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Select Board hears engineers: sewer plant processing at about half capacity but effluent disposal at near-capacity, I&I cited as limiting factor
Summary
Public Works and engineering consultants told the Select Board that the wastewater treatment plant's processing capacity is roughly 50'52%, while downstream effluent disposal systems are nearing 92% of usable capacity; they urged fixing inflow-and-infiltration before large expansion and outlined funding, permitting and design steps.
The Wolfeboro Select Board on May 6 heard a detailed briefing from Public Works and outside engineers about sewer-system constraints and how the town is planning upgrades.
Steve Randall, the town's director of public works, said the town uses three engineering firms for different roles: "Wood & Curran runs our sewer treatment plant," he told the board, while Underwood handles capacity and rate studies and Stantec covers roads and large infrastructure oversight. Randall said that while the plant itself can process roughly half of its nominal capacity, the town's ability to dispose of treated effluent is far more constrained. "There is the plant ability to process, and our ability to get rid of the effluent...that is what is at 92% right now," Randall said.
Consultants in the room described the same distinction. Jonathan Burke, who leads construction services for Stantec, said the town is pursuing a staged approach to long-term corridor projects and funding: "We replaced the water because we had water funding. Now we're pursuing the sewer funding to replace the sewer," he said.
Board members and engineers discussed inflow and infiltration (I&I) as a near-term problem that reduces the town's effluent capacity and can mask the plant's true loading. "The easiest, fastest way for us to get capacity in our effluent system is to buy down the I&I," Randall said. "How do we buy down the I&I? We fix what we already know is broken."
Officials described a two-track diagnostic approach. Public Works has been "jetting" sewer lines, cleaning manholes and conducting video inspections; the town will sample outfalls and, if necessary, trace sources using dye testing and targeted camera work. A Select Board member referenced UNH lab analysis of downtown water samples and urged more microbiological source tracking (MST) if results warrant.
Board members pressed for a clearer, public-facing dashboard of where problems are concentrated and for a prioritized capital plan. Randall proposed mapping hot spots and presenting a plan to the board that clarifies near-term fixes, likely grant or loan funding opportunities, and which projects the town would take on if state funding is not available.
Next steps outlined at the meeting include continuing I&I reduction work, completing a capacity study, submitting design and permit applications as appropriate, and seeking state and federal funding where possible. Stantec advised breaking major corridor work into fundable segments rather than attempting a single, multi-million-dollar package.
