Trending
PARKERSBURG -- The Parkersburg Utility Board is exploring options to get a digester at its wastewater treatment plant back up and running.
The digesters are where sludge removed from the water and collected in the settling basin is broken down by microorganisms. Lines have been plugging up recently due to an accumulation of grit.
The suction line on one of the three primary anaerobic digesters is plugged, and the utility has tried multiple ways to fix it.
"At this point, we believe the only way we're going to get it done is … to remove the contents of the tank," utility board Manager Eric Bennett said after Tuesday's regular board meeting.
It's Bennett's hope the work can be done in-house, but if not, an outside contractor would have to be engaged. The last time that happened -- on a secondary digester with a larger tank -- the full cost including landfill fees was about $500,000, he said.
While that expense was not factored into the utility board's 2021-22 budget, Bennett said they do have enough money in reserve to cover it.
A second primary anaerobic digester is back in operation after being cleaned, although the utility is awaiting prices for parts to restart the mixer that mechanically aids the biological process, Bennett said.
The digester issues will not be noticeable to customers, he said. Digesters are part of the process that allows the plant to effectively treat wastewater and meet state and federal environmental permit requirements.
"We are doing that," Bennett said. "One tank down does not impact our ability."