Wellsville Council Sewage Committee

Monday - April 19: Wellsville's Village Council Sewage Committee held a meeting Monday morning at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was Sewage Committee Chairman Randy Allmon, Committee Member Susan Haugh, Village Administrator Jim Saracco, Village Solicitor Andy Beech and Zoning Administrator Rick Williams. Also present was Bill Boyle of GG&J, United Water V.P. of Contract Services for Midwest Div. Kevin Chandler & Greg Stewart, United's Plant Manager for Wellsville. Committee Member Tony Cataldo couldn't attend. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the 424 plus tons of accumulated sludge at the Village Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

At a previous Sewage Committee Meeting held March 30 it was announced that an additional 424 tons of sludge has accumulated in the Village's two inoperable digesters at the STP. Village engineer Bill Boyle, of GG&J, advised it will cost $52,000 to have the sludge removed before work could begin on installing the new aerobic digestion system. Noting that the Village is strapped for cash Allmon asked Greg Stewart if United Water could help defray some of the cost to remove the sludge. At the time the only way to come up with an additional $52,000 was to await the much anticipated release of the remaining funds from the contested State & Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG). The STAG funds have been under appeal with the US EPA for over a year now.

At the April 6 Council Meeting it was mentioned that the Village has a "30 day out" in the contract with United Water to operate the STP. See our post dated April 8 on that meeting.

Opening Monday's meeting Allmon advised United's representatives that there has been discussion more than once about taking advantage of that "30 day out". He noted that over the years the Village has got out of the garbage, water and sewage treatment business and other than "selling trees" has no way to make money. He then asked United's Chandler what they can do to help.

Chandler responded giving a brief history of all that transpired since 2008 when it was declared an emergency and the Village spent $90,000 to remove over 500 tons of accumulated sludge. Back then both digesters were emptied and under direction of Village representatives United was told to use one of them for sludge storage until construction of the planned aerobic digesters was completed. The only hang up was the release of the STAG funds needed to begin the construction. It has not happened yet and now Wellsville is right back where it was two years ago.

Chandler indicated the $52,000 is an inflated figure using a middleman to do the job with a mark-up in the cost. United could do the job for somewhere around $30,000 to $40,000 if it was again declared an emergency to have it removed immediately. Bill Boyle said that an application for a Permit to Install is in the process but it would be June or July before construction on the new digesters would be started. In the mean time the sludge beds are being used since the digesters are full. Boyle indicated that if at least one digester is emptied and the other partially emptied construction could begin this summer without further delay.

Once construction starts the contractor can install one areobic digester and transfer sludge from the second digester. It is not an unusual occurrence for such projects. Both Chandler & Stewart indicated this could probably be accomplished without additional cost to the Village. Currently they have one sludge bed near ready to be emptied, one will be ready in about two weeks if the weather cooperates, one in two months, and one empty bed. Stewart said with the digesters being full they have been moving sludge from the clarifiers directly to the drying beds. Normally it goes from the clarifiers to the digester to the drying beds. The only draw back is the odor associated with the old process. However the odor would be present regardless if the digesters were working or not. It's a temporary inconvenience for a permanent solution. It is hoped Wellsville residents will be patient long enough to get at least one aerobic digester operating. According to the engineer the odor will then be practically eliminated.

Andy Beech complimented everyone at the meeting for working out an amicable solution to a costly problem in a short period of time. He noted there is a need for coordination and follow-up with all parties involved. Chandler said it is United's goal to be Wellsville's partner and expressed a desire to keep the dialogue going to avoid future misunderstandings. Boyle stated with the solution worked out there would be no need to await the release of the STAG funds. The Village has grants and loans lined up to cover the project thanks to OPWC and OMEGA.

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