City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Safe Water Advisory Group, 23 Feb 2022

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From YouTube: 2.23.2022 Safe Water Advisory Group

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2.23.2022 Safe Water Advisory Group

A

Start again, sorry, everyone um welcome to the safe water advisory.

A

Group and I'll turn it over to android go to set us off here. Okay, all right! Welcome.

B

Thank you. Everybody for attending the first uh safe water, advisory or swag group uh meeting of.

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um 2022. uh we have, if you can go to the next slide. Please brian. We have a pretty packed.

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Agenda, we have a lot of stuff to cover, so we're gonna move quickly through it, but um I just wanna.

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Start with some welcome and introductions give a little bit of a recap of the swag for our new.

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Members um and then we have a couple presentations tonight with q, a and then a few other updates and.

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uh Discussions about future goals and uh drinking water for them and then we'll end with public.

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Comment so um with that, I think we should just go ahead and start and do a round of introductions.

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We'll start with everyone in the room and then we can move to the folks on the on the zoom. So.

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Brian, do you want to start sure um hello, everyone here in the room, I'm brian gutz, deputy director of.

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Public works and thanks for attending our first uh swag meeting of the year and.

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Turn over next to now pratt the water resource manager for the city of portland, another official.

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Hi, uh william mcquillin, I'm a fire chief and a member of the swag.

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I'm vince lombardi, I'm a city councilor and a new member.

B

Andrea, I'm a portsmouth resident and a pfast.

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Okay, I think um I will just go through the the panelists that are members of the swag, so we have.

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Hosts in apps are you out, there hope, yes, hope ben apps from the school board also a resident.

C

Of portsmouth glad to be back great, senator rebecca perkins hi everyone nice to be joining you.

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Great thank you and um as a guest and promoted the panelists.

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Are stephanie seacord our public information officer who's been.

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Wonderful at helping us keep on track and doing minutes for us, and we also.

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Have beverly drewen from dhhs looks like we do have three attendees um the phone number.

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60381783666 is that is that, cam by chance.

A

A

We will uh uh yes, brian, it is um and she couldn't unmute herself. So I will try to do that. I think I.

D

Should have through stephanie, okay, so uh kim? Are you just audio, or do you see us visually as well.

D

I'm afraid I'm just audio okay, we'll do our best um everybody here in the room. If you can speak.

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Into your microphones, when you're speaking, they'll help us audio, wise um and kim will just have to.

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Do our best to walk you through what we're talking about on.

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The slides and we can catch up later visually, as with all of our materials, we do put pdfs of all.

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Our presentations, we are recording this meeting, so we'll also have a recorded document as well. So.

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With that, I turn it back over to andrea to kind of set the stage where we're going to be as far.

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As what we're going to cover in the meeting brian, if you can go to the next slide, please.

B

So I just again want to say welcome to our new members, um the two new city councillors thank.

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You very much for joining our group. We're really excited to have you here um and just for everyone.

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We just wanted to do a quick recap of the flag from 2021, so just a couple high-level.

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Items to know the swag was approved by the city council in october of 2020.

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We established a mission to review and communicate the latest science on the health and environmental.

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Effects of drinking water, contaminants with a heavy focus on pfas to monitor, federal and state.

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Level legislative changes and to anticipate policy changes that could impact the city of portsmouth.

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We voted last year to have two co-chairs brian goetz and myself, and I think that worked out.

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Well, to have a city representative as well as a community representative, it's helped kind of.

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Balance the group nicely and the agenda uh we met five times in 2021 and we covered a variety.

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Of topics, as brian said, there is a website for the swag. It has all of our meetings. uh Videos.

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Pdfs of presentations, so, if anyone's interested in seeing what we covered last year, that's certainly.

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A good place to go. We did have some changes in our membership last year, so lindsay carmichael is.

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Of course, with resident um and she was actually instrumental in helping to get the swag formed.

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And she moved to florida last year, so unfortunately we lost her membership.

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And then we also had portsmouth firefighter russell osgood, who was also an original member.

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Of our swag and then he retired, and then he was replaced with assistant fire chief bill mcquillen.

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We've been really happy to have you too one of the very first things we did as a swag? Is we.

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Established an overview document which was just kind of giving everyone the same kind of baseline.

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Level of information which is on this web website and then we established the goals that we wanted.

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To achieve last year, um as I said, you can see all this information on the city website and at the.

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End of last year, brian and myself presented um a report and a small presentation to the portsmouth.

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City council just reading out our meetings, what we covered and any recommendations that we had so.

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That kind of gives us gets us up to speed as to where we are today um next slide. Please.

A

Okay, so so the uh the swag originally was just uh uh a one-year committee, but it was.

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Re-Upped again this year by mayor mcgregor, so we appreciate that and perhaps he may.

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We can invite him to a future meeting, perhaps and have him attend, but.

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The counselors uh uh appointed by the the mayor or councillor vince lombardi over here and.

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uh Councilor rich blaylock over there, so thank you for joining us. uh The community members are andrea.

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Katrie hellman, who I think did say she was out of town and rich deep in sema, who had a.

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Family conflict this evening we do have one vacancy on the committee, so if people have.

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People they, they think, might be interested. Please let them know the information we can provide.

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It's it's also, I believe the city's website to uh just put an application in and then the mayor can.

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Put forward any uh recommendation there on filling that vacancy and for the fire department we have.

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Assistant chief mcquillen and myself, representing the water department, but my right hand, though, he's.

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On the left side, mal pratt has been to every meeting and al is instrumental as you'll see.

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This evening, from the information he's going to present about our lead program- and I could.

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Not get half of what I need to get accomplished here with the water system, without so he's great.

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Kim mcnamara, our health officer, is on the committee as well representing the health.

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Department, hopefully amps from the school board and dr laurel shader from silent spring institute.

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Is a member and has provided some great input, but she too had a family. um It is a.

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Spring break or our winter break down in massachusetts and she and family are out of town.

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And then on, our representatives from the uh our state representative, david muse, did not.

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Hear directly from, but we did have some communication from him about.

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um Information regarding legislative stuff and then we have a senator.

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uh Perkinsquoker, so uh those those other members, I did get clarity today on um the uh somehow that.

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Slide didn't come through, but uh basically we are a two-year committee, so this group is for the.

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Term of this council, so we go through december of uh 31st of 2023, so we've got two-year term.

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At that time, like we did previously at the end of our term last year, we'll likely do a report, but at.

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The end of this year, we'll probably summarize things um as to what we've done um there, are.

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We are a voting committee for voting on minutes, so we don't have any direct policy vote. I think.

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It would be more recommendations if we bring stuff to council that needs to be. You know something of.

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A city policy in those terms and everybody on the committee, that's on the committee right now.

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Is is here for the term unless they elect to, uh you, know resign and be replaced by somebody.

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Else so again appreciate everybody. That's with us now and hopefully through the next couple years,.

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And uh you know that that that is basically it we do need to. uh Last year, when we gathered.

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The election of co-chairs of myself and hermiko is was put forward.

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And per um kelly barnaby our clerks, he said the we need to vote again for chairs this year.

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Just to make it official so so I'll make that motion and to.

B

Okay, so everyone in favor or do we have to go around and change. I I think, somebody's in the chat.

A

I don't know if that's a well the website for the swag. Thank you stephanie. um I think we probably.

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Since we do have people on uh on zoom, we probably just do a voice vote like they do for councils, so.

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I guess I'll abstain since the nominated counselor kevin. Yes, uh yes, vincent.

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And yes, panelists out there and zoom land help. You know yes, yes, okay! Thank you all right. So, uh okay,.

A

All right said he asked him. That's a yeah! Sorry all right appreciate it. Go ahead.

A

Thank you, everybody all right, all right next slide. Please.

B

All right, so that leads us into um the presentations that we have tonight uh on lead and.

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um This was, this is a topic that came up at the end of last year. That was suggested by our.

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City, health officer, as a good, um a good thing for the safe water advisory group to take a look at.

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And so we're really happy to have with us tonight, beverly druid she's from the new.

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Hampshire division of public health and she's the lead on healthy homes and lead poisoning program.

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And she's going to start first by giving us a presentation and then we're going to hear from.

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Al pratt from the water supply operations, manager of the city of portsmouth.

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On lead and copper regulations and the city of portsmouth activities.

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And then, at the end of the two of their presentations, we're going to have some q a.

B

From the swag, so um with that, I will go ahead and turn it over to beverly to kick this off.

E

Fantastic, thank you for having me brian. Did you want me to bring up my slides.

E

Well, let's see what happens yep, I think I've yeah, let's see what happens. Let's get my screens right.

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So can everybody see that we see your slide view where it's uh there? You go full screen actually.

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Full screen: okay! Well, I can't see you, but I think I'm in good shape. So thank you guys for having me.

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I really appreciate it, so my name again is beverly drewen and I work at public health.

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I'm a section administrator, which means I'm a middle manager and I oversee a section of programs.

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The health officer liaison climate and health and the childhood lead poisoning prevention program.

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These are the topics that I'm going to try to cover tonight and I know it's a lot of information.

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In a fairly short period of time, so I will give it a whirl and give to do my best.

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So the data that we're going to look at tonight and we're going to talk about we just released.

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Our 2020 lead exposure data for the state, but what I have here I wanted to point out to all of you.

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Is that we have the 29 2019 led data for portsmouth for the public health region.

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Which focuses on portsmouth I'll, put a link in the chat when we're done and if you haven't looked at.

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This data- I certainly encourage you to it- has information about testing rates, medicaid rates.

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um Parts of portsmouth that you need to focus on census data, it's really a wealth of information.

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um I so if you look here at this map on the left here, always in public health right, the dark is.

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The darker is the worse; the lighter is the better right, so you can see here on the state map.

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The areas in our state that we focus on for lead berlin, franklin, claremont, newport,.

