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WPCA operator reports pump-station SSO, fixes underway; design work advances on Beacon, Hubbles Lane, settling tanks
Summary
Veolia’s contract operator reported a Feb. 16 sanitary-sewer overflow at the Killer Brook pump station caused by pump alarm failures and a removal from the alarm list by vendor Xylem; the operator described new monitoring equipment and redundancy measures.
Veolia’s contract operator reported a February sanitary-sewer overflow at the Killer Brook pump station and described steps taken to prevent a recurrence, while city engineering staff updated the board on multiple design and construction projects.
In the operations report, the contract operator said the primary cause of the Feb. 16 event was pump failure plus an alarm-notification breakdown. “We had been removed from the alarm list by Xylem without our knowledge,” the operator told the board, and the operator described adding redundancy after the event. The board was told the operator installed a cellular “smart cover” over the wet well and worked with Aaron Associates to install a level sensor and a radio system that sends level data back to the SCADA with alarms. The operator said those measures are functional and that the team is pursuing a resolution with Xylem.
The operator also reported plant-performance metrics for February: nitrogen loading averaged 634 pounds per day; primary tanks 3 and 5 were taken offline for cleaning and returned to service; collections work for February included 59 miles of CCTV inspection, 0 miles of cleaning, 19 manhole inspections, and 6 service calls. “We completed all the regulatory requirements, DMR, MOR, and NAR reporting,” the operator reported.
Engineering updates included a 60% design submission for Beacon Street sanitary sewer (staff reviewed and submitted comments), the Hubbles Lane relief sewer at 90% design after test pits to confirm utility depths, and a final-settling-tanks design task order awarded to Arcadis with a 12-month design schedule. A catch-basin-disconnect program remains on hold pending confirmation from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEP) or other agency approval.
On construction, crews are performing manhole rehabilitation and grounding of sewer laterals in the Samus and Bell Island sewer rehabilitation contracts. Staff reported improved inflow-and-infiltration performance in the Veil Island area following recent work and storm events.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the pump failures and whether multiple pumps had failed. The operator explained the incident arose because an alarm condition limited the RPM of a primary pump; because that pump continued running under limited RPM the station’s logic did not call an additional pump, and staff were not receiving phone alarms during the critical period. The operator said redundancy and monitoring improvements have been installed while the authority awaits a new pump station.
No formal board action was taken on these items during the meeting; updates were presented for the board’s information.
