Grand Isle Consolidated Water District
PO Box 9
Grand Isle, VT 05458
802.372.3865
802.372.3865 fax
For WATER EMERGENCIES: Call: 802-741-1203
and follow pager system instructions. *This is not for Fire District 4, this is only for GICWD.
Questions about your account or bill, or do you want to make a payment? Call Simon Operation Services at 888 767-1885.
For general questions about new connections, your meter, or usage, please call 802.372.3865
Water Commissioners:
Janine Banks (Chairwoman) (802) 372-8716
Timothy Olver (Clerk/Secretary) (631) 645-3592
Michael Inners (Treasurer) (802) 372-8515
Kevin Low (802) 922-4671 kevin@SNS.com
Ted Kriss
RATES
Click to see the: Schedule of Rates and Charges (effective December 2017)
2024 Water Service Rates*
Debt Service: $94.67/quarter
Base Rate: $53.62/quarter
Water Usage: $6.03/1000 gallons used
2023 Water Service Rates*
Debt Service: $95.93/quarter
Base Rate: $51.34/quarter
Water Usage: $5.66/1000 gallons used
2022 Water Service Rates*
Debt Service: $96.85/quarter
Base Rate: $47.80/quarter
Water Usage: $5.40/1000 gallons used
*Rates adjusted annually and are always subject to change.
Forms and Documents (click on any choice below to download it):
GICWD 2023 Consumer Confidence Report
GICWD 2022 Consumer Confidence Report
Connection Agreement Application
Water Use Ordinance 061020 Revision
By-Laws Amended December 2016
View our most recent Newsletter here
Source Protection Plan
The Board of Water Commissioners meets the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm at the Warren B. Steadman Water Treatment Facility in Grand Isle, unless otherwise noted. All members of the District are welcome and encouraged to attend! The Board will answer any questions or concerns at the meeting, but we encourage you to contact us at least a week before the meeting with your questions so we can research and understand your concerns and be able to discuss them and then work with you at the meeting. Please contact any Board Member listed above. The agenda for each meeting will be posted on bulletin boards at the Town Offices, the post office and A & B Beverage, on this website and on Front Porch Forum 48 hours in advance of each meeting date.
The Next Meeting:
The next meeting will be the January Monthly meeting and will be held Wednesday January 17th, 2023 at 6:30pm.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89693764061?pwd=NWlnZ2tVQ1c4NnRicjJYbVpwaXlJQT09
If you need to attend in person, you may do so at the GICWD Water Plant on West Shore Road. Masks are required for in person attendance.
Please Note: The meeting will be held both remotely and in person at the Water Plant. Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:
Agenda will be posted 48 hours in advance. Meeting cancellations/postponements will be posted on this website, (same as gicwd.com), by 5pm the day of the meeting.
Draft Meeting Minutes:
GICWD – February 2024 – DRAFT Minutes
GICWD Minutes Archives (Our Archives include previous Meeting Minutes, Annual Rates, and Consumer Confidence Reports)
Approved Board Meeting Minutes:
January 2021 Minutes
February 2021 Minutes
March 2021 Minutes
April 2021 Minutes
May 2021 Minutes
June 2021 Minutes
Nov 2021 Minutes
Dec 2021 Minutes
April 2022 Final Draft Minutes
Announcements:
Bond Vote Results from March 5 Vote
The results are in, the bond vote has been passed with a tally of 294 in favor and 104 against. Thank you for coming out and voting!
Official Warning – Bond Vote on March 5, 2024
WARNING
The legal voters of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Town Office, in the Town of Grand Isle on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, between the hours of seven o’clock 7:00) in the forenoon (a.m.), at which time the polls will open, and seven o’clock (7:00) in the afternoon (p.m.), at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot upon the following Article of business:
ARTICLE I
Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District in an amount not to exceed One Million Six Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars ($1,630,000), subject to reduction from the receipt of available state and federal grants-in-aid, be issued for the purpose of financing the cost of construction of upgrades to the water distribution mains along US Route 2, Hyde Road and Tebeau Terrace, the aggregate estimated cost of all such improvements being One Million Six Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars ($1,630,000)?
