Wastewater operator warns repeated pump failures, urges gravity reroute at Homestead lift station

The town’s wastewater operator reported at the council meeting that the Homestead lift station has suffered repeated pump failures and that temporary rental pumps are being destroyed by back pressure and debris. "It's just destroying them," the operator said, describing blown seals, torn chains and pumps rendered unusable after short service lives.

The operator provided May operational numbers—"We received 8,092,600 gallons" and an average daily flow of 261,000 gallons—and said the plant was at 87% capacity with no regulatory violations that month. He described persistent debris and trash in the wet well and check valves that prevents safety devices from seating, allowing back pressure from adjacent force mains to damage pumps. Multiple engineers and vendors consulted during the month agreed that the most durable long-term fix would be to sever one of the force mains and reconnect it at a nearby manhole so Homestead can receive flow by gravity and pump downstream from a single station. That change, the operator said, would reduce the opposing pressure that has repeatedly damaged pumps and prompted multiple emergency rentals.

Council members asked about short-term mitigations and costs; the operator said larger pumps would not solve the root problem and could worsen pressure imbalances. He described plans to install a heavy-duty submersible hydraulic pump temporarily and to run pressure gauges to measure existing forces. The council asked staff to obtain cost estimates, get engineers and vendors to scope a permanent reroute, and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions if needed. No formal expenditure for the reroute was authorized at the meeting; the operator said estimates and additional vendor reports will be returned to council for a future decision.