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Wastewater plant reports lower budget after septage-hauler switch; belt press arrival expected
Summary
Wastewater Treatment Plant manager Rich Schlager told the board the department reduced its budget about $30,000 from last year, chiefly from switching to a lower-cost septage hauler; a used belt press has been purchased but not yet installed; the sewer fund balance was reported at $409,072 at year-end 2023.
Rich Schlager, representing the wastewater treatment plant, updated the Board of Selectmen on the plant’s budget and operations on Oct. 29, saying the plant’s expense budget is roughly $30,000 lower than last year largely because the town found a lower-cost septage hauler.
Schlager said the prior hauler charged about $2,000 per pickup while a secondary vendor now charges about $600 per pickup, producing immediate savings. He said the plant has ordered a belt press (used) that has not yet been installed; when operational, Schlager estimated significant reductions in water use and disposal costs because the press will produce drier sludge and reduce weight-based hauling fees.
Board members asked about emergency expenditure lines (a $50,000 contingency was budgeted but not spent) and whether outside lab and testing costs reflected evolving permit requirements; Schlager explained the CMOM report and other permitting-driven testing accounted for variable lab costs.
The sewer fund balance at the end of 2023 was reported as $409,072; staff agreed to provide revenue detail to complement the expense worksheet for future presentations.
