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Charlton sewer plant reports equipment failures, caustic delay and extra wet‑well cleanings in January
Summary
Sewer staff told the Water‑Sewer Commission that January operations included multiple equipment failures, a delayed caustic delivery that required temporary lime dosing, and recurring wet‑well blockages requiring contractor cleanings; no permit exceedances were reported.
The Town of Charlton Water‑Sewer Commission heard an operations report for January 2025 on March 5, 2025, that described multiple equipment failures, a short‑term chemical shortage and recurring wet‑well cleanings at several pump stations.
The report was delivered by Vinny, the town sewer operator. He said the plant staff — Zach Campbell, Mike Durocha and Amy Nossos — completed Veolia’s monthly inspection and implemented an expanded monthly and annual inspection program. "Compliance for the month, the DMI was entered into the CDX on February 14 with no exceedances," Vinny said.
The report listed operations and maintenance work the plant performed. Staff and outside contractors removed a blockage in piping outside the headworks after repeated attempts to suction and blow the line; they also cleaned ferric spill containment and reinstalled a 700‑pound magnetic drum with outside assistance. Vinny noted preventive maintenance (PM) work: aeration blowers received PMs, new belts where needed, oil changes and greasing; the phosphax and alkalinity analyzers received PMs and calibrations; and the lab set up a new timed distiller for test water.
Equipment failures included a noncommunicating influent composite sampler head (a replacement was ordered and arrived the day of the meeting) and a flash‑tank motor whose gearbox had bad bearings. "The motor and the gear drive were bad," Vinny said; crews borrowed a spare gear drive from another part of the COMAG system while the manufacturer ships a replacement.
A delayed delivery of caustic soda, used to maintain permitted pH, required staff to dose a temporary lime slurry. Vinny said the plant normally keeps about 20 days of caustic on site and "we can go from 20 days to 0 days really quick if the usage is up." Cold weather had frozen tubing from the bulk tank on some days; crews insulated and heat‑wrapped piping to stop the freezes.
System events included multiple power outages in town that triggered checks of pump stations. The report said Old Worcester Road and North Starbridge Road pump stations experienced high‑level alarms caused by trash and debris buildups; contractors Flint’s and LaFleur were called to clean wet wells and troubleshoot controls. The Route 20 pump station — a wet well installed as part of an Amazon‑sponsored project — showed a surface biomass and heavy scum. Vinny said crews removed much of it but did not finish the job and expect quarterly cleanings going forward.
The plant sent eight loads of sludge to Cranston for disposal and received four totes of caustic. Vinny closed the report by inviting questions from commissioners.
