The New Palestine sewer plant was expanded in 2019 at a cost of over $4 million. Town leaders say that expansion didn’t go far enough.
File photo
NEW PALESTINE — The wastewater plant in New Palestine, expanded in 2019 at a cost of $4.2 million, was supposed to support growth in the town for the next 20 years. But due to what current town officials describe as design flaws and improper planning for future growth, they’ll have to again expand the plant as soon as possible.
The realization has prompted leaders to fire the engineering firm they worked with on the expansion, Triad Associates. The town has worked with the firm for decades.
Town officials raised customers’ rates to pay for the expansion in 2019, saying at the time the improvements would accommodate growth for at least two decades.
Two years later, however, the facility is already operating near capacity at 84%, and leaders are looking at another expansion expected to cost several million dollars. An exact figure has yet to be determined.
In a letter from town manager to Jim Robinson to Triad officials, the town said it would look for a new consultant.
Jim Robinson
“Several unanswered issues regarding engineering performances and shortcomings have put the town in a precarious situation with the recent upgrade of our wastewater utility plant and collection system,” Robinson said in the letter.
Robinson further stated that the work on the sewer plant has showed minimal to “no relief” for the design and cost that was given. The town gave Triad a 30-day notice of the termination per their contract and told Triad officials the town wants all paperwork and records associated with the wastewater facility.
“What we went through with the last upgrade, it just has not met our expectations at all,” Robinson told the Daily Reporter. “We should not be in this situation after just paying over $4 million.”
Meanwhile, town officials have been hearing pitches from two other engineering firms who’d like to help New Palestine reassess its wastewater issues.
Two Indianapolis firms, Commonwealth Engineering Inc. and GRW Engineers Inc., made presentations to the town earlier this month. Both suggested a major overhaul of the wastewater facility is needed right away.
“You’re going to soon see some violations if you don’t take action soon,” said Albert Stong, president of Commonwealth Engineering. “The town is undersized.”
Joe Tierney, GRW vice president, told town officials after looking at the facility and the plant numbers the treatment plant is close to capacity,
“You need to get out in front of this to accommodate the growth,” Tierney said.
Tierney noted in his presentation that the sewer plant usage has grown at about a 10% rate each of the past five years and they need to plan accordingly. Town officials expect to pick a new engineering firm at the Jan. 5 meeting.
In August, Robinson made the town council aware of the issues he discovered after becoming the town manager, who oversees operations at the sewer plant. He replaced longtime town manager Dave Book, who was fired in March 2020.
Robinson said then the wastewater plant could handle 400,000 gallons a day, an increase of 170,000 gallons, with the expansion in 2019. But it wasn’t long before the wastewater facility was again at the brink.
The month before the expansion opened in 2019, the old plant was operating at over 154% capacity, “so we threw some 54% right onto the new plant off the bat,” Robinson said. “That showed really poor planning from the engineering firm and the former town officials.”
Customers currently pay $67 a month, which was an increase of over $18 to pay for the expansion. Robinson believes the town should have been making small increases to cover costs through the years rather than hitting people all at once with a major increase. He doesn’t want that to happen again.
“We’re hoping to get some grant monies or use some of the COVID relief money to help,” Robinson said.
Homes on Bittner Road and north of the town are using a separate plant, the New Palestine North treatment facility, which the town bought from Cumberland a few years ago. That has helped meet some of the heavy demand.
Eventually, Robinson said they’d like to get all those homes onto their main system, something they can’t do now because of capacity issues.
“We’re using the New Palestine North system right now strategically so we don’t put capacity on our main plant,” he said.
When the plant expands, officials will probably have to hire another employee to handle the workload. Robinson said Kyle Connor is supervising both plants, along with Denise Ehle, lab technician; Tom Smith, sewer operator; and Mark Dresher, who does lab work.
Council president Bill Niemier, who was not on the council when the previous expansion was discussed and approved, noted the town will do what is needed to stay ahead of the issue from here on out.