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Dover somersworth rochester manchester nashua within um this pop out here has your.

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Public health region, so you can see portsmouth compared to the other communities in your region.

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But you have, obviously you have sections of portsmouth that have extremely old housing.

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That are a focus that there's been a lot of blood lead elevations over the last five years.

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And this data here is five years worth of data. We don't publish a year's worth of data because.

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We have to mask it because new hampshire has such small communities and we can't. We just mask data.

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In the data brief for portsmouth has a lot of census data, but there's a couple things that I.

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Really did want to point out so new hampshire is what we call a universal testing state. We became.

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A universal testing state in 2018 and what that means is every child when they go to the doctor.

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At their first and their second year birthday, they have a blood test, so we test the children.

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At one and we test them at two and it's the law here in new hampshire and so portsmouth should.

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Have a hundred percent testing rate, so I put this arrow here to point out for one-year-olds you're.

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Only testing 62 percent of your one-year rolls for blood lead elevation and it and your two-year-olds.

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You're only testing 53, so it should be a hundred and we're falling a little short there.

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um We also have 39 children in the portsmouth city of portsmouth that have an elevated blood.

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Lead level high enough that they want nurse case management in this five year period.

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It's more than you want. I can tell you that much you don't need 39 children with blood lead, elevations.

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This slide here has some census data. The first thing I wanted to point out. I don't think it's any.

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Surprise to you that you know you have some of the oldest housing stock in new hampshire. If not the.

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I think the oldest housing stock in new hampshire lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978.

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Census data shows what we have pre-50, so the rule of thumb is if your house is pre-78, there's a good.

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Chance that it has lead, if your house is pre-50, you can guarantee, it has lead. So my house is 1830.

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It's held together with lead also in um it's, not just housing, that has the risk.

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Of it's not just housing, so there's a lot of social vulnerability indices that add to housing.

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So if I live in, I mean you, people who live in portsmouth who live in really old homes.

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Who are fairly wealthy and can maintain those homes? But if you add poverty and low education.

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And a transient population and children under six and refugees, you add those layers of risk. You have.

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Certain areas in your community that are very, very high risk, so you have a transient population in.

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Portsmouth 5.6, that's fairly. On the high side you have, a 41 of your homes are rented with children.

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Under the age of six- and you have seven point, two percent of your of these children are living in.

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Poverty, so you just layer those risks on top of another, and you have certain neighborhoods.

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I like to use the words they're blinking they're, just flashing with risk.

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So how do kids get lead poisoned I'll, just move this? I got something in my way here.

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So it's not just housing. I wish it was just housing, but it's not so there are dozens and.

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Dozens of way that children and adults get lead poisoned in the state of new hampshire every day.

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But what I did is I I pulled out the top ten, so we have lead paint in housing.

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We have people like me and my husband are doing diy projects. We have lead and soil around the drip.

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Line of houses around interstates, we have spices, we have a lot of take-home lead people. It's really.

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uh In fashion, right now to decorate with antiques and kind of a farmhouse look, so we have a lot.

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Of people who are inadvertently poisoning their grandchildren with their antiques in their homes.

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We have cosmetics, regular american cosmetics, but cultural cosmetics. Drinking water is a.

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Source, I think you know that firing ranges. People really who are working in those firing ranges.

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Jewelries and toys- and we have a baby food- recall right now for lead paint. So I don't know that.

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These are in any particular order, but what I can tell you is that housing is right at the top, so.

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There are more children who are getting blood, lead, elevations,.

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In new hampshire from homes than any other source of lead, poisoning.

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That there is so we have people who are living in owner-occupied homes. We have people living in.

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Rental homes, but it's really the housing stock that was built before 1978.

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So it takes nothing to poison a child, so um I accidentally poisoned two of my children. I live.

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In an 1830 cape and we moved in when we were in our mid late late 20s, I don't think we had two.

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Nickels to rub together, so we weren't really renovating. We were just living in that house.

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And um there was just an invisible layer of lead dust in that house that no amount of house.

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Cleaning could have taken care of so it takes less than a grain of sugar to poison a child. People.

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A lot of people think children are peeling and chewing paint chips, but that is rarely the case.

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So children are just the perfect storm right, so they're at this point uh under two years.

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Old, they have no blood, uh no brain blood barrier to filter lead from their brain. um You don't see.

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What's going on with them until they're older, I always say you don't see the purple dots, it's.

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Not like chickenpox their brain is developing. The beautiful thing about lead is it's sweet tasting.

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It takes trace amounts next to nothing. You'd, never really be able to see the lead dust. That's.

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Poisoning this child everything in this child's world is going in their mouth they're, exploring.

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Their entire environment orally there's no immediate symptoms. They don't get sick. That night.

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It's not like a cold. It's not like chickenpox they're, all over the floor. Their hands are in.

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Anything they're they're pulling to um pull them to stand and they're just getting lead dust all.

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Over them, so it's just a perfect, perfect pediatric uh storm and it's a really strong neurotoxin.

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So lead has a narrow, behavioral signature and typically our presentations are done by our child.

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Development, specialist gail guttens, who works in my program, and she goes into the detail on.

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The negative impact on children's developing brain, but there's six main things that it impacts um the.

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Attention or inattention, their impulsive nature, their executive function, no strategic planning, no.

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Impulse control, your visual spatial, that's memory! That's your organizational skills! That's reasoning!.

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There's behavioral challenges um like I said: there's just no impulse control.

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No emotional regulation, these children have speech and language delays.

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They have very limited words early on and they have very fine and gross motor uh control.

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Problems so I like I said I had accidentally poisoned one uh two of my children, but one of.

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My children was in special ed um from four years old, all the way through high school.

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um And he's 29 now and it's it's a permanent thing. You know when someone breaks their arm, they say. Oh.

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Is it better if they're sick their cancer, is it better um lead poisoning and how it impacts your.

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Brain that never ever goes away ever your whole life you're dealing with it. So what do you care.

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It's not my kid right, it's not my grandchild, not my nephew, you care, because it has an enormous.

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Impact on your community, so every one of these children who have has a blood lead elevation.

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It is, is, it is a brain injury as if that child went through the windshield of a car.

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So these children, the majority of them, are going into your school system. Special education.

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You know what that cost. These children fall between the cracks because they learn different.

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They very often don't make it through school.

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They're prone to risky behavior, they end up in your juvenile justice system and then these.

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These children grow to be adults and they end up in the adult criminal system, and then they.

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In turn, get married and have children and their children fall between the cracks. It's a cycle.

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It's so easy to get your kid tested. It is effortless here in new hampshire, so, like I.

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Said it's the lot one and two you take your child to the doctor. It's a single, a simple fingerprint.

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So they this this instrument right here, sits on the counter.

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And they take three drops blood, they put it in the instrument. Three minutes later, they.

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Have the result it allows the pediatrician to educate the family if that result comes out high.

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And and and do an intervention right then and there so every kid needs to be tested at one.

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And at two, so let me tell you a little bit about new hampshire's lead law, so new hampshire, rsa-130a.

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Is the lead paint, poison, control and prevention law? It's the law that my program is responsible.

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For implementing and overseeing and what it it does, a lot of things, but primarily what it.

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Does it protects young children 72 months and younger? That's sex that live in rental units.

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So um any child with an elevation over five micrograms per deciliter.

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We provide that family with nurse case management, so we're the liaison between the family.

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The pediatrician and ourselves so we make sure that family gets the.

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Medical care they need if this child lives in an owner-occupied home like the one I live in.

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We visit them and we help them understand. Where are the lead hazards in the home? How.

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Can these families you know they want to know how they can do their own diy projects.

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Can they do them? Do they need to hire a professional? We guide them through that.

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If these child, or if the children with the elevated bloodlets over five, are living in a.

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Rental units, then we, uh the property owner, the landlord, has no choice, we go in and we do an.

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Investigation, if we find that there's lead hazards in that rental unit, that that child lives in.

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We we put that unit under administrative order of lead hazard reduction once a unit's under order.

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With the state of new hampshire, only licensed lead abatement contractors can work on that property.

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You have units right in your community now that are under administrative order.

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That we've been working with these property owners so when we go in and do an environmental.

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Assessment, whether it's in an owner-occupied property or whether it's in a rental property.

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We do test for drinking water, so back in 2018, they changed rsa, 540a, section 3a. That's.

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um Tenant law, they changed it so and made it so that every time we went in to do an investigation.

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The division of public health, my program was responsible for collecting a water sample.

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So our goal is to collect a stagnant water sample while we're in the home it gets sent.

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Right here to hazen drive to the state lab if the results are over five pb of five pbb.

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Of lead in that water we make a referral to the department of environmental services, so they can.

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Provide that family education, this picture here is the fact sheet that we designed with.

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Des that we hand out to families and that des uses for education with those families.

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If the results are over 15 ppp in the rental unit, the landlord's required by law to install.

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And maintain a water filtration system. um I I cut out the section of 548 down here. I.

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Seriously know you can't read that, but it's in there and it says that the um if it's over 15 that.

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The landlord's required to install and maintain a water filtration system, there's nothing in the.

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Law or any rules that says who's going to police that that happens. So it's uh it took a step in the.

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Right direction, but it hasn't quite crossed the finish line um and we have. I don't believe since.

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The law started that we've been forced and had a landlord put in a water filtration system. Yet.

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So we have um four bills that are downtown right now we have senate bill that are have led.

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Something to do with lead, so we have senate bill 371, which is to replenish three million dollars.

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Into the state's loan fund, that's overseen by new hampshire housing, finance authority.

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This fund is the for the removal of lead hazards. So it's it's for the.

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Removal of lead paint hazards, there's nothing in there about removing service lines. Faucets.

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um Again, you know it was a in 2018 when the law got put in place. It was a really good first step.

