Permit expected soon (06/08/07)

Portland's permit to spread wastewater sludge, which was revoked six months ago due to high levels of an anti-corrosive material, is likely to be reinstated soon.

Bob Brelsford, superintendent of Portland's wastewater treatment plant, said after Thursday's Board of Works meeting that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management likely will issue the city a permit in about a week.

The permit was revoked in December after levels of molybdenum which exceeded regulatory limits were found in the sludge.

Because the city no longer had a permit to spread the sewer sludge on land, the city was forced to pay a company more than $140,000 for the sludge to be hauled away and incinerated.

The companies responsible for releasing the chemical were identified in March.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said the companies were Joyce-Dayton, Performance Tool, Createc and the Portland Coca-Cola bottling plant.

Brelsford said Thursday that city officials have not yet determined the fairest way for the city to recoup the cost of disposing of the sludge. He said he expects a decision soon.

Typically, sludge is pumped from a holding pond into a truck and transported to land near the Jay County Retirement Center to be spread.

In other business Thursday, members of the board of works decided to go against a city resolution, and adjust the sewage portion of a Portland woman's water bill.

Cassandra Stewart, 100 S. Bridge St., asked for the adjustment after a water leak was found under her house. The city's policy, in the form of a resolution allows for the bill to be adjusted if the leak is between the water meter and the house.

Linda Kennedy, the city's clerk-treasurer, reminded board members Dolphus Stephens and Bob McCreery of the language of the resolution, saying Stewart's leak would not qualify for an adjustment. McCreery said he felt the leak followed the policy and the bill should be adjusted. Hosier did not attend the meeting.

After the meeting, Kennedy said the board of works has the power to override an adopted resolution. The sewage portion of the water bill will be reduced down to a three-month average for sewage bills prior to the leak.

Stewart's water and sewer bill totaled $1,519.52, Kennedy said this morning. She will still have to pay the water portion of her bill.

Also Thursday, board members:

•Voted to purchase a pump for a holding pond at the wastewater plant.

The pump will be purchased from Homan Inc., Maria Stein, Ohio, at a cost of $15,000. Bambauer Equipment, New Knoxville, Ohio, also submitted a quote of $15,135. Brelsford recommended selecting the low quote from Homan Inc.

The pump will circulate sludge and water in the pond. The plant currently does not have a pump for the pond and sludge settles on the bottom and has to be sprayed out with a fire house, Brelsford said. Having the sludge and water mixed will make removal much easier, he said. Once the city's land application permit is reinstated by IDEM, the sludge will be pumped out and spread on land.

•Learned that installation of a sewer line which will run from the Poet Biorefining-Portland ethanol plant to the city's wastewater plant, is expected to begin in about two weeks.

Approval for the installation of the line was given in July 2006.

Poet and Jay County will share the cost of installing the line, with the county hoping to eventually be reimbursed its share of the costs through a tax increment financing (TIF) district formed at the ethanol plant site.

Brelsford said the work will begin as soon as the manholes needed for the project are delivered. Work is expected to take about 90 days to complete, he said.

•Voted to credit the Wal-Mart Supercenter $1,071.50 in sewage fees.

Kennedy said after the meeting that the company was erroneously charged the sewage fees for water that is draining from the garden center to a retention pond. Wal-Mart has been charged since August of 2006, she said. The sewage portion of a water bill is calculated based on how much water is used, she said.

She said this morning that Wal-Mart is one of the few businesses inside the city limits which has a retention pond, making this a special circumstance.

Portland residents who use more water in the summer for filling pools, watering flowers, etc., can ask to be put on the city's summer sewage discount plan, Kennedy said.

•Approved a change order for the Gerber gravity sewer project.

The city will receive a $5,604.51 credit for two manholes and two connectors not used for the project.[[In-content Ad]]