SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board met on Thursday evening to discuss the potential of an ultraviolet (UV) light treatment program at King’s Beach in order to determine if it was a feasible, long-term solution to reducing bacteria in the water.
Due to the levels of contamination becoming too high for recreational use, the beach has been closed for much of the previous two summers. The beach and its levels of contamination and bacteria have become a joint issue between Swampscott and Lynn, as both communities have been working with Kleinfelder, an engineering consulting firm, on ways to increase the quality of the water.
The pilot program that was previously proposed would see two large tanks installed on Humphrey Street, where the contaminated water would be pumped out of the nearby culverts, sucked into the tanks, where it will be treated with U.V. lights before being pumped back into the ocean. If approved, the program would run from June until August, and the two communities would be looking at a cost of approximately $800,000.
It was noted during previous meetings that the U.V. system would last for approximately 20 years and require consistent maintenance once it’s operational. Further concerns were also raised regarding the potential impact that the noise of two large tanks could have on nearby residents, as the diesel tanks would be running effectively 24/7.
During the meeting, Select Board Chair MaryEllen Fletcher noted that on Wednesday, the board received answers to questions raised about the pilot during previous meetings regarding the issue.
“So, in the past 24 hours, we’ve gotten emails from people in support, people who aren’t in support, and I can tell you that I, myself, have not had a chance to digest everything that’s happened in the last 24 hours,” Board member Katie Phelan said. “I would like to suggest we hold a joint meeting with the water and sewer advisory commission, and we have the conversation collectively.”
“We have to make decisions that are in the best interest of Swampscott,” Fletcher said. “We have to make solid decisions based on information.”
“We continue to say we need more time, we need more meetings, but the Water and Sewer Committee has spoken,” Board member David Grishman said. “It’s a continuation of kicking the can down the street, we have an opportunity to take care of our infrastructure and take this next step. We don’t have all the information, we don’t have all the answers, but the time is to take action.”
“This is a pilot program that could potentially get the beach open this summer; I have no reason to think it’s not going to work,” Fletcher said. “My next question is. ‘What’s next?’ Are Lynn and Swampscott prepared to invest millions into a long-term future plan? Where would that go? How would we subsidize it?”
“Clearly, this is complicated; we’ve been on this path for a while; we know it’s going to be noisy and stinky, and it’s not going to open the beach for the summer, just to be clear,’ Board member Doug Thompson said. “We have committees that looked at all the information, and they voted to support it; we don’t always have to take their recommendations, but I can’t think of a situation where we didn’t.”
“I really appreciate all the questions, and we’ve been working so hard to answer them all. I wish you got the answers sooner,” Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson said. He cited the need for urgent approval due to the process of buying the necessary equipment in time.
“If it’s not up by June it’s a waste of money,” Nicholson said. “I think the city of Lynn would be able to add its share to the UV pilot, which means Lynn would lay $500,000 and Swampscott would pay $300,000.”
He continued, saying, “ I’m not an engineer, but we hire experts; they recommended this in 2022 and again in 2025. I understand the questions, but I think we can get this done.”
“For me, it’s about the big dollars we’re looking at down the road,” Fletcher said. “For me, it’s about finances; this is long term; we’re talking about twenty years.”
Phelan asked Mayor Nicholson that if the board voted, would there be ways to mitigate the impact of the noise from the project on nearby residents.
“I think there are things we can do to mitigate,” Nicholson said. “We block the U.V. lights with a tarp, and we can mitigate sound.”
After discussion on the matter, the board voted to approve the pilot program with a count of four to one.