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And it might be worthwhile at some time that someone go back and find.

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Funding to do service lines and faucets in housing, but we're just not there yet so house bill 1642.

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Is requiring blood lead tests on file for entry into public school and child care? So.

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This is an important one in a lot of other states across the nation. They call this the school.

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Gate policy- and it's just you know when you go to school, you have to fill out all those health forms.

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The health forms currently have a spot on them for a blood lead test, but right now the school.

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Doesn't require that that test be there, so this is required that a blood lead test be on file.

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For entry into public school and into child care, so if you're nine months and older and you enter.

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Into a new child care, you'd have to have this on file um the rsa 130 lets. Parents opt out of.

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The blood blood lead test at their provider office. This is just a simple signing: opt out. There's two.

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Bills down there for lead in school, drinking water and daycare so house bill 1421 is about lowering.

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The level of lead in school drinking water des is taking the lead on that and I can't speak.

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Too intelligently on that bill, unfortunately, senate bill 452 is very similar.

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It's lowering the standard of lead in drinking water, for schools and for daycares.

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E

So lead is a it's a housing problem right. It's not really a health problem, um children.

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Who have blood lead? Poisoning? Don't have huge insurance claims, it's not like asthma. These.

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People aren't frequent flyers at the emergency room. It's not like diabetes. Where there's you.

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Know it's a very expensive disease to manage, but what it the expense is like. The iceberg.

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It's under the water, it's down the road. We talked about this right, special ed.

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Juvenile justice, the adult criminal system, so what could portsmouth do to make a difference?.

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There's enough data, probably at your level and at my level, that you could know down to the street.

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Level where your high-risk neighborhoods are so, we know where the high risk neighbors hoods are.

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For housing and several years ago, cindy clevenson over in des and my team mapped all the children.

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With blood lead elevations against your service lines, that's service lines. Do I have the wrong.

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Word, but not the lines that go to the houses, but the water lines that go into the streets.

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So you know we could dig some of that stuff up. You need to know where the lead is in your community.

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um We have several communities, I believe portsmouth's, one of them that has proactive rental.

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Inspections, so every rental unit should be looked at as frequently as you have bandwidth to do that.

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So some communities do it annually.

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Communities like manchester uh are getting in there every three years, but it's your rental.

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Housing, that's the most at risk for poisoning these young children on the third one. Here.

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You always have the potential of requiring that anybody who asked for a building permit for a 1978.

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Property that they demonstrate to your building department that they are epa, renovate repair and.

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Paint certified and they know how to use lead, safe work practices when they work in these properties.

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One third of the families that we ask when we do a home visit, one third of the families report.

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That they had a renovation in their home in the last six months, so diy renovation is where the.

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Majority of these children are getting their blood bloodlet elevations. um I think that new hampshire.

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Needs to do a better job of educating landlords on essential maintenance practices. These rental units.

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Are turning over every 12 to 18 months and they go and landlords go in there and they might paint.

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Or replace the windows or tear up the carpet if they did some essential work on taking care of.

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Lead hazards every time that they turned a unit over after 10 years. Most of that lead.

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Would be gone and obviously, if you could increase testing rates if you've tested all your children.

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I think I'm winding down here, so this is the next the last slide so in between 2015 and 2019. I need.

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To update it with the new data we had 34 over 3 400 children with blood lead elevations. That's.

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646 children annually with a blood lead elevation of 5 micrograms per deciliter.

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That has a brain injury, that's marching towards special ed and a lifelong journey.

E

Well, I hope that I've been helpful to help you understand a little bit about.

E

Lead in your community um I will put in the chat box. I will put the link to your.

E

Your at a glance, your lead exposure data, brief, I'm you can email me questions. You.

E

Can call me with questions I'm not sure that your agenda tonight allows for all.

E

For questions, but I'd be more than happy to stick around for a few minutes. If that's what you'd like.

B

Really, thank you so much that was super helpful and informative. um So next we have al prep from.

B

The city of portsmouth who's going to present the portsmouth side of how they're testing lead in.

B

Copper and water, and then we were hoping after his presentation to open up q, a for the both of you.

B

Okay, would you be okay, staying on for al's presentation and then.

B

The swag can ask both of you uh questions at the end of his if that's, okay, certainly, okay. Thank.

B

You so much your presentation was excellent, so uh I'm going to turn over to al I'll, even.

A

Give you the controls here, if you'll be able to advance and uh so I'll pratt a little segue here.

A

He's going to give us the overview of what the city of portsmouth's been doing with respect to.

A

The water system- I have a lot of ground to cover two here, but um that was a good setup.

A

Because there is a very important topic to talk about what we're talking about is this type of.

A

Forum, um public health concern, especially public health concern for those six and under that are so.

A

Vulnerable vulnerable to poisoning I'm focusing on drinking water and there's we're in the.

A

In the thick of it now because there is a new revision to the rule that I'll get into.

A

But first I want to make it clear: there is no lead in the sources of our water development.

A

Reservoir groundwater, not here, have no weather. We don't have natural deposits in this area, so.

A

There's no water in the sources; it all goes to the plumbing in homes and service lines. They.

A

Connect to those homes, and so I'm going to be focusing on a lot of the these components here,.

A

Where the sources of lead are a little bit of the history of the lead, use restrictions.

A

In homing components going back to june 1986, where there was an amendment to the drinking water.

A

Safe drinking water act that prohibited the use of pipe solder and flux that are not lead, free.

A

Back then, this is how they defined lead. Free, soldering flux was less than 0.2 lead by weight.

A

And pipes were less than eight percent, then you go to 1986 the safe drinking water and then at that.

A

Time strengthen those those requirements a little bit and he added fixed fixtures and fittings.

A

So, like your your faucets were at that time it had the brass and bronze components to it that had.

A

A lid component to it, even at this point it was still that eight percent lead was acceptable, um so.

A

That went into effect in 1997. january 2011. There was a reduction of the lead and drinking water act.

A

That redefined, what lead free meant. This was for all of the components, the pipes.

A

Fittings and fixtures and dropped it down to a point. Two five percent.

A

Was considered free and that didn't go into effect until january of 2014, which.

A

It surprised me when I looked at all this and how long it's taken to get to this point of having.

A

These real, like free components and pulling systems- um this is just sort of a graphic of.

A

The time when, when all this happened- and I wanted to make a point here- that you can still go to a.

A

Hardware store now and buy leaded solder, um one of our sample sites that we had high detection.

A

We did some follow-up investigations and saw under the sink. You know solder just dripping down like a.

A

Amateur plumber wannabe, you know, did the work there and it became clear that they just used.

A

That kind of soil and that kind of solder is intended for electronics. So you can go about that.

A

Kind of like that kind of solder and use it for plumbing, and you can shuffle that so a lot of this.

A

Is public education? That's one thing that I hope we can do here as as I'm talking through these.

A

Slides any ideas you can have how we can get the word out and it goes back to the healthy homes too.

A

Of educating people, that's that's what so much of this is about us. We use the water supply, we're.

A

Doing all we can to reduce the corrosivity of the water and supply water, flood free, but.

A

So much goes to this public education aspect um again just point, so this is cut right from the.

A

New hampshire es healthy homes, employees and prevention programs, a lot of great resources.

A

At the end of my presentation, I have some links to ees and epa and this program the.

A

Point here is just that: it's not from the sources coming from plumbing and.

A

Ultimately, the worst time you can get the water is out of water, that's sitting quite for a while.

A

The longer that water is in contact with the metal more that metal can leaks into.

A

The water, so when you first turn your tap on in the morning, that's the chance to get the highest.

E

Middle contingent of water excuse me al, but we're not seeing the slides advance on.

E

Zoom, you see sources of lead in one right now, no we're still seeing your title slide. I don't know.

A

I don't know thanks for catching that see you they're advancing here.

A

Let's see what happens there, does it now say sources of lead and water? It does. Thank you.

A

There you go, I'm learning something every day, it's the zoom education here too, all right other.

A

Resources, this is from the us epa site, just a graphic of the sources. You know your typical.

A

Lead solder in copper, pipes inside of homes, impossible fixtures can still be that source.

A

Of lead, this also gets into the service lines, lead service lines, galvanized service lives.

A

And in portsmouth we predominantly have copper service lines and that's what we're installing now.

A

But historically lead service lines have been installed, thankfully not so much if at all in.

A

Portsmouth there are some cities that all they installed were led service lines. You.

A

Know chicago's, washington dc and montreal a lot of places that that's what they installed.

A

The service lines, the service line being the pipe that connects the water main to the house.

A

This graphic, I just wanted to make the point that city water supply owns the portion of the.

A

Of the service line from the water main to the curb stop, the curb stop is a valve where you.

A

Can shut off service to the to the house? That's typically what the cap looks like.

A

On top, it says water on it's not a gas line. This is a water shut off.

A

City owns this side, but this side into the house is owned by the customer. It's important to know.

A

That, when customers need to change out their service lines or we need to change out service.

A

Lines, it's all done together. No partial service line replacement is accepted under the new.

A

Rules typically, like I said this is made out of copper. Historically galvanized was also used.

A

Galvanized pipe, there are still some galvanized pipes in the water system here, issues with.

A

Galvanized pipe is it's a very rigid pipe and in order to connect it to the water main, we needed a.

A

Very flexible pipe which in many cases a jumper or a lead, gooseneck, was used to make that connection.

A

So that's when why we are looking at galvanizing, treating galvanized like red pipes in the city.

A

Doing our best to remove them in many cases or in some cases I should say when we've done water.

A

Main replacements we've replaced our side of the service with copper, remove the lead goosenecks.

A

In some cases, the customer hasn't repaired, their part of the galvanized lines.

A

um I think that's what we'll find there just uh what led looks like if anyone ever sees.

