Board hears updates on wastewater plant compliance, digester coating dispute and treatment revenues

Public works staff updated the Board of Public Works on Jan. 6 about ongoing compliance work at the city wastewater treatment plant, a contractor dispute over digester coatings and the plant’s revenue from accepting hauled high-strength waste.

Robert Garski reported that Donahue Engineering is developing preliminary alternative compliance plans aimed at meeting a June 2025 phosphorus-compliance deadline. “This will probably be an ongoing thing till right up to that June 2025 deadline,” Garski said, adding staff expect several meetings as designers develop options.

Separately, the board heard that work to recoat a digester has stalled and is now at the attorney-review level after two prior failures. A board member asked about recouping lost revenue from Galloway, the company whose operations were discussed in connection with the digester downtime. Garski said the city has been communicating with both contractors and attorneys and noted pursuing bonding claims against the prime contractor could take years and generate significant legal costs.

Staff also reported operating constraints: the plant has been running on one digester, affecting methane production that previously offset energy costs. Garski said the city recorded $284,442.04 in revenue from hauled septic and high-strength waste for the year; a separate firm, identified in board notes as GLK, contributed $56,718.79 when disposing waste during its plant disruptions.

Board members asked whether the city could document lost revenue and pursue damages; staff said conversations among attorneys were active but that litigation would be a lengthy process and that the parties were trying to work toward a cooperative resolution. No formal action or direction to pursue litigation was taken at the meeting.

The board requested continued updates as Donahue finalizes compliance plans and as attorney discussions over the digester coating proceed.