Water Department

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2024 Consumer Confidence Report

ByTierney Farago

This report is a snapshot of the quality of the water that we provided in 2024. Included are the details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. To learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings which are held at Chelsea’s regular Selectboard meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Chelsea Town Hall.

The person who can answer questions is Mike Whipple Telephone: 802-685-7727 and/or Email: wschiefoperator@chelseavt.us

You can read the report here: Consumer Confidence Report 2024

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DRINKING WATER WARNING: August 16, 2024

ByTierney Farago

UPDATE: This boil water notice has been lifted as of August 19th.

Chelsea Water System WSID 5638
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Due to the need for system repair of a valve and hydrant on South Park Street next to the school, a section of the system needs to be depressurized. Federal and State regulations require the system to issue a Boil Water Notice when depressurization happens to make a repair because there is a strong possibility that your drinking water supply may become contaminated on the way to the tap. This situation presents a significant health risk to users of the Chelsea Water System within the depressurized area. Starting at Barn on Friday 8/16/2024 the Chelsea Water System is issuing a Boil Water Notice for users on South Park Street and Highland Avenue. There will be a disruption to your service for several hours and once service is resumed, customers on those streets will be under a Boil Water Notice until we are able to get results back from the lab that show there is no presence of Coliform bacteria in the system.

What should I do?
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.
Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other; potentially ­harmful, bacteria may be present. When a water system is experiencing fluctuations in water pressure the possibility exists for bacteria and other harmful organisms to enter the water distribution system and contaminate your drinking water supply.
People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What happened? What is being done?
This Boil Water Notice will remain in effect until the water system maintenance/repair is complete and the system is able to demonstrate that the quality and quantity of the drinking water meets State and Federal drinking water standards.
We will inform you when the necessary system maintenance/repair has been completed and tests show no bacteria present in the drinking water supply. We anticipate finishing the repair on Friday 8/16/2024, but will not have lab results until Tuesday 8/20/2024. We are not able to lift the Boil Water Notice until we have those results that show no presence of Coliform bacteria.

For more information, please contact Mike Whipple at 802-685-7727 or wschiefoperator@chelseavt.us
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

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MANDATORY Water Line Survey

ByTierney Farago

The State of Vermont requires the residents of Chelsea using town water to fill out a quick survey regarding the water service line material in their homes. This survey is integral to helping us identify any lead sources in our water and only requires you to visually verify the type of material your water line is made of and enter that information online along with your address. Currently 101 residents have not completed this survey, and the alternative to the survey is a manual inventory involving representatives coming to your home to verify the material. We would like to avoid this inconvenience to you if possible!

Please follow the link below to complete the survey and share with your neighbors so that ALL residents fill out the survey. If you or someone you know does not have access to internet, please reach out to the Town Administrator at 802-625-2023 to help fill out the information for you. https://airtable.com/app6OfY4820Or8ndV/shrAALw8afF9Jb9FI

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2023 Consumer Confidence Report

ByKasey Peterson

This report is a snapshot of the quality of the water that we provided in 2023. Included are the details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. To learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings which are held at Chelsea’s regular Selectboard meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Chelsea Town Hall.

The person who can answer questions is Mike Whipple Telephone: 802-685-7727 and/or Email: wschiefoperator@chelseavt.us

You can read the report here: 2023 Consumer Confidence Report

Notice:

ByPatty Swahn

Notice:
On 7/4/2023 the town performed our monthly 8 hour composite samples as required by our discharge permit. We typically composite the samples and submit them to the lab on the same day, but because of the holiday the samples were not submitted until Wednesday 7/5/2023.

The required monthly E-coli sample is usually not taken until just before going to the lab to ensure the shortest possible hold time. 

The latest test resulted in a high ecoli count. The permitted amount is 77 colonies / 100 milligrams per liter, our result was 800 colonies / 100 milligrams per liter. Wednesdays are the normal wasting days at the facility (wasting is the process of collecting solids in the bottom of the primary clarifier to be pumped to a sludge holding tank. The sludge is then hauled to final disposal by a permitted hauler at a later time. Typically about 2000 gallons of sludge is removed.) This process of wasting creates a drop and corresponding spike in flow when discharge returns. The ecoli sample was taken during this spike in flow. The sample was taken at 10:45 am and the flow returned to normal conditions about 11:45 am. The average flow during this period was about 23 gallons per minute, so an estimated 1380 gallons left the facility during this period.

The elevated ecoli numbers were reported to the state and were advised to provide notice to residents. The State requires a 48 hour notice to those pursuing recreation activities in the river. This 48 hour period has passed and there is no standing advisory to the public to avoid the river at this time.
 
If you have any questions please contact our wastewater operator, Mike Whipple (WSChiefoperator@chelseavt.us) or the Health Officer, Geoff Clayton (gwc05038@gmail.com).

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Water Board/ Selectboard Meeting Agenda – Jan 21, 2023

ByPatty Swahn

Water Board Meeting Agenda
Saturday, 21 January, 2023
9:00 AM Chelsea Water Treatment Plant / Town Hall
Water Meeting/Selectboard Meeting
1. Call Water Board meeting to order
2. Conflict of interest disclosure
3. Tour of Water Treatment Facilities
4. Recess – Move to Town Hall
5. Water/Sewer Budget Discussion
6. Additional Water/Sewer business
7. Adjourn
8. Call Selectboard Meeting to order
9. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
10.Additions to the agenda
11.Public Comments
12.Budget Discussions
13.Executive Session – Personnel (if necessary)
14.Adjourn

Water Dept Board Meeting Minutes – Sept, 20 2022

ByPatty Swahn

Chelsea Water Department Board Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at the Chelsea Town Hall
Selectboard Members present: Levar Cole, Mark Whitney, Merrill Whitney, Bruce Hook
Other Town Employees present: Marianne McCann (Administrative Assistant)(Herald), Gayle Durkee
(Treasurer)
Members of the public present: Trudy Amber-Dowlin

  1. Call Meeting to Order
    Meeting called to order by Levar Cole at 7:09 pm.
  2. Conflict of Interest Disclosure
    None.
  3. Changes to the Agenda
    None.
  4. Bill consolidation request – Trudy Amber Dowlin
    Levar Cole moved to approve the water billing consolidation request for Trudy Amber-Dowlin. Merrill
    Whitney seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
    Trudy Amber Dowlin stated the building is set up as one house. Dowlin requested that the bill
    consolidation be retroactive, since she has already paid two times.
    The Selectboard and the Treasurer agreed to make it retroactive for this last quarter, but not beyond
    the last quarter.
    Dowlin pointed out there was no way of knowing from the bill that she was paying for two units. Only
    when she asked, when they looked in the records, would you know the amount was for two units.
    Dowlin suggests changing the bill format to reflect the status of how many units, how many gallons.
    Cole stated future billing has been an agenda item in the past. We can look at that going forward.
    Durkee stated Nemric sets up the bill and formatted it for us. Durkee can check to see if the formatting
    can be changed.
    Durkee stated two water accounts are overdue and have not responded or paid. We can turn off the
    water now. These bills are quite high. I think the services are going to stop soon anyway.
    Cole asked the Treasurer to keep the board informed. We may have to call a Special Water Department
    Board meeting.
  5. Public Comments
    None.
  6. Adjourn
    Meeting adjourned at 7:31 pm.
    The next regularly scheduled Water Dept. Board Meeting will be December 20, 2022.