Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Council discusses sewer plant membrane cleaning, staff to validate results
Loading...
Summary
At its Jan. 27 work session, the Mono City Council heard that one set of sewer filters was submerged and chemically treated; staff said a validation test due the next day will show whether cleaning restored flow and prolonged membrane life.
At a Jan. 27 Mono City Council work session, the council heard an update on repairs to the city sewer plant and a plan to test whether recent membrane cleaning restored the system's performance.
The chair said crews and a consultant from Viola inspected the plant and “we've got, one set of filters being submerged and cleaning right now,” adding that the city should know by the following day how much benefit the procedure produced. The chair described the report from the consultant as “very, very good,” and said if the cleaning works the council will rotate cleaning between tanks and be able to return the affected side to operation.
Chris (staff) said the membranes “are supposed to be cleaned” on a maintenance schedule and described the function of a validation test: if a measured restriction improves from the current approximately −11% toward roughly −3% to −4%, the cleaning is actually allowing fluid to pass through the membranes rather than simply building back pressure. He added that regular cleaning would also reduce wear on pumps.
Council members discussed putting a contract to reimburse the consultant or pay for further work on a future meeting agenda; staff said a contract item is listed on the agenda and the amount noted on the agenda represents a maximum, so actual invoices could be lower. The chair said the consultant was on site for a short visit, will report on findings, and the city expects the cost to be less than the highest amount quoted.
Why it matters: the membranes are a core component of the treatment plant; if cleaning restores flow the city can extend the life of recently purchased membranes and avoid earlier premature failures. Council members emphasized the need for a follow-up validation test and a regular cleaning schedule—initially monthly while problems are addressed, then moving to every six months if performance stabilizes.
Next steps: staff will run the validation test and report results at the next meeting; the council signaled willingness to place any contract or reimbursement for consultant work on a future agenda for formal action if required.