By Janet Stoica

As Webster and many other New England municipalities send their wet sewer sludge to an out-of-state facility for disposal, a possible dire situation looms: what happens if that facility has to shut down or other extenuating circumstances prevent towns and cities from ever using that facility again?  Proper steps to mitigate this unfortunate and expensive situation must be reviewed, researched, and solved. The solution is daunting and disheartening. 

No one wants to discuss sewage sludge disposal do they?  Another fact of life that has become acceptable to all of us populating Mother Earth. We throw our paper waste, garbage, and overall junk into a plastic trash bag to be picked up by our trash hauler. We never think twice about it, do we? The practice has become so normal for all of us that it’s just plain and simple our daily routine. As we drive down our streets and roads we observe overflowing waste barrels filled with garbage and rubbish that is gross and disgusting to even look at as we drive by. It flies out of these waste barrels into the wind and we just drive right over it.

But, back to sewer sludge. According to a Penn State article, before 1950 most communities in the United States discharged their wastewater, or sewage, into streams and rivers with little if any treatment. As populations increased, the natural ability of streams and rivers to handle the wastewater was overwhelmed and caused water quality to deteriorate in many regions. In response to concerns about water quality degradation, thousands of communities throughout the United States constructed wastewater treatment systems during the 1950s and 1960s. This resulted in greatly improved stream and river water quality, but created another material to deal with: sewage sludge. Approximately 99% of the wastewater stream that enters a treatment plant is discharged as rejuvenated water. The remainder is a dilute suspension of solids that has been captured by the treatment process. These wastewater treatment solids are commonly referred to as sewage sludge or “bio solids” a prettier name introduced by the wastewater treatment industry.

Webster now has a possible dilemma in that they must determine a disposal solution for their wet sewage sludge. There is “wet sludge” and there is “dry sludge.” The dry type is more easily disposed of than wet. It is also more expensive to dispose of the dry sludge even though it can be incinerated. The town must now find a way to turn their wet sewer sludge into the dry form if they are to go forward and not create an economic nightmare for their taxpayers. 

Town Meeting to address 

the problem

On Monday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. Webster will have a Town Meeting at the Park Avenue Elementary School.  On the town meeting warrant, Article 5 will ask voters if they will approve the sum of $500,000 for a Bio solids (sewer sludge) Dewatering Project Design sponsored by the Water Sewer Commission. The ensuing design will be the first step towards determining the costs of making the town’s “wet” sludge “dry” and more easily disposed of. It’s a procedure that will be outlined to voters. It is also every taxpayer’s obligation to be involved in this vote. The meeting won’t be long but it will certainly be informative. You owe it to yourself to attend and to vote at this and every town meeting. Your time will be very well spent.

Also, according to Town Administrator Rick LaFond, Webster’s high school building project has received Change Orders from the building architects, one of which is a design for a temporary elevator or lift both on a temporary and long-term basis as well as for 14 electric vehicle charging stations as required by the state. These stations are to be located at various sites around the high school parking areas. The change order billings will be mediated. The architects were assigned by the state as per the Massachusetts School Building Authority as they make the final architectural firm decision.

“We are very fortunate that Lisa Kontoes, our school Business Manager is involved with this process,” LaFond said.