The legal voters of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District are further notified that voter qualification, registration and absentee voting relative to said special meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.
The legal voters of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District are further notified that an informational meeting will be held on February 26, 2024 at the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station, in the Town of Grand Isle at six thirty O’Clock (6:30) in the evening, for the purpose of explaining the proposed improvements and the financing thereof.
Adopted and approved at a regular meeting of the Board of Water Commissioners of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District duly called, noticed and held on January 17, 2024. Received for record and recorded in the records of the Grand Isle Consolidated Water District on January 18, 2024.
Powerpoint Presentation on Upcoming Project for Water System Improvements
GICWD Water Distribution System Improvements, presented on 11/15/23
Open Water Commissioner Position (partial term):
We are currently seeking to fill an opening on the Board of Water Commissioners. All members of the District are encouraged to consider volunteering to help guide the water system (there is a $1000 per year stipend). Water Commissioners do not operate the plant, they simply make decisions regarding issues that crop up and address current and future plans to ensure continued delivery of safe drinking water to the District members. Experience with drinking water issues is a plus but definitely not required! The Board meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 at the Water Plant in Grand Isle.
If you are interested in serving your community as a Water Commissioner, please attend a meeting or contact any member of the Board for further information. Please note that all District members are always welcome to voice their opinions at any Board of Commissioners meeting.
Monthly Meeting Relocation
Effective as of the October 2021 Monthly Meeting, the GICWD has moved its physical meeting location from the Ed Weed Fish Hatchery to the Warren B. Steadman Water Treatment Facility on West Shore Road (Rt 314). This move is to accommodate both physical and virtual attendance of the meetings.
Grand Isle Consolidated Water District and COVID-19
We are happy to report that you have one less thing to worry about!
The CDC states, “The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.” You can read this and further information at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html
GICWD has a state of the art Granular Activated Carbon filtration system and we disinfect the water with chlorine as required by the State of Vermont. Chlorine levels are monitored electronically 24 hours a day and the operators are notified immediately of any deviations from requirements. The operators of course monitor the levels themselves as well.
Our operators are taking extensive precautions to keep themselves healthy and our plant has been closed to everyone except the operators until further notice. GICWD uses Simon Operation Services instead of having our own individual operator, and that ensures we have numerous licensed operators available to run our plant if needed.
With the need for the Board of Water Commissioners to continue to meet during this pandemic, the Board will be meeting remotely and not gathering at the usual meeting place, the Fish Hatchery. Please contact me if you want to participate in our meeting remotely.
Please visit our website for updates www.gicwd.com. As always, I welcome your call if you have any questions or concerns. Janine Banks 372-8716.
GRAND ISLE CONSOLIDATED WATER
DISTRICT ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
New sections are added regarding the process for permanent termination of service on request of users, permanent termination of service to abandoned properties and long-term delinquent accounts, and providing for tenant payment of delinquent bills to avoid disconnection. For de-
tailed information please reference the document in the following link: Use Ordinance Amendments Approved
“Water Matters” 2020 Newsletter
With the help of Joe Danis & Warren Steadman of Simon Operation Services, among others, Water Commissioner Ken Mirvis created this year’s newsletter which has recently been mailed out. Please see a pdf of the newsletter by clicking the link above!
2019 Annual Meeting
Congratulations to Ken Mirvis for volunteering to be a GICWD Water Commissioner and for being elected at the December 11, 2019 meeting! He was elected to a one year term, replacing Shannon Bundy’s seat on the Board. Replacing Shannon’s position as Treasurer is Michael Inners, former Chairman of the board. Janine Banks moves into his position as Chairwoman and Timothy Olver stepped into the role of Clerk. Thank you to Shannon, for your diligent work as Treasurer this past year, and to all Commissioners, both new and continuing in their commitment. The 2020 Operating Budget was also approved at this meeting.