A

This in their house, can you call immediately. This is a lead service line.

A

Simply coming in through the basement floor or the wall right near their water meter and there's.

A

Usually, a bulb of the lead, that's connected to the fittings there and sort of that dull gray, metal.

A

And if you scratch, it becomes a shiny, metal, color and then those photos, those are from region 5.

A

um Galvanized pipes, like I said, they're steel pipes, they're just zinc coated to.

A

Get ready to make them last longer, but they still don't last very long within 20 to 40 years. They.

A

They degrade, uh there's no lead specifically in them, but.

A

It is indicated that there might be a lead jumper associated with that um they do corrode.

A

Many times we get water quality issue calls, and one of the first things that I ask is what kind.

A

Of service line they have- or I can go into our records to see if it might be galvanized line.

A

And oftentimes it's from the corrosion because they corrode from the inside out.

A

Basically, just rusting inside so I've gotten calls and people said they have like a sand.

A

Substance in their aerators and their faucets, and it's just iron deposits from the craving pipes.

A

They do fail and they also as they break down. They can reduce the flow of pressure.

A

Because of circulation inside of all that rust, so some identifying pipe materials.

A

uh Copper, typically, you can tough copper wrist by the color, the copper color. Like a penny, it's.

A

Not magnetic galvanize is a much harder metal. You scratch it, but it scratches very, very hard.

A

To scratch um it is magnetic this is when you're checking your service line, you can kind of check.

A

This on your own, we have our water meter, crew that changes out water meters through the city.

A

Every 10 years so we're going through that process and we're identifying service.

A

Lines everywhere, we can now happening for two years now. I think we've been.

A

Trying to keep up with the records of what the service lines are made out of.

A

So they go, they can go through this process just to confirm the service line.

A

We're keeping those records uh we haven't found any lead. Yet, thankfully, if we do it's a emergency.

A

Notification and get out there and talk to the owner to talk to him about it, um lead specifically.

A

If you scratch it, it's very soft, so you can scratch it with it with a coin or a screwdriver.

A

And it turns into a really shiny color, it's very soft and that's that's not not magnetic plastic.

A

Pipes are very obvious to uh see they're, usually just a color, blue or white light.

A

Now quickly over the history of lead cop parole and what portsmouth has been doing with the.

A

Regulations around community water supply overall, the purpose of the role is to protect public water.

A

System, customers from exposure to liquid copper drinking water was originally published in 1991.

A

It's gone through multiple revisions, though the one where we're at right now that was published.

A

March 16th of 2021, um in my opinion, is the is the most involved revision. Yet there's a lot to it.

A

The actual compliance date for that is 2024. I'll go through some of the.

A

Components of what we're we're doing to be ready to meet our compliance goals in 2024.

A

In 1991, when the lead cover rule came out, the intention was really to see how.

A

How much lead copper was out there in in people's homes, so this is really a.

A

Sampling program, it started where I just had enough customers to handle their water.

A

I was measured to see really see how corrosive the water was and as well see how much electric power.

A

Action levels and this sort of system-wide basis for the action levels. Where of all the samples.

A

That you took in portsmouth, there are 60 samples, is the full city of samples that we saved back in.

A

1993 when we started this as 10 of those exceeded the action level of 15 parts per million for lead.

A

That set us into a community control uh evaluation program. That is what happened.

A

We went into the corrosion control program which I'll get into here in a minute.

A

Which involves a number of things to manage the corrosivity of the water.

A

We're sampling public education component of this too, and a lead service line, replacement.

A

Program as part of that so portsmouth corrosion control in 1895, portsmouth.

A

Had a recruiting control study done and set up our corrosion control program, it's quite simple, really.

A

It's focused around ph management, um our battery supplies, we add sodium hydroxide for ph adjustment.

A

Just to make sure we're in the less corrosive range to show the point. Two to seven point is.

A

Our target ph, uh thankfully, the groundwater in the city area, has a ph naturally of 7.2.

A

7.5, we don't need to do anything with that and we add ortho phosphate at all of our sources.

A

This is a chemical that creates a coating on the side of the pipes. It is seriously instead of metal.

A

Pipes and uh creates somewhat of a barrier, so the water is in direct contact with the metal. So this.

A

Reduces the potential for corrosion, um it's added all of our sources and we target a one milligram.

A

Per liter dosage of that which is relatively low compared to some cities around the world.

A

Our lead and cover sample program is very dependent on customers. Our normal program. We have.

A

30 uh homes in the program now, actually we have 60 and they kind of vary year to year. um We take.

A

We require the the customers to be a part of this. They need to first thing in the morning, get up.

A

And turn on the cold water in their faucet first leader, that's sort of the worst case that stagnant.

A

Water has been sitting there for six hours, um so we are dependent on them to help with the program.

A

uh The sites were looking for priority sites and where we know.

A

That really we don't know of any of it out there so kind of go to where the where's.

A

The highest likelihood of uh to be uh has to be our older homes that we're looking at pre-1950.

A

um Plenty of those uh they all the sites need to be pre-approved by the state.

A

Which has not been an issue um part of what we have been trying to do is continuously add more.

A

Sites because testing the same site year after year doesn't really get you anywhere. If you know.

A

It's good you're trying to find that now, so we're trying to add more sites each year expand that.

A

Like I said in portsmouth, we have 30 active sites now if we ever went above the action.

A

Level again that triggers a full 60 sites uh twice a year sample program.

A

We are now sampling on an annual cycle. Here's some of the results from history here in 2003. We.

A

Instituted the corrupting control program and over time the levels have dropped off quite steadily.

A

Keep in mind these are the lead parts per billion, the 90th percentile, so percentile. So if you took.

A

Our 30 samples and ordered them, from least to most, it's like the third or fourth sample in.

A

There is our it's our that's the sample that goes here, so it could be. There are some that.

A

Occasionally are higher than that, like that, when I said they had electronics uh solder at.

A

A higher level, we did the research to see what the problem was, that was sort of an outlier.

A

Some other results from peas, similar and sort of an lr 2003 there, but uh fairly consistent.

A

Otherwise, newcastle for some reason had some very high. I guess very cold houses out there.

A

So I suspect there are some specific case issues associated with those.

A

As our corrosion control program was in place, levels have dropped off.

A

uh Now getting to the revised lead and copper rule 2021, a big component of this is.

A

The inventory of the service lines we have, we have a lot of paper records, tie cards and things when.

A

Service lines were installed, we know over half of what the service lines are made of right now,.

A

By 2024, we, our goal is to know what all the service lines are made of. um If 2024 comes.

A

Which is that's the compliance date for the revised red, copper rule? We need to send out.

A

Notice to all the customers to say we don't know what your service line is. It may be led.

A

Beware, we don't want to have to get to that point of worrying people are necessary, but.

A

We're going to do all we can to do. We can to fill our inventory. Another component of.

A

This inventory, that's required by the rule, is: it needs to be accessible to the public.

A

So I plan to have an online map kind of like an accessory map where you can just click on your.

A

Property and see what insurance find this data sort of that public outreach; a notification that.

A

Goes along with that make sure anybody that has a little service line or galvanized service like.

A

Knows that knows the risks and encouraging them to remove them or get up to the plant and remove them.

A

uh Sampling staying same as far as the prioritizing lead and galvanized lines.

A

The revised rule has a fine and fix requirement for any sites that are over 15 parts per billion.

A

We've been doing that anyway, at least as long as I've been here anything over five parts per.

A

Billion we're researching where we're asking if they'd be interested in the sample and we're.

A

Doing another first flush sample, as well as doing some flush.

A

Samples to see if just flushing the water helps reduce the concentration.

A

There's a new trigger level in the in the role anything over 10 parts per billion.

A

Will trigger additional sampling and follow-up activities and ultimately replacement of all the.

A

Galvanized service lines: that's the real goal of this revised plan is to get all that out, get.

A

All the eyes lights out of the lines, and this requires both the city's responsibility to get.

A

Our side out, but it's going to also require customers to get their site out and there's.

A

Some loan requirements that will go along with that, so we can get customers to do the change outs.

A

Whenever a service line is replaced, we need to provide a water supply or needs to provide.

A

Picture filters um with filters, including residuals that might be left in the lines.

A

Because they're flushing through their system, that's put your pictures for these for six months.

A

Schools and day cares their revised rule.

A

Has a requirement of twenty percent of elementary schools and twenty percent of daycares get.

A

Examples every year, the first five years of the program, the program doesn't start until 2024 2029.

A

There is a waiver for states that have a program in place and that's what I believe the senate.

A

Bill 452 is doing basically establishing this, so the state the state has already started starting.

A

This back in 2016 or a voluntary voluntary request for sampling from schools of daycares.

A

Sb 247 um was approved in february 2018, that required sampling in all schools and.

A

Daycares and the bes and all that data and it's all available online as well.

A

So I I'll jump in real, quick, those uh from the committee remember and if, if you're new.

A

um And also listening out there, we did have uh ken lunchy from uh the the city of portsmouth school.

A

System came and gave a a really good summary of all the actions that the city of portsmouth.

A

And the school department had done for the city schools so that information was presented to the.

A

Committee, I think about six months ago, and it is on our website, uh presentation, information.

A

And and this sb 452 aligns quite well with the requirements in the uh you know comparable, except.

A

For the dates this is, this is making this the sampling required before 2024, which is great.

A

To wait until 2024 to start.

A

um Just some takeaways that I wanted to put up here and know what your service line is made of.

A

um It's easy to go, find your water meter and see what the line is. This is something that.

A

Would be great if people could do this it'd be great if we could have it online, you know. Take a.

A

Picture of your your service line here and tell us what it is, keep records of it. Things to know about.

A

How old is your plumbing? Is it pre-1986? How old are your fish? Is your faucets if it's pre in.

