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Council hears sewer-plant report on worn screens, obsolete controls and near-term repair needs
Summary
Plant staff reported worn fine screens, an auger making noise, faulty ceiling-mounted fire monitors and obsolete control software; staff recommended soliciting bids for drum-screen replacement and other phased capital work to avoid large one-time costs.
Jeff, speaking for plant operations, updated the council on wastewater-plant performance and near-term maintenance needs. He said the plant is processing about 110,000 gallons daily, has recently deployed an auger that has reduced ragging but is producing an intermittent loud noise, and that air-relief valves and other small components are on order.
Jeff emphasized the fine-screen system (drum screens) is worn—13 years old—and provides limited redundancy. He said the screens and the single screw conveyor/auger lack redundancy and that if either piece of equipment fails, the plant would be in operational trouble. Jeff recommended soliciting bids from manufacturers (he named Huber and Parkson as examples) to assess replacement costs and suggested a phased approach to replace cassettes or trains to spread expense. He also reported fire-system ceiling monitors keep faulting and that the control panel/software is obsolete, limiting remote diagnostic ability.
Council agreed staff should solicit multiple bids and move forward with a plan to minimize long-term operating risk.
Why it matters: The plant—s maintenance needs could lead to service interruptions or higher emergency repair costs if not addressed; planned procurement and phased replacement would reduce the chance of operational failures and help budget the work.
