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Council approves up to $150,000 to haul dried sludge from wastewater ponds to White City landfill
Summary
The council approved a not-to-exceed $150,000 expenditure to remove, haul and dispose of dried biosolids from Ponds 1 and 2 at the city wastewater treatment plant; the material must go to a permitted facility and will be paid from wastewater-operations funds, not the general fund.
The Mount Shasta City Council approved a not-to-exceed $150,000 expenditure to remove, haul and dispose of dried sludge from Ponds 1 and 2 at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Public works staff and the utilities manager explained the expenditure stems from a new discharge permit issued by the State Water Resources Control Board that requires the city to clean out five ponds at the plant. Staff said ponds 1 and 2 contained the bulk of the biosolids; the material has been dried and needs disposal at a facility that accepts hazardous material — the closest such facility is the landfill in White City, Oregon.
Staff estimated roughly 50 truckloads would be required; they described transport costs of about $1,000 per load and landfill tipping fees of roughly $1,500 per load, producing a low-end estimate near $125,000. Staff asked the council for authority not to exceed $150,000 to complete the immediate disposal work. Utilities-related funds will cover the cost; staff said wastewater operations funds have capacity to absorb the expense.
Council action: A motion to approve the expenditure passed unanimously.
Next steps and longer-term options: Staff said ponds 3–5 contain less sludge and more algal material and are being evaluated for possible land-application uses (agricultural or silvicultural spreading) rather than landfill disposal. That work is at an early exploratory stage.
Public comment: A resident asked whether bids had been solicited and whether additional bidders could offer lower prices; staff replied they were open to additional bids.
Funding source: Staff clarified the payment will come from wastewater operation funds rather than the city general fund.
Permitting and compliance: Staff emphasized the disposal requirement was tied to the state discharge permit, not an optional project, and the city must use a permitted facility that accepts the material.
