Fryeburg Water District
  • Well / Water Surveys
  • Contact
  • News Updates
  • Hydrology / Maps
  • Minutes / Videos
  • Charter
  • Calendar

Why Water Matters

1/12/2020

1 Comment

 
Pure, clean, fresh water has been running into Fryeburg homes for over 200 years!  Our municipal water utility not only provides water for drinking, cleaning and septic removal, it was and is still the most reliable fire suppression tool for the safety of our homes and businesses.  But today, many people in our community might not realize that there are two separate organizations caring for water. The Fryeburg Water District and the Fryeburg Water Company are not one and the same.

The Fryeburg Water Company was originally established  as the Fryeburg Aqueduct Corporation in 1813 to "bring water in subterraneous pipes, to any place within said town of Fryeburgh." (An act to establish the Fryeburgh Aqueduct Corporation).  In 1879 the Fryeburg Water Company was incorporated “for the purpose of conveying to the village of Fryeburg a supply of pure water for domestic and other purposes.” according to the Documentary History of American Water-works, 2015, by Morris A. Pierce.  Two amendments to the Fryeburg Water Company charter allowed it to purchase the East Conway Water Co. the Company to sell stocks of private equity.  For most of its history the Fryeburg Water Co. pumped water from wells #1 and #2 near the natural spring which flows out of Wards Brook Aquifer into Lovewell Pond.  Today, the first two wells are primarily for bulk water sales and a new well #3, farther south on Porter Road, is the main source of public water with a gravity feed tank at the top of Stark’s Mountain to maintain adequate water pressure for ratepayers.

The Fryeburg Water District, is a recent entity.  In recent years, the community of Fryeburg has shown an interest in public ownership of the water delivery system.  In 2005, the Water District was established by the Maine Legislature and amended its charter two years later allowing the public to “acquire property and franchises of the Fryeburg Water Company.”  The District was determined to be the service area, within Fryeburg village, where public water service was available. The boundaries of the district are different from the boundaries of the town of Fryeburg which is much larger than the range of the public water system. Everyone living within the District boundaries, whether they receive water from the public utility or from a private well, are considered residents.  And all district residents by law are eligible to vote for the Water District Board of Trustees. As elected public servants, the FWD trustees are beholden directly to the electorate and welcome public input on decisions regarding the safety and security of our local drinking water.  Though the private Fryeburg Water Co. owns the sources and delivery system, the District is in place when the opportunity for public ownership arises.

Despite their differences, the Water Company and the Water District are both regulated under the public utility law.  The charge to provide adequate and affordable water service is given to both the Company and the District. The authority to sell water in bulk and enter into contracts with other entities for the purpose of providing water service is also the right of both the Company and the District.

Water is an essential need, and because we have a well-established public utility, we can all agree that water matters -- to everyone.  In recent years, people have voiced concern about the safety of the public water system due to its age and its condition. Today the public water system is managed by a third party, Maine Water, Inc. who have begun to  systematically assess the condition of and commence updating of the infrastructure. Problems or concerns regarding your water service or billing should be directed to Maine Water through social media, a phone call or their website, www.mainewater.com.

The Fryeburg Water District also maintains a website of information for Fryeburg residents regarding issues that surround water availability and affordability.  The Fryeburg Water District Trustees are committed to serving the public interest, and we invite you to contact us through our website www.fryeburgwaterdistrict.org.  We welcome the public to our monthly meetings which are customarily held at 7 PM on the second Monday of the month at the Legion Hall on Bradley Street.  Our next meeting will be on Dec. 16, 2019.

​
1 Comment

Chairman's Report 2019

1/12/2020

1 Comment

 
2019 has been a year of turnover and growth for the Fryeburg Water District.  We started the year with a board of 4 members, due to late 2018 resignations that we decided did not require a second mid-year election.  Our first task was to consider any follow up action on the EGGI Study Review. In March, the president of Maine Water Co. presented a report on the Water Company with predictions about expenses coming in 2020-21.  April brought a FWD member resignation as a result of a move out of the district. We held elections for two vacated seats as well as the re-election of Tom Rebmann whose first term had expired. Summer was quiet, but we resumed in the fall and have worked to develop actions aimed at serving the public with water access and raising awareness of the benefits of public ownership.

