In March 2022, the City of Georgetown entered into a contract (contract #22-051-SC) with Wastewater Transport Services, LLC for the transportation and disposal of water and wastewater treatment sludges in the approximate annual amount of $750,000.00 with a possible renewal of up to three additional one-year terms, for a total cost not to exceed $3,000,000.00.
The Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant is an integral part of the City of Georgetown’s wastewater system as one of the Georgetown’s larger treatment plants with a capacity of 2.5 million gallons of water per day. Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant consists of two aeration basin/clarifier units or treatment trains which provide the bulk of the treatment. Over time, solids (sludge) can slowly build up in these units causing inefficiency in the treatment process. Periodic cleaning when necessitated aids in good treatment performance.
Due to the need to meet increasing wastewater flows, staff have not had the opportunity to voluntarily take equipment offline at the Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. However, with a recent failure of the twenty-nine-year-old clarifier drive, staff were required to take a treatment train offline and while dewatering, discovered an excessive volume of sludge had accumulated in the aeration basin and clarifier. This sludge had to be removed prior to bringing this treatment train online to avoid potential major process upsets which could result in Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit violations.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval to amend the existing sludge hauling contract (contract # 22-0051-SC) with Wastewater Transport Services, LLC to include the dewatering and cleaning of major treatment vessels (aeration basin and clarifier) at the Dove Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant and to ratify unforeseen additional expenditures in the amount of $181,353.93.