MONTAGUE — Since the 70 percent increase in sewer rates in 2018, Superintendent of the Water Pollution Control Facility Bob McDonald has been working to try to save the town money. The latest effort is reducing the cost of sludge hauling and disposal.
Earlier in December, requests for bids were announced and two were received, according to McDonald.
The company chosen by McDonald was Veolia Water North America-Northeast of Connecticut.
“We contacted them and wrote up a contract for a year and half,” McDonald told the Selectboard. “They reviewed it, and they sent it back with a comment. Legal council is looking at it and right now we-re fine-tuning the contract a little bit. We’re trying to get this thing rolling.”
McDonald said it’s good news, because the bid came in 30 percent less than what the town is currently paying per ton, “So, it’s going to help us significantly in our cost for sludge disposal.”
He said this year’s sludge budget was $400,000, and next year, he projects, it will be $200,000.
“That’s one of the steps we’re hurdling toward to help get the whole budget under control,” McDonald said. “We hope to do more composting — that’s something we’re going to be doing more to reduce the cost even more. I feel it’s really heading in good direction.”
Veolia Water North America-Northeast will be hauling and disposing the sludge by burning it, according to McDonald. He said part of the cost savings is due to the use of a pressing machine, which makes a compact sludge cake.
“It’s sludge cake rather than liquid loads going out, which means we’re able to get a more concentrated product out,” McDonald said. “We go from a 3 percent solids and liquid load to now 25 to 30 percent solids out. We have a really nice press, and we’re able to utilize it better. It’s a much more efficient way of getting it done.”
While the board did not have a contract to vote on, Town Administrator Steve Ellis said the town hopes to have one ready in early January.