Rising Sun seeks federal grant to decommission town lagoon; short‑term measures planned

Town administrator reported on March 26 that the town’s wastewater lagoon is developing sludge islands and that staff are exploring lower‑cost mitigation measures while awaiting possible federal grant funding to fully decommission the lagoon.

Staff described practical interim fixes: contracting for a high‑pressure hose operation, working with the volunteer fire company to draft water and use a ladder‑truck deck gun to agitate sludge, temporarily relocating the discharge pipe, or acquiring a small floating platform with a trash pump to remove sludge on a regular basis. The administrator said the town will try one short‑term operation and evaluate whether periodic relocation of the pipe or purchase of equipment is worthwhile.

The administrator said the town is “in the running” for a federal grant to decommission the lagoon and expects to hear whether it receives the grant around August; if the grant is approved, staff estimated a potential ground‑breaking on a decommissioning project about the following April. He characterized previously discussed total costs to decommission and address sludge at roughly $1.5–2.0 million for decommissioning plus an additional roughly $2.0 million to address sludge removal, and said obtaining grant money would represent a large savings for residents. Staff framed short‑term measures as cost‑saving while the town pursues grant funding.