HAMPDEN — Engineering consultant Tighe & Bond met with the Hampden Selectboard to deliver an update on the town’s stormwater management plan. Tighe & Bond has been working with Hampden to ensure the town meets its obligations under the municipal separate storm sewer system, which is administered jointly by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Stormwater is rain that falls on paved surfaces or grassy areas and either sinks into the ground or runs off into storm drains, before being delivered to waterways through “outflows.” Project Manager Kelly Crumrine said stormwater is the fastest growing source of pollution because it picks up trash and chemicals before entering streams and rivers.
The western area of Hampden is being monitored for the MS-4 because it includes the section of town that is “urbanized,” said Tighe & Bond Planner Haley Rivers. Under the program, Hampden is responsible for “minimal control measures,” including education and outreach, public participation, identifying water being discharged into storm drains from sources other than rain and pollution prevention.
The Scantic River has been flagged for impairment from E. coli, bacteria that often causes gastrointestinal symptoms in people. Hampden is also part of the Connecticut River watershed, which feeds into the Long Island Sound, a body of water that is classified as having a nitrogen impairment. Certain outflows in the town tested positive for one or both of these contaminants when sampled two years ago.
Selectboard member Craig Rivest questioned if water in the Scantic River had been tested and if outfalls of communities upstream from Hampden had been tested so the source of the contamination could be determined. Haley said the scope of the program focuses on stormwater and the water is only sampled from the outfalls for those purposes. Kelly noted that all communities in Massachusetts that are part of the MS-4 program would have had their outfalls tested as well.
“The state’s not really doing their part to monitor the river — what’s going into the river — just what’s coming from our towns,” Rivest said.
“You have to start somewhere,” Haley responded. “They’re monitoring things like [combined sewer outflows]. You can’t necessarily sample the entirety of Massachusetts all at once.”
Selectboard member John Flynn asked why the eastern portion of the town was not being monitored. Haley said there were not many stormwater structures on that side of the town, but mark said there were “several pretty decent sized systems.” Kelly said the idea was to begin with the urbanized areas. Rivest pointed out that the town was in year seven of this phase of the program.
A resident asked why the presence of E. coli in the Scantic River was “withheld” from townspeople. Haley explained that an annual report is made public on the EPA’s website and sampling results are on Hampden’s stormwater management plan on the town’s website. Selectboard Chair Donald Davenport pointed out that the water in question was not from wells, but from rainwater.
A Main Street resident who lives near Laughing Brook said he sees oil in the river and when the water level is low, it smells strong. More concerning to him was that fish are stocked into the river. “Now you’re telling me there’s E. coli there and has been for two years. These people are eating the fish that are coming out of the river,” he said, adding that it was a safety issue. Rivest said alerting people about the fish would be up to the state Department of Environmental Protection of Mass Wildlife.
Davenport also asked about the source of nitrogen. Haley said it can come from livestock and pet waste, but leaf litter also leaches nitrogen into water. Seven outflows near GreatHorse were found to have elevated levels of E. coli and nitrogen. “Even when I was there, I could smell a fertilizer smell,” Haley said.
Haley said Hampden is in compliance with the MS-4 programs requirements. The town should install “best practices,” including rain gardens and retention basins, which use plant matter and infiltration to treat water before it hits waterways, she said. Highway Superintendent Mark Langone said the town had considered creating a rain garden when a construction project was under consideration for the Senior Center.
That project did not come to fruition however, and he said a garden would not work at any other town-owned sites within the monitoring area.
Haley also recommended retrofitting town-owned sites with stormwater infrastructure, which is easiest to do when road work is already planned for a location. Moving forward, she said the town should continue maintenance and pollution prevention and implement any new state requirements.
Draft rules for new requirements are in a period of public feedback. These include creating a formal drainage asset management program and prioritizing catch basins to be fitted with deep sumps and hoods. The requirements state that 20% of the town’s catch basins must be addressed within five years. Haley said it was a “pretty significant burden” for most municipalities and Tighe & Bond had submitted feedback to that effect.
“It’s almost ridiculous, putting all these burdens on small towns,” Rivest said.
Langone commented, “I’m actually beside myself with all this.” He said originally the state had wanted the town to eliminate sand for treating ice. Now is being told to “do away with” salt. Alternatives to those two are costly and just as bad for the environment as salt, he said.
Haley said she would investigate alternatives to salt. She said that the idea is to install rain gardens and detention basins that would help remove or neutralize salt and pollutants in the water before they reach outflows, but she acknowledged that was a long-term plan.
