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Mulberry reviews water filtration options and wastewater plant issues; operator faces Class 2 licensure requirement
Summary
Council heard a utilities update: staff is sending water samples to a lab to determine filtration needs and USG will assess an old water tower for rehab; wastewater staff reported a required Class 2 plant operator certification and algae and testing issues at the new plant.
Council members received a detailed utilities update covering water filtration options, a water tower assessment and wastewater plant operational matters.
An agency official told the council that staff are testing source water to determine whether pressure/chemical filtration or a gravity filtration system is needed. "Chase is pulling water samples, sending it to lab, to find out what exactly needs filtered out of it," the official said. The council also discussed bringing in USG to assess the old water tower and produce a cost estimate; prior quotes referenced in the meeting suggested taking down an old tower could run in the tens of thousands while full refurbishment might approach the high hundreds of thousands, depending on condition.
Utility staff reported that the wastewater plant’s operator classification changed and that a staff member must obtain a Class 2 license under a 90-day window. Members discussed filing for an extension if needed; the staff member said extensions of up to a year may be possible in some cases. The plant also faces operational issues: the algae in the clarifier has worsened and reduced ultraviolet disinfection effectiveness, requiring more frequent cleaning, and a new permit has added additional tests that increase staff workload (some long tests must now be taken three times weekly under the new permit).
The council discussed equipment and staffing options, including meter-reading upgrades (cellular or ultrasonic) to reduce manual reads and training to cover testing and permit compliance. Members emphasized finishing the wastewater work before undertaking large water projects and noted grant coordination would be important if the town seeks to combine tower rehab and filtration into a single funded project.
Next steps: Staff will report lab results and the USG tower assessment when available, pursue grant coordination for combined projects if feasible, and manage operator certification and additional testing requirements in the near term.
