Springville warns new wastewater plant will need Grade-3 operators; city may hire management firm

The City of Springville told the council Tuesday that its new wastewater treatment facility, nearing completion, will require certified Grade 3 wastewater operators and continuous coverage — a staffing need the city currently lacks in-house.

Mayor Jones said the city must decide whether to hire certified operators directly or use a professional management contract. "We're gonna have to decide, are we gonna try to go out and hire the people to run the facility... or" contract with a management firm, he said, adding that certified Grade 3 operators are not abundant in the local labor market.

Council members and staff noted the city could seek a regulatory waiver for weekend staffing or hire a mixture of Grade 3 operators and lower-graded staff who could call out more highly certified technicians when needed. The mayor also said the city is evaluating a proposal from Aquium, described in the meeting as an arm of 3 Notch Group that performed engineering for the project, to provide professional services to manage plant operations during an initial period.

Why it matters: Grade 3 certification is a state-defined operator qualification; lacking certified staff could delay safe operations or require outside contracts. City leaders said establishing reliable staffing — whether through hiring, training or an interim management contract — will be a near-term operational decision for the council.

What’s next: City staff said they are awaiting numbers from the potential management firm and expect to have recommendations before the full operating cost picture is presented to the council ahead of facility startup. The council pegged an internal decision window as before August.