Committee accepts $2 million EPA grant to study sludge disposition; design costs may exceed funding

The Brockton Finance Committee on June 2 recommended favorably acceptance and expenditure of a $2 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to study options for sludge disposition at the city wastewater treatment plant.

DPW Commissioner Pat Hill told the committee the money will fund an engineer-led design process and pledged to provide the resulting report and recommendation to the full council before any construction decisions are made. Council members had postponed action at a prior meeting to gather more information.

Councilwoman Consuelinda Castro summarized a May 28 briefing with CDM Smith and officials, saying the federal allocation originated as a $5 million congressional earmark (reported as $3 million for Crescent Street pool renovation and $2 million for sludge work). She reported CDM Smith’s design estimate exceeded $3 million and that earlier project cost estimates rose from $32 million in 2021 to roughly $40 million now.

Castro relayed technical points presented by CDM Smith: drying sludge reduces moisture and volume by about 25 percent and produces a drier end product that can reduce truck traffic; the design must include demolition of a decommissioned incinerator and address potential hazardous materials such as asbestos gaskets. She also said environmental impacts — what the process would release into the air and potential odor or sound impacts — remain questions to be studied.

Commissioner Hill said trucking sludge to out‑of‑state facilities has cost the city roughly $3.7 million in FY25 and that the grant-funded study will take about 18 months; construction would follow and could take about 12 months if pursued. The committee voted to recommend accepting the grant; Hill said the city will share the engineer’s report with councilors before moving forward.