Wastewater operator says plant upgrades and chemical changes should address ADAM warning on E. coli readings

Matt Butler, the city's wastewater operations staff, told the Fayette City Council the utility has taken a series of procedural and equipment steps after receiving a warning letter from “ADAM.” Butler said the plant recorded elevated E. coli counts and that staff has ‘‘changed to a process’’ and increased sanitizer dosing to reduce bacterial readings.

Butler described a recent period when the plant lost supplemental flow that had kept media moist, saying the media ‘‘dried out on the filter’’ and that a laboratory measurement showed a high colony count that triggered the warning. He said the plant has installed new compressors and is using transparent tanks so operators can monitor bleach feed more closely, and that he is ordering additional chemicals to avoid running low.

Butler summarized the operational picture for the council: ‘‘We all know that we're going through a huge upgrade...we've got new comps installed and they're working. We're monitoring our moment levels every day.’’ He also explained how weekly high readings affect monthly averages, noting that a high weekly value can push the monthly average above permit thresholds.

Council members asked technical questions about whether the sanitizer in use kills E. coli and about the relationship between weekly and monthly averages; Butler said the previous sanitizer level was insufficient and that he had ‘‘changed to a process that I can look up’’ and would order more chemicals immediately. Butler said staff believes the changes will address the problem and invited council members to visit the plant for more detail.

The council did not take formal action at the meeting; Butler said he was presenting the response to be transparent while final steps are completed.

Ending: The council accepted the update and asked staff to keep them informed; Butler said he would await any further correspondence and respond to the ADAM letter as needed.