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Deputy Director Teresa reports on treatment-plant odor tests, PFAS lab search and service-line outreach
Summary
Deputy Director Teresa briefed the WPCA on taste-and-odor issues at the Charles Bacon treatment plant, pilot jar testing with powder activated carbon and hydrogen peroxide (estimated $20,000 for full-scale testing), and an effort to reduce unknown service-line locations from 1,100 to 728.
Deputy Director Teresa told the board the department is addressing recurring taste-and-odor problems at the Charles Bacon water treatment plant and has been conducting jar testing using powder activated carbon and hydrogen peroxide. "It would cost us approximately $20,000 to put this into effect," Teresa said about a full-scale pilot she is seeking to implement pending regulatory review.
Teresa said the department has asked the Department of Public Health for a full-scale study of the powder-activated-carbon plus hydrogen-peroxide approach and will ensure chemical types and compliance before wider use. She also noted the team is searching for a Connecticut-certified lab that can handle perfluorinated compound (PFAS) testing; if the laboratory is secured and additional quarters show no target compounds, the district could request a waiver that would push out testing requirements and save time and money.
On infrastructure, Teresa reported the service-line outreach effort reduced unknown-service-line locations from about 1,100 to 728 and that staff will continue contacting property owners; the next step would be field excavations if access is not obtained. Chief Engineer Brian added status updates on water-main and pump-station projects, work with contractors to seal manholes and reduce groundwater inflow, and upcoming water-main bids timed for the spring and summer construction season.
No regulatory enforcement actions or emergency public-health orders were announced at this meeting; staff said they will return with study results, contractor schedules, and any regulatory findings at future WPCA meetings.
