Carroll County updates public on radium tests and wastewater control-box work that could require temporary pumping

Carroll County officials told the commission on June 2 that a high radium reading late last year has forced more frequent testing and that scheduled electrical work at the wastewater plant and water-tank construction could require temporary pumping or other contingency measures.

The county’s public works presenter, identified in the meeting as a staff member (Cody), said the county recorded a radium 226/228 result of 27 during fourth-quarter testing last year — well above the typical maximum of 5 used in the county’s testing regimen — and that the county has since returned to readings of about 2.25 and 2.0 in subsequent quarters. “We had 27, that came up last in fourth quarter,” the staff member said. “So what that does is it puts you into now every quarter we have to test for this…until our yearly average comes down.”

The staff member said the state advised the county that the spike may be related to drought conditions or other broader factors and that the state rejected a request to treat the fourth-quarter result as an isolated lab error by re‑testing in immediate succession. The county will continue quarterly monitoring until its annual average returns below the regulatory threshold.

At the wastewater plant, the same staff member said crews are installing three new control panels and that the plant must be taken offline while electricians install the equipment and an outside contractor performs final programming (“commissioning”). That shutdown requires the plant to be pumped and dewatered for short periods to allow safe installation. The presenter estimated the cost of a full pumping could be “about $1,215,000” if a full haul is required, though he said the hauler suggested partial solutions (fewer truckloads) may reduce costs.

County staff emphasized they will not compromise fire protection or the nursing home’s domestic water supply in any plan to take a tank or the plant offline. “We won’t shut the tank down if that’s not correct. That’s a top [priority],” the presenter said, describing engineering work to ensure sufficient fire suppression flows while a tank is emptied for construction. The county is exploring “plan B” measures intended to limit outages to two weeks or less, and it has ordered hydrant extensions to improve access and flow at some hydrants near deep installations.

The presenter also described a pre-construction meeting for “contract 4,” a tank rehabilitation project scheduled for this summer and said engineers are developing options to preserve adequate fire flows to the nursing home while tanks are emptied for work.

Why it matters: the county’s water and wastewater systems supply residents and critical institutions including the nursing home. Extended outages or insufficient fire flows would require contingency planning, notification and potentially added costs to pump and haul wastewater or to add temporary fire-suppression volume.

Commissioners asked technical questions about lab procedures, retesting and timelines; staff said the state is the authority on sample interpretation and that the county is following state guidance. No formal vote or policy change was taken during the presentation; staff said they would continue quarterly radium monitoring and return with updates if contingency work is required or costs become certain.