"MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCES USING GIS IN TITLE 5 COMMUNITY SEPTIC MANAGEMENT"

The following sections provide brief summaries, in outline form, of the main points presented by the listed speakers at the December 1, 1998 meeting of the Massachusetts Geographic Information Council (MGIC). 

Moderator - David Healy, Stone Environmental, Inc.

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Overview

Massachusetts' towns and cities have had diverse experiences at implementing GIS for town specific funcitons. The objective of this meeting was to learn about how municipalities have fared with using GIS in their community and specifically the experience gained in using it for Title 5 Community Septic Management Planning. Each speaker provided a summary and status of their implementation of GIS within their organization and its relationship to other town departments. They each provided information based on their experience on how their organization successes and town are doing, what worked, and what did not work. They discussed issues still to overcome and identify areas in which they could use help and support. 

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Presentation by Beth Ahern, Manager of Information Systems, Town of Westwood
"Enterprise GIS 1996 - Present"

History Timeline

• 1992 - Sewer Department
• 1993 - Aerial Photos, Geosequel
• 1994 - Difficulties with user interface
• 1995 - Map phase
• 1996 - GIS Function Group
• 1997 - Parcels Digitized
• 1998 - Enterprise GIS

Enterprise GIS

• Network
• Access Speed
• Data Sharing
• Documentation

GIS Milestones

• Digitized Data
• Consensus Building
• Plan of Attack
• Funding
• Implementation

GIS Future

• Internet
• Public Access

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Contact Information:

Beth Ahern Manager of Information Systems Town of Westwood 580 High Street Westwood, MA  02090 Phone: (781) 320-1074 Email: bahern@townhall.westwood.ma.us

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Presentation by Sharon Walker Mastenbrook, Town of Acton Health Department
"Acton Board of Health - Serving the Citizens of Acton with GIS"

Acton Board of Health

• Board of Health Members:
• Mark Conoby
• William McInnis
• Mark Benedict
• Robert Matusow
• Lisa Wolf
• Associate Members:
• Robert Oliveri
• Rita Dolan
• Health Department:
• Doug Halley, Director
• Diane Pantermoller, Health Officer
• Heather Marceau, Secretary
• Eva Bowen, Secretary
• Doug Dunbar, Septic Inspector
• Sharon Walker Mastenbrook, Hazardous Materials Sanitarian
• Joanne Sateriale, Food Sanitarian

BOH Responsibilities

• Protection of Acton’s public health and safety
• Protection of Acton’s groundwater
• Public education
• Monitoring of Acton’s environmental quality

Protection of Acton’s Public Health and Safety

• Food Safety: food service inspections
• Day Care Centers: inspections
• Rental Housing: State Sanitary Code protections
• Animal Control
• Tanning Facilities: inspections
• Public & Semi-public Swimming Pools: inspections for safety and water quality testing: total coliforms, pH, chlorine levels, clarity
• Nursing Services
• Massage Therapy Establishments: inspections

Public Education

• Safe Food Handling
• Tobacco Cessation
• Awareness Programs: rabies, mosquitoes, lyme disease, asbestos, lead paint, safe drinking water wells, radon, underground storage tanks, septic system protection, household hazardous products
• Liaison to DPH, DEP, EPA

Protection of Acton’s Groundwater

• Septic System Compliance: plan review, field inspections, soil analysis, septic tank pumping program
• Hazardous Materials use: plan review, site inspections, UST removals, permit program
• Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Monitoring Acton’s Environmental Quality

• Review of complaints
• Review of environmental remediation plans
• Stream sampling and testing for fecal coliforms
• Groundwater sampling and testing for water levels and nitrates

Using GIS: Septic Tank Management System (STMS)

• First Project: identify and prioritize residential parcels in need of septic system replacement according to environmental factors
• Second Project: establish a betterment program for residential parcels in need of septic system replacement or upgrade
• Third Project: data entry of all new and existing septic records

Using GIS: ArcView 3.0

• Septic System Management
• Sewer Project Management
• Watershed Evaluation
• Hazardous Materials Management

Septic System Management Maps

• Systems replaced
• Title 5 inspections
• Waivers in the sewer district (map2.tif)

Sewer Project Management Maps

• Location (map3.tif)
• Betterments

Watershed Evaluation Maps

• Location of monitoring wells
• Location of streams, waters, and aquifer zones

Hazardous Materials Management Maps

• Location of 21 E sites
• Type of Hazardous Materials Use within Watersheds

Future Goals

• Identification of threats to public health and safety
• Coordination of information for long-term planning
• Collection and treatment of wastes in environmentally sensitive zones

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Contact Information:

Sharon Walker Mastenbrook, Sanitarian  Doug Halley, Health Director  Town of Acton Board of Health  472 Main Street  Acton, MA  01720  Phone: (978) 264-9634

Last Updated 4/19/2000
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