The town of Century approved a request from Interim City Manager Buz Eddy Monday night to hire a company to remove sludge from the waste water treatment plant in the amount of $9,500 and an emergency request to approve an expenditure of $36,000 to purchase and repair one of three clarifiers the plant utilizes.
Eddy referred council members to a copy each had of a letter from Interim Natural Gas Superintendent Vernon Prather and Water and Wasterwater Superintendent Heath Burkett regarding the level of bio-solids and sludge present is too high and the current disposal method via drying beds are inadequate to facilitate a timely reduction.
“The most practical and only feasible way is to bring Green South Solutions in to remove 10 loads of sludge at the cost of $950 per 6,500-gallon tanker load,” said Eddy. “This will reduce the level of sludge to a workable level within regulations.”
He said the other two companies that were contacted were more costly or more of a delay, so that is why green South Solutions was chosen.
As far as where th funds will come from, Eddy said the current budget has $2,400 left for sludge removal and they may have to go into next year's budget and possibly have to transfer money from other lines but he insisted this is something that must be done.
In a motion made by Councilwoman Sandra McMurray Jackson and Seconded by Councilman Luis Gomez, the motion carried.
Clarifier repair
Eddy said the town's wastewater treatment plant has three clarifiers. One was rebuilt in 2017 and another was rebuilt in 2007, and one has not been repaired in about 20 years.
Eddy said that when the plant recently began using the one that had not been repaired in 20 years, it went to pieces, due to age and wear and tear.
He said the work that was done last time it was repaired was $32,000 or $33,000. Eddy said in preparing the request for funds for the council, he added 10 percent to that previous amount as a contingency and requested the council's approval for an expenditure of $36,000 to purchase the equipment to repair the clarifier and get it back working.
He said the repair will be funded by the town's capital outlay budget, which will effect the town's future plans to repair some of its lift stations. Eddy said he and Mayor Henry Hawkins met with the Florida Rural Water, which came out to the water treatment plant and offered help recently. Eddy said Chris Bailey with FRW said they are willing to help the town with applying for grants in the future, which could place some of the money they are requesting to repair the clarifier back into the town's coffers.
“The plant is working at 66 percent capacity at best,” said Eddy. “This is an emergency situation.”
In a motion made by Councilman Gomez and seconded by Councilwoman McMurray-Jackson, the motion carried. Councilman Ben Boutwell and Councilman James Smith were not present at the meeting.
