County staff: Calio sewer system operating at about half of permitted capacity; laundromat uses large share

Northumberland County sanitation staff told the Economic Development Commission on May 20 that the county's two wastewater plants are operating well below their permitted peak numbers in aggregate but are at roughly half of their permanent capacity in everyday use, and that specific commercial users are taking a large share of available flow in the Calio district.

The county's sanitation representative, David Bullard (staff member), said, "We have permitted 200,000 gallons a day ... and 60,000 gallons a day," and that the system is "receiving around a hundred thousand gallons a day at the recent plant, 30,000 at the calendar plant. So we're about halfway there." That framing guided discussion about growth, tap fees and whether new connections should be allowed.

Why it matters: commissioners tied the flow figures to development and to recent grant-funded upgrades. Commissioners said the current operational margin constrains new housing and commercial development in some areas and urged follow-up on permits and fee schedules.

Bullard told commissioners that an $850,000 grant paid for system changes at one plant that "convert[ed] an old part of the system into an heat pump," providing short-term buffering but not increasing the permitted discharge. He and other staff described nutrient limits (nitrogen and phosphorus) that track with flow and must be managed alongside gallons per day, and he said the system must report when it nears 95 percent of permitted capacity.

Commissioners and staff also discussed infiltration and inflow from storm events. Bullard said the system recorded "a 400,000 gallon a day event at the regional facility" during a heavy rain and that those high-flow spikes occur "anytime you we get a inch or 2 or rain in a short period of time," estimating roughly four to five such events in the past year. He said upgrades such as equalization tanks (EQ tanks) were added to hold and attenuate surges.

The commission pressed on commercial demand in Calio. Commissioners said a local laundromat appears to be using a large share of Calio's daily flow; Bullard said the laundromat was considered "a significant user" and estimated it was using about half of the Calio flow at one point during earlier data gathering, though later estimates in the meeting framed that as roughly 15,000 to 20,000 gallons per day (about 25% of Calio's 60,000-gallon permitted capacity). Commissioners said the laundromat may have been permitted by a prior board under a conditional use permit.

Commissioners also discussed tap fees and connection costs. Meeting remarks said the county's tap fee was described in different places in the discussion as about $7,500 and later as $6,000; staff clarified that the tap fee (the amount returned to the county) is the lower amount while total costs to connect a parcel can be $10,000 to $15,000 once installation is included.

Several commissioners described instances where developers performed preliminary due diligence and then withdrew because of capacity concerns. One commissioner summarized the local view bluntly: "I don't see this as we're okay because we're not okay," and said the laundromat's demand and existing soil limitations in some neighborhoods together limit short-term growth.

No ordinance change or permit decision was taken at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to follow up on three items: confirm the laundromat's permitting history and any conditions attached to that permit, reconcile the county's published tap-fee schedule with current charges for high-capacity users, and produce flow-and-nutrient monitoring data showing how frequently the system approaches reporting thresholds.

Commissioners also voted on a procedural motion during the Q&A portion to limit oral questions to the guest: a motion that the guest read prepared questions and answer them without additional live questioning passed on a 5-0 voice vote. The meeting proceeded to other agenda items after staff closed the discovery session.

The commission flagged the topic for follow-up with county staff and with state permitting authorities; a staff member said further changes to capacity would require additional permitting and funding and would likely involve the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).