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Water & Sewer superintendent reports EPA inspection clear; commissioners name Travis Taylor operator of record
Summary
Water & Sewer Superintendent Oscar Carson told commissioners the plant passed a recent EPA inspection with no violations; the board appointed Travis Taylor as Operator of Record during Carson's absence and asked staff to research metering of fire protection lines.
Water & Sewer Superintendent Oscar Carson updated the Athens County Board of Commissioners on March 25 that a recent EPA inspection of the county plant found no violations and only minor recommendations.
Carson told the board that the plant inspection produced no violations and that a formal response letter from EPA is expected. He also described staffing and licensing needs: a primary operator is required onsite at least 20 hours per week, staff members assist with operations and logging duties, and one staff member (Owen) is not yet fully licensed. Commissioners discussed relying on fully licensed operators for compliance and the future assignment of operator roles once licensing is complete.
Carson raised concerns about the county’s practice of unmetered fire protection/sprinkler lines at new buildings, noting municipalities or owners may bear water costs during leaks or incidents. He said industry reasoning includes a concern that meters can create flow restrictions; commissioners asked Carson to research code applicability, metering requirements and potential solutions such as larger meters, and to send draft responses to the Prosecutor’s Office for legal review before issuing.
Following those updates, the board unanimously (2–0 with Chmiel absent) approved a motion by Charlie Adkins, seconded by Lenny Eliason, appointing Travis Taylor as Operator of Record when Supt. Carson is absent.
Separately, the board approved HSTS replacement project soil bid recommendations from project staff: JR's Construction & Excavating was recommended as the lowest complete bidder for two replacement septic system evaluations, with one project listed as 85% funded and the other 100% funded. Commissioners also approved a Water Pollution Control Agreement and retained the WPCLF loan packet as part of the project record.
