Clayton water department reports short overflows, rising phosphorus requirement and troubleshooting at treatment plant

Jeff Moer, speaking for the village’s water and wastewater operations, told trustees the plant experienced a brief sanitary sewer overflow after an intense rain event that dumped nearly 1.9 inches in an hour and overwhelmed bar screens. He said operators cleared and reported the overflow; the village filed a noncompliance report as required.

Jeff said the village must meet a new phosphorus limit (below 1 mg/L) starting in September. To comply, staff plan to increase use of a polymer coagulant (identified in the meeting as 'Stern pack'), which Jeff said costs about $437 per gallon and will be used more sparingly than before. He also said the plant’s advanced treatment upgrade now gives the facility a rated monthly-average capacity of 2.0 million gallons per day, though instantaneous peaks exceeded that during the storm.

Staff noted turbidity sensor anomalies at the water plant that likely stem from air entrainment; they are working with suppliers to diagnose and plan a filter rebuild in coming weeks. Jeff also described ongoing preventative maintenance, generator servicing and contractor engagements, and said the village is coordinating with outside haulers for sludge removal while seeking longer-term solutions to reduce inflow and infiltration from stormwater.

Trustees questioned whether fines would follow noncompliance events and discussed short-term mitigation options (manhole covers, targeted repairs, smoke testing to find illegal storm connections). The board agreed to workshop potential corrective steps and to consider both in‑house and contracted remedies.