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Veolia reports repeated electrical and VFD failures, new conduit work completed at Charlton plant
Summary
Veolia staff told the Charlton Water & Sewer Commission on July 9 that multiple failures of EQ pumps and variable-frequency drives required excavation and conduit replacement; SCADA/alerting problems and several grinder pump household calls were also discussed.
Veolia staff reported on July 9 that a series of electrical failures and repeated VFD (variable frequency drive) problems at the wastewater treatment plant prompted excavation work to replace damaged conduit and wiring, temporary outages of pump control systems and a SCADA alarm‑calling outage that required outside assistance to restore full alarm notifications.
Dennis, Veolia92s on-site operator, told the commission the problems began in May and continued into June. Troubleshooting showed repeated failures of wiring and conduit encased in concrete; Veolia contracted a local excavation firm to replace the conduit with new PVC and abandon the damaged duct bank in place. Dennis said the work was completed in June and the plant has been more stable since the replacement.
The team also reported several burned‑out VFDs and an incident in which the MCC panel tripped and temporarily took the plant offline; staff said the outage was resolved quickly and no customers were impacted. Dennis said Veolia continues to investigate occasional VFD overloads and has contacted the VFD manufacturer for support. The SCADA alarm‑calling system (referred to as the WIN911 calling system) also failed during the troubleshooting period; Veolia engaged a SCADA specialist to restore and test alarm notifications.
At the customer level, Veolia described an increase in residential pump calls in lake neighborhoods as seasonal properties have returned to use. Recent house calls included pump replacements, float replacements and sanitary line clogs; one location required contractor vacuuming. Veolia said it has performed routine maintenance at several pump stations, addressed poison ivy and landscaping around station sites, and replaced wet‑end parts at the North Main pump station; Slim Sewer completed that pump work and staff reported the station is operating quietly after follow‑up adjustments.
On longer‑term items, staff and commissioners reiterated that Wright‑Pierce is the engineer on headworks replacement design and that the town previously approved funding to purchase screens and to fund engineering. Dennis and Vinny Masterson said the headworks design is still under review with Wright‑Pierce and that capital budgeting will be required for the full replacement. Staff said they saw no permit compliance violations arising from the recent electrical problems and that chemical usage has remained within normal ranges for the months under review.
Why this matters: Electrical and control failures can increase operations and maintenance costs and raise the risk of service interruptions. The completed conduit replacement resolved the immediate wiring failures, but Veolia and commissioners said follow‑up on VFD interactions and SCADA reliability will continue.
Next steps: Veolia will continue manufacturer troubleshooting on VFD behavior, monitor SCADA and alarm calling reliability, and provide monthly operating updates to the commission.
