Dunkirk dealt with water issues

Twenty-five years ago this week, Dunkirk was dealing with how to correct problems at its wastewater treatment plant.

The April 2, 1996, edition of The Commercial Review featured coverage of the city’s discussions about the issues after a gasoline spill the previous week.

Dunkirk officials were set to meet with environmental specialists from the environmental division of Indianapolis engineering firm Butler, Fairman and Seufert to map out a strategy to get the city’s wastewater treatment plant back to normal. Terry Longworth, senior project manager of All-Tech Environmental Services, Muncie, and H. Frederick Siewere, professor of natural resources and environmental management at Ball State University, were scheduled to tour the facility and offer suggestions.

At that time, the city’s two primary sludge holding tanks were contaminated with gasoline and initial estimates for solving the problem ranged into the tens of thousands of dollars.

All-Tech had been hired to clean up the site shortly after the gas leak was discovered March 25. It was estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into the city’s sanitary sewer system, causing some residents to be evacuated.

The leak was stopped, and the wastewater treatment plant’s two aeration tanks were disconnected from the system. However, two liquid sludge tanks that were contaminated needed to be pumped out and their contents transporter to a disposal site. Greg Buckner, the city’s wastewater superintendent, added that the city was still awaiting the results of some tests to determine the best course of action.