A

1997, it might have high concentrations of lead if it's between 1997 and 2014, it might have up.

A

To that eight percent lead, um so so you would know where your water meter is, and your shuttle valves.

A

Are that's just common sense if you're plumbing ever in your house, you want to be able to shut.

A

Your systems out and then you have water treatment and know what it's designed for.

A

Know what it's certified to remove note that the nsf nc certification standard 53 is for reduction.

A

And then maintain your treatment system, you really need to know how often we changed out.

A

What needs to be done to maintain your treatment system treatment systems can cause worse problems.

A

And know your lead risk test, your water for weather, it's a simple thing to do. There are.

A

A lot of labs and we actually have a list of local labs labs in new england on the website. If you go.

A

To city website, under water, resource information and resources, we have a pdf there with a list of.

A

Labs, your contact information, um a lead test for water is anywhere between 12 and 30, depending on.

A

Where you go so it's not not big money, but it tells you a lot. I recommend taking that first.

A

Flush that worst case scenario from the faucets that you've been from as well as taking take.

A

A sample from when you normally feel free left people don't usually fill up a glass of water with.

A

A burst flush anyway, you run until it gets cold until it gets cold. So you normally flow glass and.

A

Fill yourself well that'll, give you a good idea of what you're actually being exposed to another.

A

Thing to think about there, too, is, if you're, using the refrigerator type thing. I want to sample that.

A

And from all the taps that you use for drinking water, I know my kids get a big glass of water.

A

When they're going to bed and brush their teeth, but they get their drinking water, that's.

A

A different faucet, it's an older faucet, but keep in mind wherever you're getting the water.

A

uh What, if you, what do you do if you detect that resample check your other taps that'll help you.

A

Diagnose, whether it's a specific faucet from your whole plumbing system, um see if you can manage it.

A

With flushing, so if you run the line, so it gets cold, does it do the detections drop off, um find.

A

The source and replace it if you can, if it's as simple as changing a faucet, then that's a great.

A

Solution and if you have to you, can't find where it is and you're still getting detections of lead.

A

Look into getting treatment system certified to do that contact information. I think these.

A

Links will still be live when we turn this into a pdf, so people will go and.

A

Get more information from the epa and healthy services? Yes, but then you can always contact me.

A

And uh for mason casares is our water quality specialist he's the guy that really program.

B

That's ohio.

A

A

Can you identify them by visually, identifying them.

A

I might be confusing too. The latin power rule came out as it concluded with copper with that, because.

A

There was concern that copper was leaching off and copper could be a problem. The copper action.

A

Limit is 1.3 milligrams per liter, which is quite high compared to that and the level level that.

A

Causes any kind of health effects is much higher than that, so it's not it's become a non-issue.

A

A

I live in an 1894 house, you know so um so, but I know I've replaced a lot of the plumbing in.

A

It because there's no lip pipe, but there was old, copper pipe too it's it's all. Copper pipe.

A

Partially led is that only the the soldering holes together, okay,.

A

um Into charcoal filters that you say that.

A

What's the number uh standard 53, I think it was so your normal activated carbons or general carbons.

A

May or may not be able to remove lead, it has to be certified right now approved for.

A

uh I have a question for beverly if you're still with us, I am sure uh I was wondering if you might.

A

uh Have some of the uh uh perhaps you know why the testing rates were so low for portsmouth.

E

They're pretty uh they fit right in with the rest of the state. So it's not like you're an oddity so.

E

Testing rates across the state right now, it's uh testing rates for one year old are always a.

E

Little higher they're always hovering in the sixty percents and two-year-olds, always in the 50.

E

And I don't really have the I don't have the answer. Why so met children who are insured by.

E

Medicaid they're under federal regulation that all those children should be insured.

E

All those children should be tested, 100 of them, plus we have a lead law, but we still have a lot.

E

Of families that don't have a medical home or if you were to talk with walter horman at lilac, peds.

E

Or any one of your local providers- and you gave him a list of children in his practice. He would.

E

Tell you I've never seen this child in my life, so families just don't get their children in.

E

I think I think we're doing a good job of educating our providers.

E

I think that there's just a lot of families who are not getting their children in or those.

E

Children are having a lot of other immunizations. Why do I want to? You know, give my child one more.

E

Finger prick or one more venous blood lead sample, yeah, so so beverly. Let me uh moderate.

A

Here a second uh kim mcnamara health officer did text me. She's got some input, go ahead, kim.

D

Thank you. Am I clear yes, great, uh beverly and al. Thank you very, very uh great information.

D

The first thing I wanted to mention actually to this whole group um is that claremont.

D

Was mentioned as a as a place beverly, where there's quite a bit of blend work that goes on.

D

And I was really fascinated that their building trade students in their high school take the epa.

D

Safe lead removal, certification as part of their high school education and when they graduate they.

D

Actually, graduate with that certification, yeah I've spoken to a couple people here.

D

In portsmouth about emulating that program here, the thing is, though, that the superintendent is.

D

Leaving soon or at the end of this year- and it's been two years of cobit.

D

So I don't know if this group can make recommendations that are beyond water.

D

Issues, but if the group would consider making as one of our final recommendations that high school.

D

Students be supported in getting this epa led safe, led renovation, certification as part of their.

D

uh Graduation, as claremont did, we need people in the building trades desperately and all the calls.

D

That we go out to for lead paint removal. You know 90 of them, it's not being done correctly.

D

So that's information for the group, um so I have the same question about the percentages being low.

D

And was going to ask you if you knew. I would guess that some of that reason that we're not where we.

D

Should be is because of language barriers that we have for the families that are most affected.

D

And also transportation issues, so perhaps our local health department can do some public.

D

Education around the need to get blood tests done in their native languages, so it's and when we.

D

Were calling people for covered vaccines and all people were just so grateful to have a voice on.

D

The end of a phone that that could either speak to them in their language or get information so.

D

That might be one way we can boost those tests. um I have a few more comments. Is it okay to continue.

A

Yes, I noticed hope does have uh her hand raised too so we'll go to her after after you're done kim.

D

Okay, I'll be quick, um I just don't beverly. Do you have any information about uh residents.

D

Growing, their vegetables and soil that's been abused for 400 years and if there's lead uptake.

D

In what they might be eating, because of that you're spot on there is lead intake on these.

E

Years ago, in manchester, these gardens that were right in between these tenements and.

E

These immigrant families were growing all their groceries in this little 20 by 20 foot plot.

E

um And we were looking for financial relief to bring in clean soil. Take the dirty soil.

E

Up bring in clean soil, um I don't know that we've had a particular blood elevated case.

E

Where we've investigated and identified it's the soil, I mean it's hard to say it's. The soil.

E

When the family is living in a 150 year old house, that's held together with lead.

E

Right so it could be, I mean the soil is just a contributing factor. These children have a lot of.

E

Contributing factors, so it's the house there's a little. Let you know there could be a little.

E

Lead in the water from the faucets I mean it's not one thing: it all contributes to your body burden.

E

Well, there's a part of the soils part of it: okay, there's a push in portsmouth.

D

And and the health department's kind of supportive of this, if, if it's done correctly.

D

For more locally grown foods and more people having so forth sort of food security for that.

D

And there's more community gardens being discussed, so I think the water testing and the soil testing.

D

Might be an important part of that again, I don't know if this group would make that recommendation.

D

I wanted to ask you quickly about local workforce issues and let you know that you know our health.

D

Department is severely understaffed and it's very difficult to add staff. But we are trying again.

D

This year, um but we do the daycare inspections, the school inspections we go out to in sanitarian.

D

Living conditions and poor housing conditions yeah, and so I'm wondering if there's a way.

D

That we can help, um and I wasn't sure if what al was saying is that that that is included.

D

In what the city already does, because, of course, we wouldn't want to duplicate experts, but if that.

D

If that sort of investigation is not done and we're inspecting these places, it might be that.

D

We can be the boots on the ground to grab the water samples and get them to the concord lab.

D

Maybe more quickly than concord can respond down here.

D

um And um I think you answered that I did want this whole group to know that portsmouth does not have.

D

Routine housing inspections either at um change of occupancy. um You know, even when someone moves or.

D

Even at three year intervals like manchester, does we've never had a routine inspection.

D

Program for housing conditions here, except for in our um boarding houses, so just to be clear about.

D

That um and my last question, thank you, everybody for your patience. um Why haven't hasn't the state.

D

Forced uh filtration systems, is it because you haven't had kids that meet that criteria.

D

Or is it a issue of authority, it's an issue of authority, so rsa 138 defines what a lead hazard.

E

Is and it and in the rsa it does not define anything to do with water as a lead. Hazard, no.

E

Jewelry, no water, you know nothing like that. Just it's really just all building components and the.

E

Testing of the drinking water is in housing law. It's an rsa 540, a 540 which is tenant law.

E

Right so and who's going to police who so so a landlord puts in a filtration system and.

E

Then there needs to be a mechanism to police them every six months, so they change the filters right.

E

Where would that come from so it's? It was a step in the right direction, but and we can do better.

D

Well, this is what I'd like to suggest from my perspective and I'm sure, there's other opinions.

D

But if this is regarding children with elevated blood levels, um so we know there's harm being done.

D

And- and we know it's environmentally and it's related to the water.

D

The health officer can address all public health nuisances and, although we wouldn't want to be.

D

Policing 300 rentals every six months, because we don't have the workforce yeah. We I don't think.

D

That many kids that would be in that situation, so if there were 30 um we could just put it on.

D

The calendar for every six months, um you know, go check the filter or have some sort of system. So so.

D

If that would be very helpful to our local kids, I think that you- and I could talk about that offline.

E

Yeah and it circles back to that confidentiality agreement right the ability to share phi.

E

But you would be fantastic boots on the ground. It means to your community all right.

