Mechanical Issue Repaired at Waynesboro Sewer Plant

Ever since Waynesboro’s current wastewater treatment plant went online in 2014, it seems to have had its fair share of mechanical issues, along with a frequent and lingering odor that residents and visitors complain about on a regular basis. The plant was state-of-the-art when it was built; it replaced a very outdated facility that had reached peak capacity. When the new plant was built, the old plant was under a moratorium from the state which ordered that no new sewer hook-ups could be run into the facility. The new plant was designed to treat up to one million gallons of wastewater per day, whereas the old plant could only treat 500,000 gallons per day.

Waynesboro city officials say they recently became aware of a mechanical issue at the wastewater treatment plant involving a rotating “arm” in the sewage basin containing the sludge created from solid waste. Although layers of sludge are removed periodically from the basin, which does help the odor problem for awhile, the rotating “arm” is supposed to keep the sludge dispersed within the basin. When the issue was discovered, a bid notice was issued by the City of Waynesboro with specifications to pump down the sludge to the lowest point in the basin, pump the sludge and water into two dewatering boxes and drain back to the headworks, remove all debris from the basin, and repair any diffusers and parts.

Only one bid was submitted and was subsequently awarded to Elitte Septic Tank & Grease Trap Service, Inc. in the amount of $46,865. Last week, Elitte Service, Inc. came to Waynesboro and completed the scope of work at the wastewater treatment plant that was specified in the bid.

“All operational equipment within the plant itself has been replaced,” stated one Waynesboro city official. “Basically, the plant is getting a new start.”

City officials went on to say that this “cleaning out” of the sewage basin will most certainly help with the odor problems, and the sludge will continue to be drained periodically as it builds back up in the basin.