Orleans seeks $750,000 ORCA grant to upgrade wastewater plant to handle high organic loads

The Orleans Town Council held a public hearing on the town’s application for grant funding through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, hearing a presentation from Jessica Condra of the Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission and engineers from Commonwealth Engineers about needed upgrades to the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

"The town is requesting a grant for $750,000 which is the maximum that can be requested," Jessica Condra said, and she asked residents to submit surveys and letters of support by Oct. 13 so the information could be incorporated into the application due Oct. 24.

Eric Parsley of Commonwealth Engineers said the plant is subject to an existing agreed order tied to past operational violations and that the project’s primary purpose is to modify existing tankage and internal processes so the plant can reliably treat a higher organic load. "The organic loading is high," Parsley said, and the proposed work would change process internals and rehabilitate end-of-life components to improve consistency.

Parsley described a nonfunctional grit removal device that has been included in earlier recommendations but said the project team is discussing whether that item can be removed from the scope to reduce cost. He also said the town has not identified a single consistent point source for the elevated organics but that one sample from a nearby egg-washing facility was "very high in organics," and additional sampling is planned.

Scott Sherry, the plant operator, described operational challenges and the need for process buffering in winter months: "The bugs get cold, and they go to sleep," he said, explaining that lower water temperatures slow the bacteria that break down organic material and that the plant must increase biological mass seasonally to maintain treatment levels.

Application materials presented by staff listed a match of $879,113 and an initial project cost of $1,629,113; during discussion Parsley also referenced an updated total project estimate of $2,300,000 and said vendor cost proposals were being revised. Council members pressed staff to continue refining costs and to explore scope reductions where appropriate.

Parsley said that if the plant completes the upgrades and then successfully meets a demonstration period with no effluent violations, the agreed order would be recalled. Council staff signaled an "action to proceed" form was ready to enable application filing and said the paperwork would be circulated for signatures.

Next steps set on the record: the application package is due Oct. 24; Condra requested community survey responses and letters of support by Oct. 13; the town will complete a second required public hearing before the December submission; and staff will update cost estimates as vendor proposals arrive.

The public hearing closed and the council reconvened its regular meeting for the remainder of the agenda.