A

Thank you kim, um we hope hope uh has been waiting here with her hand up so shift to her, but uh kim.

A

I did on follow-up al pratt, we'll get with you uh to talk about um duplicate efforts, so.

A

He'll circle back with you after this this meeting. um Thank you brian um just first in circling back.

C

I would say I I put my email and the chat, anyone that would like to reach out to me about the epa.

C

Certification requirements: um I don't think it's something that needs to wait and go through this.

C

Committee for a recommendation, I can certainly connect people to the right contacts at um in.

C

The school district for our cte programs and other other programming connections that uh might have.

C

An interest in picking up the epa certification. So if anyone would like to contact me, feel free to.

C

Just forward the information- and I will connect you with the appropriate parties- um I did want.

C

To back up a little bit, because I too had questions around the shortfall of the hitting.

C

The hundred percent mark for testing um I I think I understood that if you're on medicaid.

C

Then it's federally mandated that you get the testing, but I was just wondering if you're not on.

C

Medicaid is there a cost association and I'm just wondering if there's barriers of transportation or.

C

Cost or other barriers that may be getting in the way of uh people getting their kids tested. So I.

C

Would like to know, maybe how we can find out more about that versus just making the assumption that.

C

Parents don't want to get their kids tested, um because if there are barriers, I I'd like to look.

C

Into those from the school side of what we could do from a resource perspective, to help remove some.

C

Of those barriers- um and then thirdly, I I just was thinking as far as public education. These.

C

Were great presentations and I think there's some pretty down and dirty simple slides that could be.

C

Extracted out and put in a kind of a flyer or slick or a document that could go out to families.

C

Even at the beginning of the year when, when we're already and the nurses are already putting.

C

Information out to the public school families around vaccinations and things to be looking out.

C

For especially considering the fact that lead poisoning does mask a lot of behavioral issues,.

C

And so you just wouldn't know that um unless you had your child tested, so I would be.

C

Eager to work with whomever to gather some of that information and maybe put it on the school.

C

Side and get that information out through to our nurses, just to educate our population.

C

A little bit more on the resources that we have to to get testing, I know 30 is a minimum price for.

C

Testing to some, but it's really not to about 20 of our population within our school district and so.

C

Again, I would look to see what may be the barriers for some people to to have that testing done in.

C

Their homes and um how we may be able to come alongside of them, so those were just some initial.

C

Faults I had and listening to to everyone's um comments, so I appreciate the presentations.

A

Thank you, um and I want to thank hope for uh bringing both those.

A

uh Seems like education on this subject is very important, giving our old housing stock. uh You know.

A

Giving where we our whole history courses, um and I also think that giving that epa self-led st.

A

Led certification at the high school would be an awesome thing. I know some of the kids, they have a.

A

Welding program, they have several trade programs. That would be a wonderful way to educate the kids.

A

um Educate them, while they're young, um as far as routine inspections on rentals.

A

Whether it be the change of occupancy or every three years, this might be a question.

A

For kim, would that be a policy change made by the council? uh How would that be implemented?.

D

I'm sorry I didn't catch the second half of your sentence, your question, I just you mentioned that.

A

We do not have routine inspections on rentals in portsmouth, uh whether it be or if we were to.

A

Implement such a inspection, how would we go about that? Would that be a policy change by the council.

D

Well, the building department has just put on additional inspectors, but, but I think that's.

D

To keep up with the current uh demand, I don't know that those inspectors were designated to do.

D

That sort of uh routine inspection, um so I think it would probably there need there- would need to.

D

Be an increase in workforce. If the building department were to do it, they would probably.

D

Ask for an additional inspector um if we were to do it, we would definitely need a couple. Thank you.

E

This question is from beverly uh and talking about people's, maybe they're.

B

um Declining the lead testing at a doctor's office when their.

B

Kids are already getting multiple vaccines. I can completely relate to that. Do you know, are.

B

There home testing kits because this is just a finger prick, so is there home testing kits.

B

That could be sent home with families if they wanted to do it at a different time or they.

B

Want to do it in the office? Oh no! There are not home testing kits for doing bloodlet analysis, so.

E

A physician has a choice of doing a capillary finger, stick which is super easy and non-invasive.

E

And most providers have a pretty good success rate with that, or they give the mom a lab slip to take.

E

The child down to the phlebotomist to do a venus, a venipuncture which no child wants that. um We have.

E

A pretty high failure rate of getting families to go do that. There is strong evidence across the.

E

Nation that, if the states that put in the school gate policy that a bloodless blood lead test is.

E

Required to get into public school that that does increase testing rates. The city of claremont has a.

E

School gate policy they implement it at the school board level so that every child entry, every child.

E

Enters into public school has to have a blood test on file, so moms and dads know about their.

E

Younger siblings, that they have to have it done and they're kind of getting it ahead of time.

B

Great, thank you and then one other question. You know we talk about the five tpb or.

B

You know, but it sounds like you're saying a very trace amount of lead can poison a child. So why.

B

Is the standard five it's to me, it seems like it should be zero. So can you talk a little bit about.

B

Like why that five was established and why that is the standard but yet trace amounts can cause a lot.

B

Of damage yeah yeah- I can talk to that. I'm sorry, there's I have a team's um icon open. It keeps.

E

Making this beeping noise- and I don't know how to shut it off. So I'm sorry about that. So the center.

E

For disease control has what they call a blood lead reference value and they just lowered the.

E

Blood lead reference value down to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, so cdc says any child with a blood.

E

Lead over 3.5 is has more lead in their blood than 90 percent of the children in the population. So.

E

New hampshire, our action level is 5 micrograms per deciliter, so I started working here in the program.

E

In 08 in 2008 that action level in the state of new hampshire was 20 micrograms per deciliter.

E

We lowered it down to 10, then we lowered it down to 7.5, and now we've lowered it down to five to.

E

Lower any further, it's like kim keeps coming back to workforce. We, you know, require workforce at.

E

Health and human services, but what really happens is there's a lot of pushback from the landlords.

E

Because they own these are homeowners, they own these homes, but they didn't put the lead in, but.

E

Now they're responsible for dealing with the lead and so and there's you know, there's financial.

E

Implications of having your property put under administrative order and having the lead removed.

E

So in in new hampshire, you can have lead removed, um there's red epa, renovate repair and paint which.

E

Is for renovating repair and painting your home, but if you know you have lead if your property.

E

Is under administrative order, then you have to hire a licensed, led abatement contractor.

E

And a house like mine, a little 1830 cape, I mean I could put 120 000 into just removing the lead.

E

My house is only worth you know, 280 000., so I can't put 120 into it. So it's just it's the.

E

Financial implications, that's kind of a long. I was a long-winded answer. Did that help you.

B

Yeah, that is helpful. Thank you and I think just the last question I have for you is.

B

You know when a child does have an elevated blood level and they are assigned to one of the nurse.

B

Case managers that you were talking about does this program have enough resources for these.

B

Children to get early intervention as soon as possible, so we make referrals to these children.

E

To early intervention, but it's up to the parents to make it happen, so we can make a referral.

E

We can explain to the family about long-term implications of lead, poisoning some families.

E

Sign right up for early intervention and get their kids right into head start or early head start or.

E

Whatever they need, but we have families who don't see what's coming down the road, they just see this.

E

Perfectly beautiful child with no evidence that anything is wrong and we're talking to.

E

Them about what's going to happen in third grade and they're they're just worrying about tomorrow.

E

So we make referrals to early intervention, but not all those children get connected.

B

Thank you very much and then alex have a couple questions for you.

B

um You talked about the galvanized food snacks and those could be a potential source of lead.

B

Okay and you're you're the city's working to identify how many there.

B

Are or do you have an idea of how many we have? We have.

A

We're still inventorying to see how many galvanized lines there are out there.

A

Based on the numbers, we have it's less than 0.5 or galvanized lines and there's still.

B

A record of galvanized lines that are still out there, where we have already. We don't know.

B

um If a resident finds out that they have lead in their water, what from you know, faucet or.

B

Soldering or whatnot are there resources for them if they can't afford to change those out.

B

Is there any programs within the state or the city where people could apply for funds.

B

To change those out should they want to reduce their rights.

A

If it gets into the service line, replacements, part of the revised rule requires.

B

Okay and then lastly, you talked about um you- have about four problems that work in.

B

Your sampling right now, but you like to have more or you're looking for more, you have an.

B

Idea of how many? What would be the ideal number of homes participating in this program and because.

B

Certainly, I think one of the things that's why I can do is try to help raise awareness in the.

B

Community that you are looking for people to participate so about what would be ideal.

B

Well, we have, we have over 60 and it varies year to year we go 30 one year, 30 next year,.

A

So we have that we do want to keep giving more homes for older homes, homes that are likely to.

A

Have some lead that solder so yeah? That would be great and we get the word out. We do a lot of.

A

Research just on assessment mapping and pulling up databases of ages and homes.

A

That way, probably for that any other questions.

C

Oh, I I had one more question. I'm sorry.

C

Or did you mean for the room? um Andrea? Oh, no! Go ahead! Okay, uh it was for beverly. I'm sorry! You.

C

Had mentioned that claremont had a school policy at the school gate policy. Do you know if that is.

C

On their website, or do you have a copy of that policy? I would love to have it as.

C

um An example to present forth to our policy committee so hope I wrote down your email address.

E

On this paper right here- and I have it on my desktop and I'll email it to you tomorrow,.

C

Okay, fantastic, and also, if you do have any type of um just kind of a one sheet document.

C

That you could recommend that might be helpful for nurses, to put it around.

C

The lead poisoning issues um and then some contact information if we can certainly create something.

C

Like that, but if there's something already out there are you talking about your school nurses.

C

Or your school nurses, as well as just for the school to have and educating um our our.

C

Constituents a bit more around the you know the issues and I think a lot of what we've covered.

