Committee approves rental of landfill pumps after reviewing purchase and lease costs

The Sabine Parish Solid Waste Committee voted April 3 to rent additional trash pumps for the Saltworth landfill to keep water-management systems operational while staff pursues longer-term procurement.

Committee members reviewed recent purchase and lease figures for 6-inch trash pumps. Members said a new 6-inch trash pump had a past purchase price in the high-$50,000 range (a model purchased two years earlier was cited at about $58,000), and more recent vendor quotes discussed at the meeting ranged from about $63,000 to roughly $68,000. Committee members also said a three-year lease or long-term rental proposals produced monthly payments in the neighborhood of $1,900 per month.

Discussion focused on service coverage and maintenance: committee members noted that long-term ownership would transfer maintenance responsibility to the parish, while leases or rentals commonly include vendor maintenance and warranty coverage. Staff said that rental is typically cheaper month-to-month than a multi-year lease and allows a quick replacement if a unit fails.

After the discussion, a committee member made a motion to rent the pumps rather than purchase or enter a multi-year lease; the motion was seconded by Barry and passed by a vote recorded as carried. Staff said they would proceed to secure rental equipment immediately to ensure redundancy during periods of heavy rainfall and while new sales and pumping needs are planned.

Members asked staff to continue soliciting quotes from United Rentals, Barco Pump and other suppliers so the committee can later compare total cost of ownership versus leasing or ongoing rentals. The committee also discussed surplusing older pumps once rental coverage is in place.