Town staff warn new wastewater plant needs more tuning and likely an extra operator

Mulberry public works staff reported that the town’s new wastewater treatment plant is operating and handling storm surges but still needs technical adjustments and more staffing to run reliably.

Nick, a town staff member presenting the report, said crews had engaged the plant’s storm modes successfully during rain events but that a West Street lift station was overflowing when both pumps ran at high flow. He told the council they are working with the system integrator to change pump set points and said, “If we adjust that set point so that it comes on later, yes, that could solve the issue.”

Nick said the new single‑tank process has added testing and maintenance duties and is producing more sludge on a timed cycle, which ‘‘seems to be building pretty quickly’’ and may require more frequent hauling. He also said the revised testing schedule is time‑sensitive and increases labor demands.

“This needs to be a full‑time operator position, a standalone position,” Nick said, describing the workload and proposing the town budget for another full‑time hire. Board members asked staff to evaluate options and to return with budget implications; one council member noted the town’s slim surplus and cautioned about dipping into reserves.

The council discussed short‑term fixes, including overtime for current staff while the plant is fully brought online, and asked staff to coordinate with the plant contractor and the system firm (GRW) to optimize automated schedules and alarms. Staff committed to reporting back at the next meeting with staffing and budget recommendations.

The update also noted two recorded sewer overflows were cleaned up and reported; staff said no public backlash had emerged following those events. Punch‑list items related to phase one of the plant were submitted to the SRF funding agency but do not preclude follow‑up work under warranty or punch‑list completion.