C

Tonight people think, actually, I don't think people actually think about lead poisoning.

C

But I certainly don't think they think about it in the context of the numbers you put forward tonight.

E

The health and human services has beautiful fact, sheets um drinking water and lead hazards lead in.

E

Children they're available in five languages and I put the drinking water one in the chat. But if any.

E

Of those fact sheets are of interest to you, you we would let you rebrand them with your city, logo and.

E

Okay and take ownership of them and you could distribute them um and they're available in.

E

Multiple languages they've got a nice sixth grade reading level. Perfect. Thank you. So much yeah.

D

May I make one more comment: this is kim yes, go ahead, kim. Thank you, um beverly. You said that um we.

D

Can get the data street level data for portsmouth regarding our more um maybe risky housing and if.

D

There were an effort to put in housing inspections and we needed to start in some place. It would seem.

D

That we could take that street level data. We can certainly gis that we do that with a lot of public.

D

Health projects that we work on and have a map that that we could reference that if we had some.

D

Sort of a housing inspection program to begin, we could just begin with those high-risk areas.

D

That might be a start and just to complete the question that I.

D

Answered earlier that we do have an ordinance that requires routine housing inspections, but because.

D

It is for every time a apartment is someone moves out of it, they're supposed to be inspection.

D

I think our housing code officer felt pretty overwhelmed and that he couldn't possibly do that.

D

But we do have that in ordinance and we can look at that and the uh housing officer. We do have that.

D

Position, it's just not something that has been done prior, but could start. I assume thank you.

B

Thank you again to beverly and to al. Oh I'm sorry was there a problem.

B

uh Thank you again to beverly and to al for your your excellent presentations tonight into the swag.

B

For all the wonderful follow-up questions beverly, thank you for your extended time.

B

As well to stay on and answer our questions, oh you're welcome. It's been my pleasure. I.

E

Al I learned some stuff. It was very interesting. Thank you for having me tonight.

A

We have 26 minutes, so I will.

A

Try, and are we I'll, ask stephanie if she sees a full slide of um year in review.

D

Yes, you're good good. All right! Thank you so I'll be quick. I I sent to everyone.

A

Here the uh a word pdf document and it's down on the website too, but I'll do some of the snapshot.

A

Highlights um we've been talking a lot about water quality, but quantity is a big thing that.

A

We've been dealing with the last few years with a couple of droughts and, and we entered last year in.

A

On heels, a very dry end of 2020 and then 2021 didn't start out a whole lot better. We were pretty.

A

Dry and then got extremely dry in june and we were getting ready to put uh some uh restrictions on. We.

A

Had partial restrictions but then uh come july we really got inundated with a couple: big storms.

A

And uh no more drought, so, as you can see, um we had a couple of big uh months july august and.

A

September were kind of average, with about four inches and then october again we also got quite a.

A

Bit of precipitation, um somehow I clipped a slide there, the december's not on there, and we were.

A

Actually, a little normal for november december and january, but we're kind of holding steady.

A

Our sources are doing pretty pretty good um from the boston globe. Thanks shout out to stephanie.

A

Who sent me this information from the boston globe? They do a annual summary of what the weather was.

A

Like down there- and you know not exactly what we encountered but pretty darn close.

A

um They have a they go back to 1872. The average temperature, like we've seen all over the country.

A

In the world to some degree was above normal june was the warmest on record. So you saw a little.

A

Slide that it was not only dry, it was also warm, so hot and dry water demands were really up in.

A

August and september and october were also very warm, and so what al does is he tracks? This is our.

A

Reservoir and so you can see, we had a pretty big drought in 2016 and and we were looking.

A

At the same trend at our reservoir in 2020, and what you can see, though, is when we do get rains.

A

We get a quick recovery, some people ask you know how do you know how much water you have and how.

A

You know where it's going well, we a drought, is an emergency that comes to you slowly. So so one.

A

Good thing about a drought, is you know it's a you know we might get a nor'easter this weekend.

A

You might get a storm, you know those come at you, you know a thunderstorm whatever, but a drought.

A

Is slow coming and you do have time to prepare which we did. We responded. Fortunately, we recovered.

A

um Fairly, quick and as you can see with the blue line, we're doing well right now,.

A

Our water sources- this is something that I'll tracks predominantly for the portsmouth system,.

A

We our surface water, is the biggest portion of water, and that held pretty steady last year.

A

The pea supply gets water from three wells now. The haven well came into service.

A

In august of last year, so it now we'll pretty much um when we show this next year, you're going to see.

A

A pie chart that is going to be a third for the most part. Probably all these sources of the three.

A

Wells will be about 30 each and then there will be some supplemental force with water, because.

A

When we have real high demands, we do that, um but overall um tracking, we get this question a lot.

A

We'll see all the growth all the new development in the city, um this is annual. This is combined for.

A

Portsmouth and peas, our average water last year, as you can see, 3.59 million gallons a day. That's the.

A

Average uh pumpage of water and, as you can see, we were going through the 80s and 90s. Was this.

A

Steady trend up and then it leveled off and in recent years we actually are seeing a reduction.

A

Because we're seeing efficiencies through our customers, we have raised rates and people pay when.

A

They say they have water bill. It's their combined water sewer bill, sewer rates are, are a pretty big.

A

Incentive for people to be efficient with their water use, because um the rates are fairly high.

A

um But all told this this has helped us. The other thing, too, is we've been very aggressive with.

A

Finding leaks in the system so some of those years, the mid years, I'm here, especially this.

A

Area I'll tell you, we know from history that there were a lot of leaks in the system and essentially.

A

Pumping water into pipes that just goes out: that's not the case and big credit to all the staff.

A

In our field that have have really worked hard and we've we've heard we have a leak detection.

A

Firm that comes in and can find leaks that we don't even know are there.

A

um So that's that's been really good and you know the the thing we can also look at is.

A

Our customer usage, so we are seeing that big decline in what we're supplying- and this is this.

A

Differential and um actual customer usage is actually fairly steady um and.

A

You can see the numbers through the units we delivered. Another aspect of.

A

How the system is tightening up is the fact that we've done a lot of water main replacements. I know.

A

Related to lead is the fact that we've pulled out a lot of old pipes, so this is the lincoln area you.

A

Can see the center part of probably the older part of downtown all these neighborhoods here.

A

That are in the darker blue they've all got new pipes so through that there have been, you know.

A

Services replaced and plumbing and renovations, and all that so that bodes fairly well. It also.

A

Has helped us with the inventory so when we go in areas where pipes have been replaced, we can.

A

You know we have a better idea of. What's there um other things we've done. You know, through the years.

A

And al's been instrumental in our supply. We have not been able to actually find new water, but what.

A

We're doing is optimizing. The water we have so one project we have going on right now is to.

A

Renovate the clouds! Well, you can see the background as the existing columns. Well.

A

um We drilled a second weld because the wells over time, you can think of it. It's just a straw.

A

That goes in the ground, it has a screen and the screens get plugged up over time. So essentially.

A

You get the water there, you just can't get it's like one of those uh when you, when you have a.

A

Straw that just starts getting difficult to get any more liquid through the straw, so.

A

There's only so much you can do to recover that amount of water that you're able to get.

A

Out of there, so one thing we've done is: is we've installed a second? Well, it says: columns well, b,.

A

But now it's been renamed columns well, two! So what well one and well two, and that project's going on.

A

Another project that has come up and is in receipt, cip, is to replace the water that comes.

A

From madbury under the bay to put a third line in, that would be new just for additional redundancy.

A

And go under the bay because, as you saw, that one graphic that sixty percent of water from madbury.

A

When you add the wells about seventy percent of the water that goes in the porcelain system,.

A

Comes under the bay and up into newington, so we're working on that we are having.

A

Quite a bit of issues with trying to get access and permits from property owners on the uh the.

A

Durham side so we're working diligently on that and hopefully that'll happen. Yet this year and if.

A

Not next year um and then lastly, we're working, we just obtain a grant to work on an interconnection.

A

Through the the final bridge, that's going over from dover to newington the bicycle, pedestrian.

A

Bridge and that would be an interconnection between the dover and portsmouth systems.

A

That doesn't exist, but what it would do is it would link.

A

The communities all the way up to rochester and all the way down to seabrook, essentially.

A

Every all these other water systems were to some degree interconnected, and this would interconnect.

A

The entire sea coast, which is good in case of emergencies and redundancy in that and lastly,.

A

The other will upgrades are um the madberry. Well, five and al is uh working on uh getting that.

A

All constructed our contractors out there and by this summer um well five should be up and online.

A

Other overall water quality, both systems, if you go to our website and also delivered to.

A

Our customers are these annual water quality reports, which alan mason and other staff work.

A

On stephanie and uh we're pretty pretty proud that andrea was instrumental in helping us to.

A

Really, beef up these uh reports a few years back when pfest really entered the.

A

Equation so um those are online but uh we'll be working on our 2021 reports. That will be.

A

Going out here in may and june um so pfas, this is a shot of the interior of the peas, water.

A

Treatment system that went online last year, the blue filters up front have resin medium.

A

That filter out the pfas and in the back there are some silver vessels that are the granulated.

A

Activated, carbon and since that system has been online, you can see the pfas which is um non-detect.

A

So basically, we've been sampling; initially it was, uh you know, we we've been saving.

A

Weekly for a while and then um we're now monthly sampling, and you can see the amount of gallon.

A

Gallons that have been treated through the peas treatment system and we're non-detect through.

A

To date, actually, right now of the regulated compounds on the pfas in the enforcement system.

A

We do, we are in compliance again there with the state standard, which is four-quarter.

A

Monitoring and then averaging those- um and these are the results there. In summary,.

A

um And at our last meeting andrea covered the the pfpra, which is a two um chain compound.

A

Which is one a pfast that was uh identified in some sampling that was done through a.

