Scott, Fort Scott’s water utilities director, updated the City Commission Oct. 1 on loads arriving from ADM and the temporary biological treatment the city has contracted with AMS. He said June and August lab results showed much lower biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) — driven by domestic loads from ADM’s domestic lagoon — but that July showed a sharp spike when industrial loads were delivered.

Scott said the city’s contract with ADM sets a minimum pH of 6 for incoming loads and that ADM has been “doing modifications over the last about a year or so, to elevate that pH up before it gets to us.” He added the lagoons at the Fort Scott plant are in noticeably better condition than in 2022 and “there isn’t any smell.”

Why it matters: Commissioners pressed Scott about the long‑term implications of inconsistent pretreatment at ADM, which previously sent high‑strength industrial waste and triggered community odor problems in 2022. Commissioners and staff said they want written assurances before AMS — the contractor running trailers and biological treatment at the plant — departs and the AMS contract comes up for renewal in December.

Key details
- Scott provided graphs showing the number of loads received over three years; August had 53 loads (September data were not complete at the meeting).
- June and August samples were described as domestic loads with low TSS, phosphorus and nitrogen; July returned to industrial loads and produced spikes in TSS, COD and BOD.
- Scott told the commission AMS currently has five trailers on site and conducts periodic mixing and sludge‑management activities in the lagoons.
- The city’s contract with ADM includes a minimum pH requirement of 6 for incoming loads; Scott said ADM has been working on pretreatment to meet that requirement.

Discussion and next steps
Commissioners asked how long the current improvements might last and whether Fort Scott should require ADM to document pretreatment steps and commit in writing to continued funding of AMS if needed. Scott said the city will hold an online meeting with ADM on Oct. 10 to get a progress update and emphasized staff will keep monitoring daily readings and lab reports. He and commissioners discussed options including an MOU or written contract addendum to capture expectations, and mechanical dewatering of Lagoon Number 1 when practical to remove inorganic grit and accumulated sludge.

Commissioner Tim Van Hooky and others pressed staff on sludge‑depth monitoring; Scott said AMS measures sludge depth but does not always forward every measurement to him and that staff will request those records. Commissioners asked staff to explore estimates and scope for dewatering and removal of inorganic material currently embedded under the aeration piping.

Taper: Scott said the city will hold ongoing calls with ADM and bring updates to the commission. He flagged December as the time when the AMS contract will be revisited with ADM and recommended the commission seek written commitments rather than rely on informal assurances.