Jericho task force advances wastewater plan, directs summer river testing to speed permitting

The Jericho Wastewater Task Force on April 9 advanced planning for a proposed community wastewater system, directing staff to pursue background river monitoring this summer to help inform permitting and the choice of a preferred alternative.

Kate McCarthy, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission staff, told the Task Force she expects the 90% Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) in June or July and will confirm deadlines with Dubois & King and Jon Ashley for the decisions the group must make before the PER reaches 90% completion. The Task Force is coordinating PER work with development-scenarios analysis, which staff said should wrap up in July.

The monitoring directive is aimed at meeting the technical requirements for an indirect-discharge option under review for a site at Browns River Middle School (BRMS). McCarthy said river and background water sampling taken during June–October would support a more rapid permitting review; members agreed that starting that sampling this year could save about a year in the schedule if it can be accommodated within the PER or existing budget.

Erik Johnson, Task Force chair, emphasized keeping affordability and fundability central to decisions about system capacity and phasing. Members discussed phasing options, including whether a smaller initial component (about 16 housing units) could avoid an indirect-discharge permitting path, and reviewed engineering approaches — such as mounding and use of fill — that could raise disposal capacity at several sites under consideration.

Task Force members asked technical questions about hydrologic connection to the Browns River, the potential for soil compaction where fields are used for parking or athletics, and how pretreatment (for example, a recirculating sand filter) could affect the cleanliness of effluent and the need for stricter permitting. The group noted that installing a septic or disposal system within the river corridor would be treated as "development" under local river-corridor standards and likely require conditional-use review; members said they want corridor information before committing the roughly $15,000 referenced for next steps.

On governance and staffing items, Peter Booth reported that Jericho resident Samantha Dunn has expressed interest in joining the Task Force; Joseph Flynn moved and Susan Bresee seconded a recommendation to the Selectboard that it appoint Dunn, and the motion passed unanimously. The group also appointed Tom Joslin as the Task Force liaison to the SE Group scenario team; that nomination passed unanimously. Earlier in the meeting members approved the March 23 minutes, and the Task Force adjourned at 7:23 p.m.

The Task Force directed staff to ask Dubois & King whether water-quality testing can be started now as part of the PER scope; if not, staff should identify budget sources and, if necessary, seek Selectboard approval to fund the monitoring. Next steps identified include staff confirmation of consultant deadlines for decision points required before the 90% PER and continued coordination between the PER and development-scenarios work.