A

Nrdc study and that sample was detected from pfpra at 35 parts per trillion, so.

A

Working with the state, andrea contacted the state and also merrimack water was involved with this.

A

There are going to be some follow-up samples done now with the state and.

A

Those actually going to take place march 1st. Now we have a date set and there are going to.

A

Be some duplicate samples and the epa lab is going to analyze these because it's a newly.

A

Quantified compound, and not really analyzed by too many labs, so the epa is going to sample.

A

For pfpra and a duplicate sample will be taken using the original lab that did the sampling.

A

Last year and for the portsmouth system there will be a tap sample at dpw which will mimic to.

A

Some degree the previous sample that was taken in the system last year, because that location.

A

Is not available, but dpw is very close to um where that is, and then we're also going to.

A

Because the state said they could do 10 samples but they're splitting them up between us.

A

And merrimack and a couple other places in the state so.

A

We're going to have three samples ourselves, so they'll sample at madbury um al will be with.

A

Them sampling there also we'll be doing our our quarterly sampling at the same time ourselves. So.

A

We're going to do madberry we're going to do the porcelain well, and then we will do that tap sample.

A

Anyone have any questions.

A

B

So we just have two more agenda items to move through quickly before we wrap up or go into.

B

Public comment and then wrap up um so uh last year. One of the suggestions from the swag and.

B

One of the recommendations we made to the council was for this: the safe water advisory group to host.

B

A community drinking water forum for the broader community here in portsmouth um just to provide.

B

Education and provide an opportunity for people to ask questions, provide resources, and so that is a.

B

Goal of ours for this year and something we talked about at the end of last year, we thought it would.

B

Be a good a good time to do it during the national drinking water week, which is the first week of may.

B

um And, like I said, we want to cover a range of topics for the general community to become more.

B

Educated um and thinking of some possible venues- we're thinking is maybe the library for an evening.

B

Meeting um I know brian mentioned sometimes going to conferences, they have interactive tools or apps.

B

That allow people to kind of engage you can pull the audience. Ask questions um share information.

B

So, uh looking into seeing, if that's a possibility for a forum like this and really um bringing it up,.

B

Tonight, to just put it on the swags radar uh and, most importantly, we're looking for a subcommittee.

B

Of swag members to really help us work on the planning, the agenda, the format and the outreach.

B

So, if that's something you're interested in kind of taking a deeper dive on the planning of this.

B

Certainly let brian and I know, and then also you know if you have any ideas in terms of topics.

B

um Or good ways to get this uh forum out to the community, so we can get a good turnout of people.

B

That would be great as well, so we can move on to the next subject.

B

um Well, this slide's a little mixed together, but um yeah. So the other thing we wanted to talk about.

B

Was one of the first things we did last year when we established our swag? Was we set some.

B

Goals which I think is really helpful to keep us on track and help us plan our meetings. um This is.

B

A sample of the goals that we had last year just to give folks an idea of you know, you know what we.

B

Accomplished most of them, we did accomplish like having an overview of the water system.

B

Understanding contaminants of concern um we've got a lot of updates on legislation and.

B

Future legislation, um and so I just want to give folks a sense of what we did last year, what we.

B

Achieved and what's still ongoing and then, if you can go to the next slide, just wanted to flag some.

B

Potential goals for this term, which is 2022 and 2023, um and just see if anyone from the swag has.

B

Any suggestions on goals or if these sound, okay or anyone has any objections to these goals so.

B

Again, obviously, completing that drinking water forum that we want to us. We want to complete.

B

In may, we want to continue to have ongoing legislative updates, we're very lucky. Last.

B

Year to have uh state representative david news and state senator rebecca.

B

We also had a staff member from senator shaheen's office come and give us updates, so that was really.

B

Helpful something we talked about last year was outreaching private, well owners uh with new.

B

Hampshire des we don't have a whole lot of private world owners here in portsmouth, most people are on.

B

City, water, but we do have some and we want to make sure we're outraging them and providing.

B

Them with resources, so they can routinely touch on water. Al um has been he and I are splitting duties.

A

To go to the seacoast drinking water commission, so maybe how can can one of the recent meetings.

A

Is an effort the des is having in the seacoast for that? Maybe we'll touch on that real, quick.

A

Right they are trying to find uh volunteers to be on the committee, so there's a state trying to.

A

Develop a committee to help with the private quality 180 000, which is part of the well study.

A

Of the seacoast region, private wells, uh there are a lot of those in greenland. A lot of wells.

A

In newington and enforcement combines they're trying to find those sources they want to find.

A

Committee member, but also as a volunteer, because this would be a lot of simple election.

A

Coordination that the us is going to need to help with.

B

Thank you very much. um Another potential goal uh is to have an update update on the coping landfill.

B

uh That was a suggestion. Last year uh from former city councilor cliff lazimby.

B

So something we can look into factoring into one of our meetings this year continue to monitor.

B

Emerging contaminants again, as brian mentioned, there's a pfas that was detected in one tap.

B

Water sample and we're going to have additional testing so certainly keeping track of that there.

B

Was mentioned last year of monitoring runoff, uh you know of any potential p-fats run off.

B

Of the artificial surf, so just keeping an eye on what's going on with that um work with the.

B

City staff to establish community resources and education on how to dispose of hazardous.

B

And p fast containing products to prevent additional water contamination in our community.

B

And then work with the school department to provide education to students. You know, I think.

B

One perfect example that was brought up tonight in terms of that epa: certification.

B

For web remediation, that's an excellent way. We can work with our schools, so um these were.

B

Just some ideas of potential goals for this year, um and so, if anyone has any objections.

B

To these, let me know, or if you have any addition, certainly let me know and brian as well, and you.

B

Know you don't have to do it tonight. You know this is something that will kind of be evolving.

B

Over our term, but I just wanted to start giving people an idea of what we're thinking about and.

B

Please let us know if you have any thoughts as well. um I do have a comment on the.

A

The forum yeah, what dates were they? You have them? Well now. May 1st.

A

Okay, that's better! I was going to say the second week of may is budget week for the city council.

E

Right and a lot of people come to that: okay, so just yeah not to conflict. Sure yeah first week.

B

um So with that any thoughts or reactions or any comments on future meetings and goals.

A

um I know we talked a lot extensively about the runoff from the artificial turf. I know.

A

They did a study by the high school and they were concerned with the runoff from the solar panels.

A

uh uh Pfas coming off the solar panels and then the uh scrap metal, those are the two contaminants.

A

They thought they were worried about that was from the high school uh because they were tested from.

A

Runoff from the artificial turf, um so I just know that was an update. Last.

A

I don't know if solar panels should be. I mean that was a surprise to me. I was shocked, run off.

A

The pfas are a common sort of runoff from solar panels, um which was blowing in my mind because.

A

You know you want to help the environment, but then it's turning around at the same time,.

A

Yeah but yeah, I just wanted to know excellent points to raise water technology comes with it.

A

Yeah it's new, I mean our phones have a number of.

D

The public education is a great idea, um and this is such a large topic that could it be a series.

D

Of public courses or public education, because it seems to make sense that you would first introduce.

D

The whole idea of chemicals in our environment and how they got there and how we got into this mess.

D

And that might take a bit of time and then maybe a couple months later,.

D

Do the other, you know the next segment of it in the next segment of it? I think that would.

D

Be a great public service think I think, that's a great suggestion because I think there's a lot of.

B

Contaminants that we're concerned about and trying to share that in a way that's meaningful.

B

To the community, but not overwhelming, so I think that's a good good suggestion.

B

There's no other comments at this time or thoughts or reactions.

B

On amazing goals, um just the last thing I wanted to put on everyone's radar is that.

B

You know the plan is to meet quarterly so four times a year and uh but this year so we'll.

B

Plan for four meetings and, in addition to the drinking water forum that will be in may of 2022,.

B

And so what brian and I had kind of potentially mapped out was february, which is tonight april.

B

August and november um and again just trying to get folks, you know if that sounds doable.

B

For folks, and also uh trying to find timing, I think last year we ran into kind of scheduling.

B

The meetings close we, I think we want to try to get these scheduled in on the calendar.

B

Very soon for the rest of the year, just so we're not running into conflicts and meetings.

B

And that was the challenge last year it's a tough matrix to find, find and place a spot, and we know.

A

You know everybody on this committee is has got, you know a full schedule, as is so. We do our best.

A

It seems like the hybrid meeting is helpful in getting as many people here as possible. Still.

A

So what we're going to do is do our best to just find those dates that don't conflict.

A

Certainly with council we've got a planning board, we have school board, those are the biggies.

A

So, that's that's how we're trying to do it and then also you know august. We certainly wouldn't.

A

Do the first couple weeks of august because school's still out so it would probably be.

A

Later in august and stuff, but try to find those dates to slot in at the right time,.

B

And I think that, having an idea of what people's other commitments are, I know we.

B

Talked a little bit before being sorry, there are quite a few, I know possibly luck. You are too so.

B

If we have a sense as we set these dates early on, if there's potential conflicts, just please let us.

B

Know as we try to get these meetings scheduled ahead of time, so they're known well in advance.

A

Usually for me, if it's at this hour, then you know, you know wednesday and thursday, usually.

A

Just once we run into baseball season, football four to six area gets a little tricky for me.

B

All right, so I think um with that, does anybody have any closing thoughts or questions or.

B

Concerns or anything from the meetings or the swag well, I would say that very informative meeting.

A

And I I really appreciate their expertise and knowledge. I just found it fascinating. Thank you.

C

I would just echo that I always appreciate brian and andrea's efficiencies. This is I'm involved in.

C

A lot of things- this is one of the most efficient groups for moving the needle. Getting things done.

A

So efficiently ending a meeting.

A

We'll see everybody in a couple of couple months. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.