DNR requests Curtiss to change operating procedures after leak
At the Aug. 23 special village board meeting, department of public works director Larry Swarr notified the board of a Wisconsin DNR letter about the wastewater treatment plant that had overflowed on July 21.
The letter was a notice of noncompliance and showed that the treatment facility had overflowed and dumped an estimated 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage into the area surrounding the wastewater lagoons.
Swarr said in this instance, he was working on decanting sludge from lagoon No. 2 when a hose that was secured inside of a manhole by a rope broke off and resulted in the partially digested waste leaking into the swamp north of the treatment plant. The hose appeared to have been weakened by the rope over time as the hose had been in the manhole for a couple of weeks. Swarr said he checked up on the hose periodically but the leak started sometime during the night and was not able to be attended to until the next morning.
The DNR responded ordering the Curtiss wastewater treatment facility to update a written standard operating procedures to address the procedure that caused the overflow and to prevent recurring violations. They then must take sample results and submit them to the DNR.
Swarr said he had already made changes to the standard operating procedures and had presented a draft to the board on Aug. 23 that would help ensure there would not be a similar issue in the future.
He said if he were to replicate the process in the future, he would use two fasteners to keep the hose from moving and causing a leak. He also said there is a way to decanter the sludge in the lagoons without placing a hose in a manhole and so he would most likely go that route next time. Finally, he stated that the process of decantering the lagoon would not need to be done for a few years, if ever again depending on what the new wastewater facility might bring.
Other business
n The board approved a motion to allow a food truck to reside at 638 Meridian Street. The truck will be seasonal and will begin business in summer of 2023.
n The board discussed the amount of work Director of Public Works Larry Swarr has building up. The board asked Swarr to give them a list of projects that need to be done in order to see if part time help is needed or if it can be done by currently employed part time help.
n A low income housing project was proposed by an investor from Thorp. The board tabled discussion on the item until they could get more information from the investor.
n The Abbyland Pork Plant became compliant with acceptable pH levels within a month after receiving the board’s letter threatening surcharges.
n According to trustee Jonathan Unruh, the village will be able to increase its tax levy by $36,500 without increasing its individual mill rate due to improvements made within village limits.
