Waldo utility staff report effluent compliance, equipment repairs and scheduled maintenance

At its April 14 meeting the Waldo Water & Sewer Utility Board received the March utility operations and lab report, which said all effluent parameters met permit requirements and that phosphorus remained below effluent limits, according to staff member Mike Kitzerow.

The report said the new effluent sampler controller has been installed and is operating. The board was also told that the wastewater treatment plant generator was repaired; staff reported the failure stemmed from an electronic sensor issue that has been corrected. Staff member Mike Kitzerow told the board he replaced the outlet for the chlorine pump at the wellhouse.

The report noted flow during the reporting period was high enough that staff did not add water to the head end of the septic tanks. A Hwy 57 manhole repair was discussed; board members said staff spoke with Brett Healy at the WRWA conference and will schedule the repair soon. The report also said that staff member Bruce is preparing the annual Waldo Operational Evaluation Report for phosphorus as required in the WPDES permit.

Why it matters: meeting the WPDES permit limits and keeping phosphorus under the effluent threshold are regulatory requirements for the utility; equipment repairs and the new sampler controller are operations items that affect ongoing compliance monitoring and plant reliability.

Next steps: staff will schedule the Hwy 57 manhole repair and complete the operational evaluation report; no formal vote or budget action was required for these items during the meeting.