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Baldwin City staff report ammonia upset, ongoing flow losses and infrastructure upgrades at water and wastewater plants
Summary
City staff told the council a recent ammonia/nitrogen spike at the wastewater plant was driven by a suspected industrial ‘slug’; temporary aerators restored permit compliance, a replacement aerator is on order, and staff outlined upgrades (SCADA control panel) and projects that exceeded budget and need further funding.
City water and wastewater staff reported to the Baldwin City Council on July 15 that an ammonia and nitrogen upset at the city’s wastewater treatment plant was caused by a wastewater “slug” that staff suspect originated from an industrial discharge. The council heard that temporary aerators were installed and the plant returned to permit compliance while the replacement aerator and a spare motor remain on order.
The presentation, given by water/wastewater staff, said the Baldwin water treatment plant treated 74.22 million gallons for the reported month and that the wastewater treatment facility treated about 11.88 million gallons. The transcript records an “average flow of 2.39 per day” for the water plant and an “average flow of 382,000 gallons per day” for the wastewater plant; the speaker did not consistently specify units for the water‑plant figures in the record.
Why it matters: the upset required temporary operational changes and highlighted several infrastructure and planning needs — aging equipment, unaccounted-for water in the distribution system, stormwater inflow and infiltration in the sewer system, and capital projects that have come in over budget.
City staff described operational fixes and planned upgrades. “We installed two temporary aerators and the facility is back in permit compliance,” the water/wastewater staff said, noting the new permanent aerator was expected within “three weeks” of the report. Staff also described an upgrade to the plant SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system that is about 90% complete and said replacement of an outdated control panel is expected by September or October, which the speaker said will allow operators greater remote access and improved security and controls.
Staff emphasized continuing problems with unaccounted-for water — water produced but not reaching end customers — and with inflow and infiltration tied to stormwater entering the sewer collection system. The speaker said the city previously completed a sanitary sewer evaluation survey that now needs updating to identify collection-system repairs; staff recommended zone meters, additional storage capacity and exploring groundwater options as possible mitigation steps.
Two capital projects were singled out as requiring more funding: the solids-handling building and a pre‑treatment system. Both projects were put out to bid and came in over the current budget, and staff said they are working with the CAO to identify alternative funding mechanisms so the projects can proceed.
The presentation included a brief anecdote about economic development capacity — staff recounted meeting a mayor who credited an economic development director with obtaining an $18 million award — and staff suggested Baldwin would benefit from similar grant-seeking capacity.
What’s next: staff said draft ordinance language and rate-related items will be shared with council and legal counsel; council discussion indicated a revised water/sewer ordinance and further review of the capital funding gap are expected in August or early September.
