City Council debates urgent upgrades as treatment plant nears full capacity

The City of Milton held a special called City Council meeting on December 19, 2024, focusing primarily on the urgent need for improvements to the city's aging wastewater treatment plant. Council members expressed concerns about the plant's current capacity and its ability to sustain operations in the near future.

During the meeting, Mr. Cook, an expert on the treatment plant, indicated that the facility is nearing full capacity and may not be able to handle additional load. He emphasized the importance of getting the plant offline as soon as possible, although he could not provide a specific timeline for when that might happen. Recent maintenance efforts included the purchase of new pumps, with two more needed shortly, highlighting the ongoing challenges in keeping the plant operational.

Discussion also touched on structural issues, particularly cracking in the concrete at the clarifiers. While previous patches had been applied, concerns from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) were raised regarding the effectiveness of these repairs. Mr. Cook noted that the city can only continue to patch the cracks to prevent further seepage.

Council members debated the urgency of moving forward with a fast-track process for improvements, with some advocating for a quicker timeline of 465 days over a longer 675-day option. The consensus was that delaying action could lead to more significant problems in the future.

The meeting underscored the critical state of the wastewater treatment plant and the necessity for immediate action to ensure compliance with environmental standards and to maintain public health and safety. The council's next steps will likely involve deciding on the best course of action to address these pressing issues.