA agreement for the installation of sewers in the beach areas stipulates that the sewers are not to be used for economic expansion. How will this requirement be enforced?
These are great questions! Please submit them to mailto:[email protected] as stated in the article.
We have forwarded these questions to the address given, with Mr. Thompson’s permission.
The chairman of Old Lyme’s Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has stated publicly that the transfer of sewer water from Old Lyme to New London will have no impact to private wells. If you believe this then you believe in the tooth fairy.
This project should be stopped in its track and replace with a community base local system that will not transfer our ground water to New London.
Old Lyme needs a complete remake of the water pollution control authority to include folks with knowledge and common sense.
Just to be clear the Sound View Beach Association ( SVBA) is not co-sponsoring this event nor has been invited to participate. The SVBA was only asked to forward the meeting notification to its members. The Sound View Sewer Coalition (SVSC) comprised of a majority of property owners in the Sound View area was also not asked to participate. The SVSC is skeptical of the out dated data, assumptions and conclusions used to justify this very expensive project. The SVSC supports updated testing and analysis. With updated information there must be a complete review of need, options, impact to ground water as well as construction and on-going costs. If a problem does exist there are much less expensive options available which will not negatively impact our ground water aquifer.
Shame on Old Lyme’s Board of Selectman for not allowing any public comment during this presentation. Public comment would expose just how unpopular this project is. So much for open government in Old Lyme .
William Folland -Thank you. We in Sound View/Area B have done our research and would very much like to share our research regarding sewers vs septic systems. For years now, we have been asking for a question-and-answer meeting with the OL WPCA. Even after submitting a petition, we have been denied. We will be there tomorrow and I for one, look forward to meeting you there.
Mary Daley, SVSC,LLC Secretary
My grandson in Simsbury has lost a few primary teeth over the past several months. As is customary, he put each under his pillow. Now, I don’t know whether he is a true believer” in the tooth fairy, but the outcome was $5.00 for the first, and the same for the second.
He has not expressed an opinion on private wells.