SWAMPSCOTT — The joint mission between Swampscott and Lynn to reduce pollution and clean King’s Beach has been a major point of discussion lately.
During the Select Board’s meeting on Wednesday evening, it discussed a potential timeline of events, should the town move forward with its initial plan of battling pollution with the use of ultra-violet lights. The board also considered raising questions on several elements of the project in order to get a clearer understanding of the work that is entailed.
Previously, a three-month trial was proposed, where a system of U.V. lights would be used from June to August, with the aim of using the U.V. lights as a different means of killing the bacteria that has accumulated in the polluted stormwater before it’s discharged back into the ocean.
In those plans, two large tanks would be put along Humphrey Street, along with a small wall, which would be installed inside the nearby culvert. The wall would not block the culvert and would only be several feet high. During dry-weather flows, water will hit the wall, where a pump will suck it out, put it through the tanks and treat it with U.V. lights, where it will then be placed back into the culvert.
The overall goal would be to gauge the efficiency of the pilot and see if it’s a feasible, long-term solution for reducing bacteria within the polluted stormwater.
Select Board member David Grishman showed his support for the project, saying that it would be a good chance for the town to learn from the technology used to reduce the bacteria.
Select Board Chair MaryEllen Fletcher spoke on seeking clarity on a number of different points of the project, where she cited her concern for residents and the uncertainty surrounding the project as some of her biggest questions going forward.
“The most important questions that I’ve found are the questions that I’ve been asking forever,” Fletcher said. “Let’s say this works, where are we going to put it? What are the long-term operating costs, and how long would this process really work for?”
She said that she heard that the U.V. system would last for approximately 20 years and that the operating costs for the project are still up in the air. Another major point of concern raised was the potential impact the noise from the machinery involved would have on nearby residents.
The committee determined during the meeting that it could not come to a vote on the matter that night due to the number of unanswered questions, and it will continue the discussion in future meetings.
