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Council allows two treated leachate loads per day to Montpelier wastewater plant pending upgrades
Summary
After a multi‑year discussion about PFAS and landfill leachate, the council authorized public‑works staff to accept up to two treated leachate loads per day from the landfill operator; staff recommended limiting intake until a planned disinfection upgrade is completed.
The City Council authorized the public‑works department to accept up to two loads per day of landfill leachate treated by the landfill operator, provided the leachate meets the city’s agreed‑upon treatment standard for PFAS removal.
Background: Montpelier’s wastewater facility has accepted leachate and septage since 2002. Concerns about PFAS — the so‑called "forever chemicals" — prompted prior council direction limiting leachate intake until a permanent treatment system was in place. The landfill operator completed a PFAS treatment system in 2024 and provided test results; staff told council the treated leachate now meets the previously requested standard of roughly 80% aggregate removal for regulated PFAS and in practice shows approximately 85% reduction on recent samples.
Staff recommendation and limits: Public‑works Director Kurt Monica recommended authorizing acceptance of up to two treated loads per day. Monica said the plant has historically accepted up to four loads per day (about 8,000 gallons per load, or roughly 32,000 gallons total) but proposed two loads to avoid overtaxing the plant’s aging UV disinfection system, which is scheduled for replacement. The city derives revenue from leachate acceptance and staff noted a linkage: because the city accepts leachate and septage, disposal agreements provide a discount on solids disposal and hauling.
Environmental context and alternatives: Monica said that once treated, leachate would account for a small fraction of total PFAS discharge at the plant — roughly 3% if the plant were taking the historical maximum of four loads per day — because most PFAS in the system arrives through municipal plumbing and product use. He also noted that routing leachate to a farther facility (Plattsburgh) would raise trucking emissions and costs.
Council action: The council voted to allow staff to accept up to two treated loads per day from the landfill operator, subject to continued monitoring and maintenance of the plant. Staff will receive quarterly PFAS sampling results from the landfill operator and will proceed with the planned disinfection upgrade; Monica said the disinfection equipment replacement is planned and estimated at roughly $1.5 million.
Ending: Councilors emphasized the need for ongoing monitoring, clarified reporting expectations and noted the city’s role in managing PFAS through both acceptance limits and planned plant upgrades.
