Wayland wastewater board approves FY25 budget with higher sludge line

WAYLAND -- December 13, 2023, Wayland wastewater commissioners approve FY25 budget and flag membrane failures at the year-old treatment plant. Meeting Dec. 13 via Zoom, Chair Michael Gitten and member Darrin Bock voted 2-0 to recommend the operating budget contingent on raising the sludge disposal line, which Wastewater Administrator Sarah Pawluczonek said is on pace to exceed its roughly $5,000-a-month allocation; Bock pushed the annual figure toward $50,000. "It comes down to PFAS," Gitten said, predicting rising disposal costs. DPW Director Thomas Holder said a planned Ford F-150 Lightning replacement for Operations Manager Jared Cotton's 2008 Explorer has not been supported in the town's capital plan, nor has a $40,000 DPW charging-station request. Sustainability manager Abby Shute reported that one of two membrane trains has repeatedly shut down on high transmembrane pressure, with repairs covered under warranty by manufacturer Kubota. Alta River's Edge sits at 88 percent occupancy and roughly 11,000 gallons per day.