Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tracer Study Wastewater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $17,650 more for tracer study after pump failures disrupted tests
Summary
Council authorized an additional $17,650 to West Yost Associates to complete a Title 22 tracer study after pump failures and valve leaks at the tertiary plant interrupted testing; plant staff described equipment failures and a plan to upgrade pumps and repair valves.
The Island City Council on April 15 approved an additional $17,650 to West Yost Associates to complete a Title 22 tracer study after equipment failures and leaks at the tertiary treatment plant disrupted testing.
Justin, a wastewater staff member who oversaw the tracer test, described multiple mechanical failures during April trials: the tertiary plant's decant pump compressor failed, a lift-station pump (pump number 2) failed, and gate-valve leaks in the contact tanks caused flow problems that prevented a valid test at low flow rates. He said pump failures required manual operations and a loaner pump on short-term loan while a repair is arranged.
Why it matters: the tracer study and Title 22 reporting are technical steps toward validating treatment performance and regulatory compliance; equipment failures revealed vulnerabilities in the tertiary plant's pump station and valves that staff said need repair.
What happened during the tests Justin said day 1 of the tracer test was affected when the decant pump station compressor failed and staff ran the station manually. Shortly thereafter, tertiary-plant lift-station pump number 2 also went down, leaving the plant with a single pump to move about 1,400,000 gallons and causing a large backup. On day 3 he reported that valve leaks in contact tanks caused outflow to exceed inflow at low flow rates, preventing acceptable testing.
Funding request and council action City staff and West Yost requested an amendment of $17,650 to the existing task order ($265,500 originally approved) to cover re-testing and report completion. After the council continued the item briefly to obtain the contract history, council voted to authorize the additional funds and directed staff to proceed.
Staff recommendations Justin recommended completing the existing pump station upgrades in the current year and converting the decant pump to a submersible unit that is easier to maintain and replace. Staff said a loaner pump is in place while permanent repairs proceed.
Ending note Council approved the additional funding in order to complete the tracer test and Title 22 reporting; staff said repairs and a backup strategy are being implemented to reduce future testing risk.
