Mount Vernon outlines plan to clear decades of lime sludge from water-treatment sites
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Summary
City staff told council the water treatment plant produces about 2,000 tons of lime byproduct annually and reported more than 42,000 tons removed since 2022; a management plan aims to clear the temporary Old Delaware Road site by fall 2026 and reach zero net accumulation by 2028.
City staff on Jan. 26 presented a drinking water treatment material report that lays out how Mount Vernon will finish removing a long-accumulated lime byproduct and prevent future backlogs. The water treatment plant produces about 2,000 tons of dewatered lime sludge a year; staff estimated a historical accumulation at the temporary storage on Old Delaware Road of more than 60,000 cubic yards (roughly 72,000 tons).
"When handled properly the lime byproduct is classified as a non hazardous waste in its dry form," said Mister Ruckman, the presentation lead, noting the material maintains an alkaline pH between 10 and 12 and can irritate skin or lungs if not managed. He said staff use protective equipment, dust suppression and adherence to Ohio EPA rules when transferring material to agricultural fields for beneficial reuse.
Ruckman reported removals since 2022 have totaled about 42,078 tons: roughly 12,745 tons in 2022, 11,900 tons in 2023, 7,040 tons in 2024 and 10,384 tons in 2025. The 2025 haul cost was about $125,000; staff estimated about 12,100 tons remained at the temporary site heading into 2026 and said the city is on pace to seasonally apply and remove that material by the end of fall 2026.
The city described an Ohio EPA order issued in September 2022 that required staged removals (7,500 cubic yards by year-end and another 7,500 by mid-2023) and said it appealed that order in October 2022 because of logistical hurdles, then negotiated phased removals and a multi-year budget for hauling.
On options for final disposition, staff said beneficial land application to farms is the primary approach. Recalcification (burning material in a kiln to recover calcium) and disposal in approved landfills are alternatives, but recalcification is generally viable only for much larger utilities. Council members asked whether nonfarm users such as golf courses or parks could accept material; staff said EPA constraints and site availability have limited those options but that the city continues to seek more farm partnerships and explore regional cooperatives or rail/truck logistics.
As a longer-term solution, staff are drafting a Drinking Water Treatment Material Management Plan that sets a 120% removal target — removing roughly 2,400 tons annually against the current 2,000-ton production rate — to eliminate backlog and keep lagoons from refilling. The plan would secure an annual removal budget (proposed at $100,000), prioritize beneficial reuse and shift funding to the water fund for stable financing. Staff said mechanical upgrades to slakers and silos could yield modest efficiency gains but would not eliminate the byproduct entirely.
Next steps: complete the management plan and continue phased removals; staff said meeting Ohio EPA milestones and contractor availability are key constraints and that the city aims to clear the temporary Old Delaware Road site by fall 2026 and achieve zero net accumulation by 2028.
