Rhinebeck sewer operator reports progress, corrects sampling error; minor permit exceedance noted

H2O, the village’s new sewer operator, reported operational improvements at Rhinebeck’s wastewater treatment plants and told residents the village has submitted a corrective report to DEC after a sampling-parameter error.

The meeting opened with a reminder that H2O started its contract Aug. 1 and that "The DEC consent order, the fine was reduced to $5,000," an official said. Les Coe, senior area manager for H2O, described a number of targeted fixes at the older Plant 1B — including installing a feed pump that keeps the plant supplied at a steady rate — and reported that a summer lab error had led the facility to test the carbonaceous parameter (CBOD) rather than the required seasonal parameter (BOD/VOD) from June through August.

Why it matters: permit parameters and monitoring dictate whether a treatment plant is in formal compliance and whether follow-up reports or enforcement are required. Les Coe said the village reported the testing error to DEC and filed the corrected information in the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) so the agency has a record of the mistake and the corrective steps.

Operational details and sampling results Les Coe said the pump installed on Plant 1B now feeds the plant at roughly "right around between 6 and 8 gallons a minute," which has smoothed inflow and helped maintain a healthier biological food-to-mass ratio in the reactors. He also said an outside controls technician confirmed the tertiary sand filter operates in automatic mode, but H2O is keeping it in manual while biological conditions stabilize to avoid unintended backwash loops at night.

On the sampling issue, Coe said the wrong parameter was tested "due to simple human error" and that staff "called the DEC" and reported the issue immediately. H2O retested in September; the first September VOD sample at Plant 1A was 5.7 mg/L, above the seasonal limit of 5.0 mg/L by about 0.7 mg/L. Coe said other permit limits for the same period were within required thresholds.

He provided plant-level results: on Sept. 18 Plant 1A showed VOD 5.7 (limit 5.0), TSS 1.5 (limit 10), and ammonia-as-nitrate 0.09 (limit 0.98). Plant 1B showed TSS 1.4, ammonia <0.05, and a minimum dissolved-oxygen reading of 7 (meeting the permit minimum); coliform/enterococci measurements were well under relevant limits.

Corrective steps and monitoring Coe described proactive interventions — including locating the source of a rising ammonia reading and cleaning tanks — and said the mayor approved purchases of diagnostic equipment to better determine appropriate wasting rates and process settings. He described a live interface, "Waterly," that the village uses to receive operator-entered readings: the system provides near-instant visibility when the on-site operator inputs data but does not provide continuous remote, automated monitoring.

Community guidance and next steps Village staff and operators urged residents to avoid flushing wipes and to be mindful of grease and water-softener maintenance because household practices can affect plant operations. Officials also said the village will continue regular reporting on the sewer page of its website and schedule focused follow-up meetings on expansion, wetland testing and decentralized systems. The meeting closed with thanks to staff and community partners and a commitment to continue sharing information.

The village did not announce enforcement actions beyond the existing DEC consent order; staff say the priority is continued monitoring, targeted equipment purchases and ensuring correct parameters are tested going forward.