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Quality Water Services report flags leaks, chemical and equipment issues for Lumberport system
Summary
Quality Water Services LLC told council the town's water and wastewater operations show higher pump hours (10→14 hrs), an ammonia exceedance at the wastewater plant, equipment failures and a paperwork violation tied to earlier chlorine/turbidity reporting; QWS recommended repairs and proposed changing fluoride chemical to maintain compliance.
Quality Water Services LLC presented a detailed operational and compliance report to the council that flagged several issues in Lumberport's water and wastewater systems. The report noted an increase in plant pumping hours from 10 to 14 hours since April 4, 2025, which QWS said suggests "there must be a leak somewhere in the system." QWS reported a prior paperwork violation for chlorine and turbidity and said a public notice will be drafted by Oct. 15, 2025 unless council directs otherwise.
On wastewater, QWS reported an exceedance for ammonia nitrogen and said corrective action has included increasing the Biojet 7 dosage and planning a resample. The report identified equipment problems: unavailable parts for high‑service pump #2, starters and motors failing on lagoon mixers, missing power‑box safety switches for upper lagoon aeration, and a blown ridge vent that has been repaired. QWS said an air compressor motor replacement is scheduled for April 14, 2025, and the operator will troubleshoot mixers that same day.
QWS also requested switching from sodium fluoride to hydrofluorosilicic acid to maintain fluoride levels given higher water hardness and noted backflow prevention outreach: letters were mailed mid‑February and 20 businesses must install devices by June 2025; one business must submit test results by April 15, 2025. The report recommended vendor pricing for rubber pond liner repairs cited at a DEP visit.
"There must be a leak somewhere in the system," the report states, summarizing elevated pump run time and the need for field investigation. Council voted to accept the report during routine business, but the minutes do not record specific funding authorizations for the repairs noted.
