The Bridal Justice, Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee on Aug. 19 approved a one-time agreement with Cummings Wagner to replace the county’s waste pump grinder at the Lehi septic station, which serves the county municipal complex including the municipal center and human services offices.

Sheriff Lafarre told the committee the grinder had “reached end of life” and that maintenance crews and the vendor had repeatedly repaired the unit over the past one to two years. Lafarre said the grinder’s wear is partly caused by items placed in the septic system that should not be flushed or disposed of there, which “causes damage and can't sustain it anymore.”

A committee member said they experienced “sticker shock” when seeing the replacement price; Lafarre said he was confident the replacement includes a warranty but did not read the contract terms into the record. Lafarre also said the county holds a preventative maintenance agreement with Cummings Wagner Seawork to service and maintain the equipment.

During discussion members asked whether the replaced unit would be the original installed at the facility; Lafarre said he could not confirm whether it was the original and noted the building is 21 years old and some systems are reaching end of life. One committee member urged the county to keep a backup pump or a rebuilt unit on hand to avoid downtime if the grinder fails, and there was discussion about whether immediate emergency procurement procedures would be available if the unit fails before replacement is installed.

The committee approved the replacement agreement by voice vote. The meeting record does not list the contract price, warranty duration, or whether a spare unit will be procured as part of the current action.