Board approves sewer-billing adjustment for Northeastern REMC after geothermal failure

The Board of Works and Safety on July 22 unanimously approved an adjustment to Northeastern REMC’s July sewer charge after the company said a failure in buried geothermal equipment forced it to pump cooling water into a storm drain rather than the sanitary sewer. A Northeastern REMC representative told the board the company experienced carbon-monoxide alarms that delayed accessing a buried pit and that crews must “completely dismantle the equipment” to repair heat exchangers. The representative said the parts quote is 8 to 13 weeks, though outside contractors may be able to shorten that timeline. The board heard that the company’s July sewer bill was about $15,800 and that the firm has been billed on water usage even though the cooling water was discharged to storm retention ponds rather than treated at the wastewater plant. The representative said the company will continue to pay for water usage but asked that sewer charges be adjusted because the cooling water is not entering the sanitary system. Board members approved the adjustment for the July bill and directed the utility billing clerk, Leslie, to review and bring subsequent monthly utility bills back to the board for consideration until repairs are complete. The board asked the company to provide monthly updates by email and said the company need not attend each meeting unless requested. The board’s action was a formal billing adjustment; no ordinance, statute, or external approval was cited during the discussion.