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Putney authorizes response after state finds wastewater facility out of compliance
Summary
The Selectboard authorized Town Manager Karen Astley to sign a response to a Vermont DEC April 22, 2026 inspection that found the Putney Wastewater Treatment Facility failed to meet several state and federal standards; the town said immediate fixes were made and noted it is in year two of a three-year operations contract with Simon Operation Services.
The Putney Selectboard on April 29 authorized Town Manager Karen Astley to sign the town's formal response to a Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation inspection that the minutes record as finding the town's wastewater treatment facility out of compliance with state and federal standards. The inspection report was dated April 22, 2026.
Astley told the board that the town relies on Simon Operation Services (SOS) to operate the Putney Wastewater Treatment Facility and that SOS staff, together with town staff, had addressed immediate concerns and recommended steps to return to compliance. The minutes say some items had already been resolved and that the town awaits a reply from the DEC. The town is in the second year of a three-year contract with SOS; the minutes note that terminating the contract would require 60 days' notice and could trigger costs and a new request for proposals.
The inspection and response prompted questions from board members and members of the public about the terms of the SOS contract and the town's path to regulatory compliance. The Selectboard voted unanimously to authorize the manager to sign the response to the DEC. The minutes record that SOS has provided consulting services to the town since 1997.
