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Water superintendent flags PFAS, aging pump stations and need for stormwater capital
Summary
Chelsea, Essex Junction’s water/wastewater department head, updated the council on two completed wastewater capital projects, a newly launched stormwater utility and staffing gains while warning that PFAS rules, aging equipment and force‑main limits will constrain growth without capital investments.
Chelsea, the city’s water and wastewater department head, told the council the department completed two large maintenance capital projects in 2025 and launched the city's stormwater utility, and that the team recently hired a dedicated stormwater coordinator. "I'm really proud of my staff in the two really large maintenance capital projects that we completed this summer," she said.
Chelsea said the wastewater plant is about 12 years past the last major upgrade and that several pieces of equipment and heating/ventilation systems need significant maintenance. She said the department renewed its wastewater permit and is requesting an additional 100,000 gallons of facility capacity in the pending application; permitting typically takes two to three years and the state’s response is pending.
On biosolids, Chelsea warned federal and state PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) rules are reshaping options for land application. "PFAS is such a legacy, chemical," she said, explaining materials that were once applied to farms (the packet refers to the Whitcomb family arrangement) are likely to be constrained under new regulations. The city typically moves about 2,000,000 gallons of biosolids in spring and fall and has roughly 2,000,000 gallons of storage capacity, requiring more frequent dewatering and alternative disposal planning.
Chelsea also described the collection system work enabled by a new camera for the vac truck and said a full assessment of the collection system has not been done since 2011. She cautioned pump stations — many 30–40 years old — and a 6,000‑foot force main on West Street limit the system’s ability to accommodate large infill development; in some locations pumps run nearly continuously. Hamlin Engineering is analyzing service areas and alternatives to help determine whether targeted pipe replacements or other measures could expand capacity without replacing entire mains.
The update included a description of a state grant‑funded phosphorus removal pilot (a mobile 'Pflow' trailer) that is nearly complete; South Burlington will host a demonstration. Chelsea said UVM researchers previously suggested some technologies might reduce PFAS but added the science and regulatory endpoints remain challenging.
Looking ahead, Chelsea asked the council to consider capital funds for stormwater pipe replacement and for continued attention to biosolids management and permit outcomes. "We will have to figure out how to dewater more often and manage that," she said.
