Special-districts report flags pump failures tied to 'flushable' wipes and PFAS project delays

Bruce Bridges provided a comprehensive update on the town's special districts, highlighting completed and outstanding work at multiple sewer and water sites. He said the EQ line at Blackberry Sewer was completed and certified but that several RBCs (rotating biological contactors) require repair or rebuilding; one unit is 25 years old, another was recently repaired, and the third is being rebuilt with work expected to finish in August.

Bridges called out debris ' notably so-called "flushable wipes" and in one recent instance a washcloth ' as a frequent cause of pump seizures that require costly cleaning or rebuilding. "What's really screwing these pump stations up are quote unquote flushable wipes...they bind everything up," Bridges said. He added the town pays roughly $250 per VRI visit to clear such blockages and discussed plans to stock spare parts and speed repairs.

On water-quality projects, Bridges said PFAS remediation efforts are proceeding but delayed: two projects await final Department of Health signoff on submitted plans before they can be put out to bid, and Spring House is finalizing a grant submission to the state. He also described increasing difficulty collecting required in-home water samples and said the districts are investigating fixed sampling stations (estimated at about $1,500 each) to reduce costs and logistical hurdles.

Board next steps: staff and VRI will coordinate more frequent public alerts about sampling visits and pursue grant opportunities and engineering solutions for tank inspections, pump repairs and PFAS filtration once DOH approvals arrive.