Old Lyme — The Water Pollution Control Authority is moving forward to direct its consultants to update and finalize a wastewater management plan to include Sound View Beach, but exclude Hawks Nest Beach and White Sand Beach.

The WPCA approved on Tuesday an amendment to the scope of services for Woodard & Curran, an engineering firm, that would call for updating a draft wastewater management plan to only include Sound View Beach and an area north of Sound View.

The WPCA discussed plans to conduct additional testing of the Hawks Nest Beach area in the future.  

Under the document approved by the WPCA, Woodard & Curran would update the draft wastewater report and an Environmental Impact Evaluation, as well as hold meetings and coordinate the project, for a total of $24,948.

The WPCA's approval is the first step in the process. 

A task force of members of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and WPCA is expected to review the proposal and share it with the full selectmen and finance boards. 

Other steps include a decision by the first selectwoman on whether or not to sign the contract, WPCA Chairman Richard Prendergast said.

The document would need to be submitted to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which determines if it qualifies for Clean Water Funds.

The town is under an order from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to complete a wastewater management report for the shoreline area.

Meanwhile, three private beach associations — Old Colony Beach, Old Lyme Shores and Miami Beach — are moving forward with plans for sewers.

The schedule, included within the scope of services, anticipates the consultants would update the draft report and Environmental Impact Evaluation by November. 

The WPCA plans to schedule a public question-and-answer session in the future.

During public comment, several residents of Hawks Nest Beach said they wanted clean water and questioned why the beach area is being excluded from the plan.

"I think that we can all agree as residents of Old Lyme that we want clean drinking water and a beautifully clean and safe Long Island Sound for all of us and our families," Carol Mitchell said. "If these conditions are not present at Hawks Nest Beach now or in the future, I believe our property values will go down."

But Sandy Garvin of Hawks Nest said there is a "public perception" of a pollution problem in Hawks Nest without proper testing to prove that, which is why DEEP agreed to further testing. 

An engineer hired by the Garvins to conduct water testing showed "excellent results." 

In response, Doug Wilkinson of the WPCA said that his board delayed decision on Hawks Nest "because there was conflicting data ... that was enough to cause us to question whether the entire area of Hawks Nest Beach needed to be sewered, whether some areas needed to be sewered, or whether none of it needed to be sewered."

He said DEEP accepted that question and is allowing for "more definitive testing."

k.drelich@theday.com