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Millersville officials report wastewater plant sludge release; cleanup under way, DEP and Fish & Boat notified
Summary
Council discussed a recent waste-activated sludge release from the borough wastewater treatment plant. Staff reported cleanup actions, agency notifications and uncertain potential fines; plant staff described a control-panel programming failure and temporary operational restrictions while repairs continue.
Millersville Borough Council spent part of its meeting on March 25 discussing an incident at the borough wastewater treatment plant in which waste-activated sludge overflowed from sequencing batch reactor (SBR) tanks onto adjacent grass and into the Conestoga River. Borough staff described on-site cleanup work, coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Fish and Boat Commission, and steps taken to prevent recurrence.
Borough Manager Rebecca introduced the item and said documentation, a timeline and cleanup steps had been provided to council. Public Works/plant staff member Les (first name used in meeting) described a control-panel replacement and a programming fault that prevented alarms from signaling when a sludge waste valve failed to close. Les said the valve did not operate properly during a weekend sequence, which allowed sludge to overflow.
Les said portions of previously treated material reached grass areas and a nearby waterway but added that much of the material settled out close to the plant. He reported field measures taken with DEP and Fish and Boat staff, including deployment of silt sock along the stream bank and onsite removal and drying of solids. "Most of that material settled out before you... Most of that is drying up on the grass. We're planning on raking the rest of that up here before it rains again," Les said.
Estimates provided in the meeting about the volume released varied in the discussion: Les described on the record that "about 300,000 gallons" were involved, and at another point a figure of approximately 407,000 gallons was referenced; the two digesters’ combined holding capacity and the exact quantities were discussed as estimates. Council members asked technical follow-ups about the control-panel replacement, alarm programming and steps to test the system. Les said the sludge-waste valves have been locked out at night and will be run only during the day until staff is confident the programming and alarms function reliably.
The borough reported that DEP and the Fish and Boat Commission responded quickly; DEP recommended containment steps and staff said Fish and Boat officials noted that intent is not a factor in their review. Borough staff said no formal notice of fines had been received as of the meeting. "As soon as we get communication from either DEP or Fish and Boat Commission, we will certainly let you know," Rebecca said.
Council and staff praised plant personnel for their response and authorized staff to continue remediation, engineering and legal follow-up as needed. The mayor read a letter of appreciation for Les and plant crew members who worked on the response later in the meeting.
No formal enforcement action or fines were recorded at the meeting; council directed staff to report any communications or enforcement notices from state agencies back to council promptly.
