SWAMPSCOTT — The Water and Sewer Advisory Committee wants to gather community input on two potential new bylaws before they go to Town Meeting for approval in May.
According to Chair Liz Smith, the committee is eager to present the two new bylaws on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Swampscott Senior Center. Smith said the bylaws aim to help the town’s sewer and stormwater infrastructure.
Smith explained that the bylaws aim to keep stormwater out of the sanitary sewers and inspect sewer service laterals before a property is officially sold. Any community members who would like to include their thoughts, perspectives or experiences are encouraged to attend the meeting at the center to provide more feedback and insight to the committee before the project moves forward.
Smith went into detail about the different types of inflow and infiltration that can affect the infrastructure. Inflow typically refers to stormwater or groundwater that enters the sewer system through direct connections. According to Smith, various types of inflow include roof drains, foundation drains, and cross-connections.
Infiltration, however, refers to groundwater that has entered the sewer system through leaks or cracks in the pipes. Smith noted some examples of infiltration are broken laterals, roots in laterals, cracked or broken pipes, or a deteriorated manhole.
“The public hearing is a great and valuable way to gather public comments before something goes into effect,” Smith said. “The whole idea is that we want people to come and tell us what they think, so we can incorporate their input into the final versions of the bylaws.”
Smith continued, “It allows us to take resident comment into consideration while we refine the proposal…I want people to know this is only a draft. These two proposed bylaws are the first of what we do over the course of several years.”
She mentioned that the bylaws, rules, and regulations regarding stormwater and sewer had not been updated for years. Smith said roughly the last time an update was voted upon was back in 1994.