Open Water Commissioner Positions (Dec 2019) (Position has was filled at December meeting by Ken Mirvis)
GICWD is anticipating open positions on the Board of Water Commissioners. All members of the District are encouraged to consider volunteering to help guide the water system (there is a $1000 per year stipend). Water Commissioners do not operate the plant, they simply make decisions regarding issues that crop up and address current and future plans to ensure continued delivery of safe drinking water to the District members. Experience with drinking water issues is a plus but definitely not required! The Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 at the Ed Weed Fish Hatchery in Grand Isle.
If you are interested in serving your community as a Water Commissioner, please attend a meeting or contact any member of the Board for further information. Elections will be held in December. Please note that all District members are always welcome to voice their opinions at any Board of Commissioners meeting.
Open Water Commissioner Position (May 2019) (Position was filled at June meeting by Tim Olver)
We are currently seeking to fill an opening on the Board of Water Commissioners. All members of the District are encouraged to consider volunteering to help guide the water system (there is a $1000 per year stipend). Water Commissioners do not operate the plant, they simply make decisions regarding issues that crop up and address current and future plans to ensure continued delivery of safe drinking water to the District members. Experience with drinking water issues is a plus but definitely not required! The Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 at the Ed Weed Fish Hatchery in Grand Isle.
If you are interested in serving your community as a Water Commissioner, please attend a meeting or contact any member of the Board for further information. Please note that all District members are always welcome to voice their opinions at any Board of Commissioners meeting.
2018 Annual Meeting
Congratulations to Court Perry for volunteering to be a GICWD Water Commissioner and for being elected at the December 12, 2018 meeting! He was elected to a three year term along with Janine Banks and Lynda Morgan-Gardiner who were re-elected as Commissioners. Michael Inners was elected to be Chairman again and Janine Banks was elected to continue as the Clerk. Commissioner Shannon Bundy stepped up to accept the position of Treasurer as the 2018 Treasurer Andy Phyphers anticipated he would not be able to complete another term. The Board meets monthly and welcomes anyone interested in attending the meetings. Should a Commissioner need to resign before the 2019 elections, their term will be filled by a volunteer voted in by the Board.
The 2019 Operating Budget was also approved at this meeting, and the decision to start meetings at 6:30 on the second Wednesday of each month of 2019 was made. Rates for 2019 will be set at the January 2019 meeting.
Help Keep Rates Down – Conserve
It costs money to produce water so conserving water helps to keep rates down. Although it is tempting to use excess water when the temperatures climb, please use your water wisely. Sprinkle the garden by hand using your hose early in the morning or when the area is in the shade in the evening. Sprinklers waste water, so “target water” by watering by hand at the base of plants using your hose spray nozzle. Avoid washing your car or at least do not let the water run while you soap up the car or boat. Fix plumbing leaks. A little bit of thought and planning can make a big difference!
Thank you!
GICWD Water Treatment Facility Dedication at Open House!
The Board of Commissioners was pleased to name the water treatment plant after our long-time operator Warren Steadman of Simon Operation Services. Along with Green Mountain Engineering, the Board presented a bronze plaque to be mounted in the building dedicating the facility. Visitors from the State of Vermont, Green Mountain Engineering and the Islander along with several members of the District came to the Open House June 13th to tour the facility and were present to witness the surprise dedication ceremony. We thank Warren for helping the District to be what the Board believes is one of the best water municipalities in the state!
GICWD Selected for Award and Hosting an Open House!
June 13, 2018 5:30pm, at the GICWD Water Filtration Facility, 62 West Shore Rd., Grand Isle
Grand Isle Consolidated Water District (GICWD) members and guests are invited to an Open House where you can tour our state of the art, award-wining treatment facility, and learn how water from Lake Champlain becomes potable through our granulated activated carbon (GAC) filtration system, the only one in Vermont! See how we test the raw and finished water as mandated by the State of Vermont and by the Environmental Protection Agency, and see the resulting data for yourself, how GICWD is keeping your water healthy. The SOS operators and GICWD Board of Commissioners look forward to meeting members and will welcome any questions you might have.