At our January meeting we were surprised by a challenge from sitting Select board member, Janice Crawford, who suggested our mission overstepped our charter limits.  Ms. Crawford attended with a legal representative who suggested we review our mission and align it more closely with the Charter of 2007 which established the Water District.  Later in the spring Ms. Crawford also made a FOAA request for our minutes through the history of the Water District. We fulfilled her recommendation by early summer but did not hear back from her regarding her complaint.  

In March, Rick Knowlton, president of the Maine Water Co. attended our meeting by request of the chair to report on the current conditions of Fryeburg Water Company’s infrastructure and service to customers.  He did not present the 2018 report as was expected, but referenced 2017 and highlighted recent upgrades as well as future changes related to road work on Main Street expected in 2020-21. The Trustees felt that Mr. Knowlton’s report suggested it would not be to our advantage to own the Water Company due to the increased expenses.  

In April, the Trustees accepted the resignation of David West as he moved north to Chatham, NH, out of the district.  We called for nominations for two empty seats and arranged elections for June. We discussed a ballot question about fluoridation following Mr. Knowlton’s report that it is a choice that district voters can make if we want it or not.  We decided that asking the question might invite more interest and participation. A question was designed, but not added to the ballot in the end due to public concern at our May meeting. May was focussed on nominees for our ballot. We received two - Nora Schwarz and Jay Ahern.  They got enough signatures to be printed on the ballot along with Tom Rebmann who was running again for a second term.

June elections went well, with a slightly lower turnout than previous years at around 80 ballots cast.  Nora and Tom won their seats without dispute, but we had some difficulty determining the third winner when a poll worker questioned if Jay Ahern was not a registered voter if he could be elected.  Upon review of the law, it was determined that for the Water District, a candidate need only be a resident of the district and not necessarily a registered voter in the district. These three candidates were sworn in by our Registrar, Debra Tait at our meeting on July 7, 2019.  Officers elected at the July meeting were: Greg Huang-Dale, chair; Tom Rebmann, treasurer; Nora Schwarz, clerk; and Jay Ahern, secretary. We agreed to give the registrar a stipend for her dedication and services. New trustees were oriented to FOAA requirements and directed to key documents in our files.

In August Trustees discussed funding flow-monitoring technology for Wards Brook offered as an addition to the EGGI review. Since the town Select board was not willing to fund this we were asked if we wanted to.  We determined the cost was high and the results would be unlikely to change outcomes. We also discussed upcoming Planning Board plans to review the zoning ordinances in Fryeburg. Two Trustees were able to attend and talk with Planning Board members about possible protections of aquifer land currently zoned industrial.  

In September we held our first breakout sessions on 4 key issues for future planning - legal aid, fundraising, member / volunteer base development and a campaign to promote Fryeburg Tap Water.  We had two small groups who focussed on two of these issues. The discussion was tabled and continued in October to include missing board members. The chair wrote our first article for local newsletter, Fryeburg Matters, which appeared in the October issue.

October also saw the beginning of dialogue with the Fryeburg Historical Society regarding a public access water point and pump at the stone trough located on their property along Portland Street.  The chair met with FHS who showed great interest in the project and agreed to discuss an easement for the Water District to install and manage such a pump. Legal assistance was investigated and a lawyer found but no contract has been written yet.

The chair wrote a second article for Fryeburg Matters submitted in November, which was rejected for length.  It will be resubmitted in the new year following board discussion. The lawyer who agreed to work on our easement project with FHS was contacted again in early December and is ready to start the process with us.
Greg Huang-Dale, chair
Submitted 12/15/19
1 Comment

    Author

    Water District Trustees

    Archives

    August 2022
    January 2020
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly