Swansea public works outlines recycling pilot, equipment purchase and wastewater training plans

Public works staff provided the Board of Selectmen with a multi-part operations update that described a pilot for plastics recycling, equipment needs at the transfer station, ongoing shipments of glass to Canada and steps to complete wastewater operator certification and a phosphorus-removal pilot.

The update matters because the proposals affect the town’s recycling revenue, on-site operations and staffing: the recycling pilot could produce new bales for sale, a second skid steer would reduce rental costs and downtime, and the wastewater work affects regulatory compliance and operator certification timelines.

Josh (public works staff) told the board the transfer station has begun a 3–7 plastics pilot and is averaging “about a bin every week and a half” at roughly “60.70 pounds a bin,” and that the program will be evaluated after the first bale is produced. He said pricing and storage logistics remain under review and that the facility currently has limited space for additional balers. “We started the 3 through 7 classic pilot program,” Josh said, describing contamination and storage challenges.

On equipment, staff proposed buying a second skid steer with a rock bucket to reduce wear on the current machine and avoid rental costs that run “about $1,300 a week.” Josh said the town’s existing machine, purchased in 2022, has logged about 2,800 hours and that an extra unit would provide redundancy and speed processing at the compost and brush piles. He said a new machine’s list price would be in the neighborhood of $60,000–$65,000 before any municipal discounts or grants; a $5,000 grant opportunity was noted as a possible offset.

Staff outlined waste-oil building replacement and site-improvement plans tied to a potential $2,000 waste-oil grant. The plan calls for a three-bay layout (two bays for waste handling and one for universal waste such as fluorescent bulbs and other mercury-containing devices) to free warehouse space and provide internal storage for plastics 3–7.

On glass and outbound shipments, Josh said the town has been shipping glass to Ontario, reporting a lower trucking/processing cost (about $25 a ton) compared with other markets. He said the transfer station is scheduling shipments and expects another load in the coming weeks; storage constraints are driving plans to rebuild the glass bunker with additional block cells.

At the wastewater treatment plant, staff reported participation in a phosphorus-removal pilot with Underwood Engineers that used composite jar testing and hourly sampling. Josh said the pilot results were reviewed in a webinar and that the plant is arranging storage for chemicals and planning how to feed the treatment chemicals into the headworks. He also described his certification progress: he has completed most of the required training hours (about 194 of 225), had an on-site interview with state staff, and expects to finish the remaining hours by June 6 to be independently certified.

Staff presented program metrics: a current diversion rate of 32.75 percent and projected recycling revenue increases once the inventory of outbound bales ships. Josh estimated the town could see roughly $65,000 in recycling revenue this year if current shipments proceed as scheduled; he said aluminum bales were priced in some market quotes at about $0.78 per pound. He also summarized operational changes including new signage, improved compactor maintenance and a reorganization of processing windows to ease traffic at the facility.

Discussion and next steps: staff said they will monitor contamination in the 3–7 plastics stream, bale the material after a sufficient collection, determine storage needs and then announce a public rollout. They will pursue grant funding for equipment, coordinate the waste-oil building permit with the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and schedule the glass bunker rebuild to align with outbound shipments.

Less-urgent items include a potential future food-waste diversion program in 2026 and proposals to expand transfer-station hours, which staff said would require additional analysis and scheduling changes for staff coverage.

The board did not take a binding vote on purchases during this update; staff were directed to return with final cost estimates and grant-application results before procurement.