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Consultants urge phased WWTP upgrades, flag ventilation and UV as highest risks
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Summary
OHM Advisors presented the City of Milan Wastewater Treatment Plant Asset Management Plan recommending phased replacement of UV units, headworks ventilation upgrades, FlexRake screening rehabilitation, improved wet‑well lighting, and a $3.615 million five‑year CIP to address high‑risk assets and regulatory obligations under NPDES Permit MI0021571.
OHM Advisors presented an updated Asset Management Plan for the City of Milan Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Jan. 17 council meeting. The consulting report combines an asset inventory and condition assessment with Business Risk Exposure (BRE) scoring and a recommended 5‑year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) totaling $3,615,000 (2022 dollars).
Key recommendations: rehabilitate the Headworks FlexRake screening to reduce openings from 3/8‑inch to 1/4‑inch (included in Year 5 CIP); replace undersized or inoperative Headworks Building air handling units and implement operational modifications (Year 2 CIP) with an odor study to determine whether full odor‑control equipment is warranted; install explosion‑proof LED wet‑well lighting per NFPA 820 (Year 4, est. $75,000); and replace the aging Aquionics UV disinfection system with horizontal in‑channel units (recommended), scheduling replacements across Years 1, 3 and 4 at about $300,000 per unit.
OHM noted the tertiary sand filters remain available but mothballed since the plant expansion and recommended refurbishing the sand media as a lower‑cost option unless long‑term flow capacity needs exceed the 3.75 MGD cap, in which case disc filters would provide greater capacity within the existing footprint though at a higher cost. The report highlighted several nonfunctional or near‑end‑of‑life assets (pumps, mixers, UV components) and prioritized them using BRE scores; approximately 35% of assets were judged medium‑high to high risk. The AMP ties the asset plan to regulatory obligations: the Milan WWTP operates under NPDES Permit No. MI0021571, which requires an AMP and ongoing reporting and monitoring obligations including whole effluent toxicity, PFOS/PFOA monitoring, and pollutant minimization programs.
OHM recommended the City consider SRF loans or municipal bonds for larger projects after the current bond is paid in 2026 and to update the AMP annually and prepare a 20‑year CIP for long‑term planning.