Mr. Mageau has just given us another example of his attempts to take the citizens of Charlestown down a wrong and dangerous path without any apparent qualms about how far off his advice can be. Mr. Mageau, your town wide mailing, with its costs, make you committed to this project.

This week he has proposed the Council attack DEM for forcing upon the homeowners of Charlestown the requirement to install denitro septic systems in areas in Town close to water, whether salt or fresh. The obvious rationale is to protect our ground water for the private wells required in Charlestown and to reduce the pollution of the salt ponds from excessive plant growth caused by excess nitrogen. The salt ponds are in neighborhoods that are home to the majority of our tax base. We must pay attention to the care of these ponds to maintain the ambiance and activities associated with our natural assets and, selfishly, protect our tax base.

He has urged the Council to build sewers and the required treatment plant as a more cost effective plan to protect these same water assets. He "pronounced" that with 3712 septic systems requiring denitro systems it is obscene to require homeowners to pay $30,000 each for such a system. That expense he calculated to be $111,000,000! His alternative is a sewer/ treatment solution. Let us identify what factors and costs are in error or left out of his grand plan.

His $111,,000,000 total cost estimate is grossly unrealistic. He wished for a high number so he could blast the DEM statewide plan. However, not all 3712 systems have to be replaced. If you have a properly working septic you do not have to do anything! The DEM regulations have for years contained the provision that if you alter or enlarge your home, a new septic could be required. If Mr. Mageau paid real attention to wastewater issues he, of all people, should have known that there has been little or no change to these owner improvement options.

The next error is his surprise that the current systems already cost $30-35,000. DEM introduced pre and post treatment systems in that range in the year 2000! It is not a surprise as homeowners have been paying that "obscene" amount for years. As a non- homeowner and "average" citizen, he did not care but now he has seen the light. It is called reelection "talking points".

There are four solutions to replacing our current individual septic systems: "community systems", large area systems, injection systems and sewer and treatment plants. Because of our dispersed area for homes a "community system' is not a manageable project for 10 to15 homes spread along the street. It is not practical to retro fit and to manage or control.

The "large area system" with 50 to100 area homes is even more susceptible to major disputes between managing costs/care. Again, to install the necessary piping, and finding a leaching field makes it not a practical solution starting with an established neighborhood. The third choice, an injection system, requires a group of houses collect their waste and, with piping added, have a mechanism to force the contents deep into the ground where it disintegrates. Requires local management and has ground water issues.

The fourth choice is for a treatment plant in Charlestown. This choice is not available. No space could be used to take the "clean water"called effluent, so where do we deposit the output? No effluent can be put into or near ponds, rivers, streams or oceans. Site selection is very restricted by proximity to water (either fresh or salt) by both State and Federal standards. Where do you empty the plant? There are fresh water ponds and streams to the north and salt water to the south.

Common sense suggests for a site we would look for a location that has a lower elevation than the homes that have to be served. That would place it where we just said we can not go, south of Rt. 1.The rising elevation to the north makes construction costs multiply. Drive our north /south streets off of RT. 1 and notice the major change in elevation. How many pumping stations would we need? One for Ross Hill, one for Buckeye, Prosser, Rt 2 etc. For reality purposes on pumping costs, I have an actual cost estimate from another community for your consideration..
Mr. Mageau apparently did not call an engineer for advice on the cost of a sewer network. My source, who works on this matter for a town in South County, knew of costs for an area coverage of perhaps six square miles needing only a pumping station and pipes, on level terrain, and that was $20,000,000 and no treatment plant was required. Of course, we have 59 square miles. We still would require coverage for 53 additional square miles of housing plus several pumping stations and the treatment plant that we would probably not be permitted to build! How many multiples of $20,000,000 should we put into the proposal? What town would let us dump our sewerage for free or charge? Piping cost estimates I was given call for $80 a linear foot. Allan Arsenault, Director Public Works, provided me with the number of miles of streets we have-70. Put those into the equation.

With no State / Federal aid likely what else has to be said? OK What site is feasible? NONE !

Tom DePatie