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Council hears wastewater plant infiltration concerns; temporary shutdown and repairs planned
Summary
Council staff reported infiltration at a wastewater backwash lift station that drew "hundreds of thousands" of gallons from adjacent fields; staff said they will temporarily shut the station to prevent overflow and pursue repairs including epoxy sealing and scheduling contractor work in mid-May.
Council utility staff reported an infiltration problem at a wastewater backwash lift station that is allowing groundwater from a nearby field to enter the system in large volumes.
"There's a pretty good [inflow] coming in from the field," said John (staff member), describing water flowing around a pipe penetration where a service connection passes through the lift-station wall. John said samples taken after Peerless Midwest's repair of Well 4 came back clean and that regulatory reports (MRO/DMR and CCR certification) have been filed with state regulators.
Fred (council member) recounted a short-term fix discussed with staff: "Well, just shut it off," he said, noting that taking the lift station out of service would prevent overflows while a permanent repair is developed. Staff described options such as external injection of epoxy or polyurethane sealant around the pipe penetration and adding an hour meter to help track run time and wear.
Council and staff discussed scheduling contractor work; staff said IPW could begin repairs around May 19. In addition, lagoon discharges with appropriate disinfection were planned to resume once testing confirmed safe conditions.
The council did not take formal action during the report but asked staff to schedule repairs, monitor flows, and report back with cost estimates and a timeline.
