Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operations Actuator Valve topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clean Water Ops to pay $435 assessment to retrieve actuator valve after repeated installation failures
Summary
Staff told the East Haddam Water Pollution Control Authority that an actuator valve for SBR 1 repeatedly failed after installation; the manufacturer charged a $435 assessment and is holding the unit. Staff plans to pay the assessment, have a different contractor assess/install the valve, and pursue remedies against the original installer.
Clean Water Ops reported a prolonged problem with an actuator valve for SBR 1 that has prevented automatic decanting and delayed bringing the second sequencing batch reactor into service. The presenter said the authority received two installation quotes, chose the lower by $2,000, and later learned an incorrect part was ordered earlier — an error the presenter said cost roughly $5,000 and was absorbed internally.
"It's been a a plague in my existence here, this actuator valve for SDR 1," the Clean Water Ops representative said, describing multiple failed installation attempts, a 14-week lead time for parts and what staff characterized as inadequate work by the installer. After a manufacturer bench assessment the vendor charged a $435 assessment fee and, according to staff, would not return the valve until that fee was paid.
Staff outlined a three-part plan: pay the $435 assessment to retrieve the valve, engage a different contractor to determine if the existing valve can be made operational, and, if necessary, order and install a replacement and pursue legal remedies against the original installer for failure to perform. The representative said the valve must fully open and close automatically to avoid discharging mixed liquor into effluent during decant cycles; manual closure would require on-site staff and is not an acceptable long-term solution.
Board members asked about warranty coverage and prior testing; staff said the manufacturer reported the valve bench-tested fine but an independent firm (MAP/NAP engineering) observed wiring issues onsite. Members agreed staff should proceed to retrieve the unit, secure an independent assessment, and report back with options and cost estimates.
