Clayton council delays decision on wastewater treatment operator; seeks time to review proposals

The Town of Clayton council heard proposals for wastewater treatment plant operations and maintenance and deferred a final selection until the next meeting to allow time for review and a potential transition. Presenters included Tom Asbury of Asbury Water Technology and the incumbent plant operator (identified in the meeting as Sean).

Tom Asbury, representing Asbury Water Technology, described his company as a family business that has provided utility operations and plant management since 1979 and emphasized the firm’s local experience and owner perspective. "...I think would would come in handy for for a small town like this," Asbury said, noting Asbury Water Technology operates nearby and manages other local utilities.

The current operator gave a monthly report to the council: February flow was 3,497,900 gallons (an average daily flow of about 124,930 gallons per day); treatment removals were reported in the high‑90 percent range and the plant had no violations that month. The operator reported recent maintenance: installation of spare blowers, replacement of a seized check valve on blower 1, and completion of an alarm system tied to the plant’s telemetry. He also recommended purchasing replacement spare blowers to have adequate backup and noted the OmniSite monitoring system needs activation by the town (an annual fee) before remote alarms will operate.

Council members asked about emergency breakdowns and how corrective maintenance would be handled; staff and presenters said emergency repairs are handled case‑by‑case, with immediate communication to town leadership and, where possible, temporary fixes followed by full repairs. Council members agreed to review the submitted quotes and return to the item next month; one council member advised allowing at least a month’s notice to any new operator so the outgoing operator can brief and provide a handover.