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Norwalk WPCA hears Veolia report showing steady operations; primary tank concrete deterioration noted
Summary
Veolia told the Norwalk Water Pollution Control Authority on July 21 that June operations met permit requirements and routine inspections and repairs continued, though staff found chunks of internal concrete in primary tank No. 4 and will pursue further study.
Norwalk Water Pollution Control Authority members on July 21 received Veolia’s monthly operations report for June, which the contractor said showed routine inspections and maintenance, regulatory compliance and one notable structural issue at the treatment plant.
The report matters because infrastructure problems at the treatment plant can affect sewer reliability and may require capital work or permit-level notifications. Veolia summarized the utility’s inspection, maintenance and near-term monitoring needs and said permit reports were filed on schedule.
Veolia representative Steve Brock summarized June field and plant work, saying, “We had a good month.” Brock reported 0.57 miles of closed-circuit television inspection, 6.2 miles of sewer cleaning, 140 manhole inspections, 7.7 miles of SLRAT work and six service calls. He said the collection crews completed 32 industrial pretreatment (IPP) inspections in June.
On the plant side, Veolia installed two new level sensors in both bisulfite storage tanks after erratic readings produced false alarms; Brock said, “They’re working great now.” The contractor also reported strong nitrogen performance in June, citing 566 pounds versus a 715-pound target.
Brock told the authority that primary tank No. 4 was taken offline for repair after it stopped collecting sludge. “We found some chunks of internal concrete coming off,” he said, and described that issue as part of follow-up work from a previously completed study. He did not give a repair schedule during the meeting.
The report noted a recent heavy rain event that brought roughly 1.5 inches of rain over about six to eight hours; the transcript records a peak flow figure of 29,000,000 (unit not specified in the transcript), and Brock said the plant did not go into storm flow and recovered quickly. Veolia also reported it met all permit conditions for June and submitted required regulatory documents, including the net DMR, MOR, NAR and the ATMR to DEEP, and the quarterly sludge report to Synagro.
Brock said staff are preparing the permit renewal application for the discharge permit, which he said is due in late September. He also noted ongoing work at the Old Trolley Way pump station (construction complete) and other field projects that will be discussed under capital projects and the annual progress report.
No public speakers addressed the operations report at the meeting. The authority did not take formal action on plant repairs during the session; staff indicated additional study and follow-up would continue.
