Reports: Executive Director’s Reports

January 21, 2010

  1. City-State Groundwater Working Group - The Group will meet again on January 28.
  2. MBTA - The T is trying to determine the cause of a reduction in groundwater level at their Copley Station construction site in front of the Boston Public Library. The level at an observation well monitored by their contractor has dropped below 3 BCB.
  3. BWSC - BWSC is working on repairs to a drain line in Commercial Street to attempt to raise levels in that part of the North End. They are continuing investigative work in a CSO line in Dartmouth Street to try to determine the cause of low groundwater levels centering on the intersection of Dartmouth and Beacon Streets. BWSC has begun repairs to sewers in four alleys in the residential section of Back Bay; the repairs will also include recharge systems similar to those installed in the Fenway and under Back Street.
  4. GCOD - GCOD compliance continues to be excellent. The Board of Appeals has ruled on over 160 applications, with only two not being able to completely comply with recharge requirements. Over 80 recharge systems are installed and operating.
  5. Research Projects - Professor Vogel at Tufts reported that they are making some good progress in their efforts to evaluate the impact of groundwater recharge. He expects to get us an interim report by the end of January. Final results are expected this summer.
  6. Website - Traffic to the website continues high. Our consultant has repaired the glitches that interrupted availability of the interactive map. All minutes of trustees’ meetings since I joined the Trust in August 2004 are now posted. We are also posting the agenda of the upcoming trustees’ meeting about a week in advance.
  7. Meetings - I attended the BWSC public meeting on the Back Bay alley sewer work. I also met with the consultants for Boston Medical Center about the best locations for the recharge system and new observation well to be installed in connection with their new power plant project.
  8. Comment Letters - I commented to both the BRA and MEPA on the DPIR/DEIR for the Seaport Square project in South Boston. The comments are posted on our website.
  9. Vacations - I will be out of the office February 15-19. I will periodically check voicemail and email during that period.