GICWD has a lot to celebrate these days. We were chosen by the Green Mountain Water Environment Association to receive the 2018 Water Facility Excellence Award! The award honors GICWD and its operators (Warren Steadman and Joe Danis from Simon Operation Services) for, “Outstanding facilities exceeding system operation requirements. Recognition is for the entire facility and staff.” The award will be presented at their Annual Meeting in Killington May 24, 2018.
The Open House will be held at the water filtration facility on June 13th from 5:30 – 7pm, then the regularly scheduled monthly Board meeting will follow, beginning at 7:00 pm. You will find us at 62 West Shore Rd., Grand Isle, a little dirt road just north of the ferry and north of the Lake Champlain Basin Program building, on the east side of West Shore Rd. Look for the open house sign.
You never Know!
Look what Joe Danis of SOS found while cleaning out our shed!
Mark Simon Passes On
It was with a heavy heart that Simon Operation Services notified its clients that owner Mark Simon passed away March 6th in Florida. Mark started Simon Operation Services (SOS) in 1993 and it soon became a staple service to many of the smaller drinking water and wastewater systems in Vermont. Our water system has used their services for over 20 years. Our operators Warren Steadman and Joe Danis are employees of SOS. A true testament to Mark’s abilities and dedication to quality work is his employees who speak so highly of their boss and who echo his dedication. He is certainly missed, but his wife Phyllis continues to direct SOS in support of so many water systems in the State so Mark’s legacy will continue. His full obituary can be seen by clicking here.
In Mark’s honor and per his request, GICWD has donated to the Central Vermont Humane Society.
GICWD.com
Recently it came to the Board of Commissioner’s attention that the web address of www.gicwd.com was available and the Board decided to scoop it up while it was available without exceptional purchasing charges. The Town of Grand Isle’s website is still hosting our page, but the address gicwd.com is a lot easier to remember! Anyone going to gicwd.com will automatically be redirected to our page on the town website and will not have to navigate the town’s site to “find” the GICWD page.
Job Well Done!
Recently the State of Vermont performed its annual Sanitary Survey inspection and records audit at the GICWD water plant. Operator Warren Steadman received the subsequent letter from the state and had the following to say in an email sent to the Board of Commissioners, “Attached is the letter the state sent regarding the Sanitary Survey that was done last month. This is the first one that I have ever been involved with that resulted in no sanitary discrepancies. It is also the first one where the operators were commended. We (Simon Operation Services, who operates the GICWD system and many others throughout the state) are extremely pleased with the results. You as a Board should be pleased too. It reflects the Board’s leadership, overseeing good operation and maintenance practices and forward looking, planning for the future.”
Click here to download the letter from the state.
Monitoring
Our System Operators are constantly monitoring the water for many different things and from many different locations. Here Joe Danis is collecting a Total Coliform sample and testing the chlorine residual from within a home in the distribution system. Samples are collected from several homes within the District to meet State quarterly testing requirements.
2017 Member Rates
Water usage rates have stayed the same as 2016 rates. The base rate decreased by $3.71 per quarter, while the debt service rate increased by $14.87 per quarter leaving an overall increase of $11.16 per quarter. The debt service rate increase is because the first annual bond payment for the GAC System installed in 2015 comes due the end of 2017 and these monies collected will cover that payment.
There are no new debts coming due in the foreseeable future, so the debt service rate should remain constant the next several years. The current usage and base rates include GAC operating expenses and, although impossible to predict definitively, the District Board of Commissioners does not anticipate the need for any major increases in usage rates or base rates in the near future.
It is notable that the original bond vote for the GAC system predicted an increase of $42 per quarter to cover the bond payments and operating expenses, but due to several cost saving factors, including zero percent financing, the actual increase has turned out to be far less than predicted!
March 22, 2017 is World Water Day!
Submit VT-Alert Contact Information to GICWD
You must submit contact information (email address, phone numbers, etc) to GICWD directly. Signing up for VT-Alert on their website is not sufficient and you will NOT receive emergency notifications from GICWD! We must have your information and submit it. Please complete the blue slip that was included in the last quarterly bill and return it with your payment, or email the information to Janine Banks (email listed above). Click Here to see the information needed. We want to ensure all of our members would be notified in the case of a water emergency such as a Boil Water notice, etc. Thank you.
It is “Fix A Leak Week!”
The week of March 20, 2017 is a week we all need to take note of and make sure we are doing our best to conserve our greatest national resource – water! Click on this link to see how you can conserve water by finding and fixing any links you may have.
Staying informed with VT-Alert!
If the District ever has to issue a boil water notice or other water restrictions, we will notify you through the VT-Alert system. However, you need to give us your notification information, such as cell phone numbers, the carriers (if you want to receive text messages) and all email addresses you want notified. VT-Alert is free, secure and reliable. Over 80 Vermont agencies have signed up in the two years Vermont has offered this notification program. You will receive only messages related to GICWD water emergencies unless you go to the VT-Alert website and sign up yourself for notifications from other Vermont groups. We encourage you to visit vtalert.gov for more information and to sign up for additional notifications.
GICWD Celebrates 20 Years of Operation!
October 2015 is the 20th Anniversary of the District! We are celebrating 20 years of delivering quality water to the community! Congratulations to every member for helping to provide a healthy environment for all members.
The GAC Filtration System is Online!
As printed in the July 14th 2015 Islander:
With little fanfare and just the turn of two valves, at 10:30AM July 8th Grand Isle Consolidated Water District (GICWD) made history by becoming the first drinking water treatment facility in the State of Vermont to utilize a granular activated carbon filtration (GAC) system to purify its water! It will take a few days for the water to reach all members of the District, but if you suddenly notice your water tasting better, you are not imagining it!
It all began when testing showed the District exceeded the EPA’s maximum contaminant levels of disinfection by-products called DBPs, potentially cancer-causing compounds produced during water treatment. The Board of Water Commissioners in place at that time announced plans to add ammonia to the water to form chloramine in an attempt to resolve the issue. Opposed to adding yet another chemical to our water, citizens of the GICWD banded together to contest the solution, as they learned other options, such as a GAC system which would actually remove many contaminants, had not been thoroughly investigated. With a newly elected board in place, GICWD began to investigate alternative options available for their treatment system. Three years later and countless hours of planning, working with the State and steadfast determination by the board, Warren Steadman of Simon Operation Services, Brad Washburn and Alan Huizenga of Green Mountain Engineering, and the members of GICWD are now drinking some of the best water available – anywhere!
The construction of the GAC Filtration System was not without its hiccoughs, but was completed within a few weeks of its original target date, came in under budget, was financed through a zero percent interest loan and holds the possibility of continuing to exceed expectations. The board opted to go the extra mile to hire a third party testing firm to examine and test the filtration vessels to ensure their quality and conformance to industry specifications. After some tweaking by TetraSolve, the vessel manufacturer, the end result is a superior product that even the company feels is the best vessel out there! Wanting to help ensure a smooth start-up, the owner of TetraSolve was present to turn the last two valves on July 8th bringing the GAC filters successfully online.
Therefore, the Board would like to celebrate this historic milestone in Vermont’s drinking water industry by holding an open house in early September (more details to come). We invite anyone interested in viewing the system and having a tour of the facility to attend. We expect representatives from the State of Vermont and from other water systems around the state to come to Grand Isle as this is a model treatment option available for other water systems also facing the myriad of water quality issues. We encourage members of the District to come see this system and be proud of GICWD’s accomplishment!
The board meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7PM at the Ed Weed Fish Hatchery and we welcome all members at our meetings. October will be the Annual meeting and elections will be held. If you are interested in becoming a Water Commissioner, please contact Janine Banks at 372-8716 or and plan to attend the October meeting. Our website is a work in progress but please visit it often for updates and information. We are listed under Departments on www.grandislevt.org.
Apartment Definition
Large User Definition
Business Definition
What would you like to see on our website? Please contact Tim Olver (email is above) with your thoughts!