The treatment process is the key to high city sewer bills, since the city was required by a federal court order in 2001 to provide such treatment.

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Consultant Says City Should Determine if Costly PCB Filtration is Necessary

Sewer Advisory Committee Receives Malcolm Pirnie Recommendation

January 23, 2011
By: Dave Rogers

Malcolm Pirnie, consultants to the City of Bay City, has outlined potential sewer treatment savings, suggesting discussions with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on PCBs.

Since tertiary carbon filtration treatment of PCBs is expensive, the consulting firm wants to determine if the state agency feels the process is necessary.

That treatment process is the key to high city sewer bills, since the city was required by a federal court order in 2001 to provide such treatment.

Debt from a $45 million bond issue in 2003 to add treatment equipment and facilities is causing high bills, committee members have learned.

The firm states three alternatives:

Continue Bay City municipal operations;

Divert sewage flow to the Bay County Wastewater Treatment Plant; and

Hire a contract operator to run the plant.

Other M-P suggestions involve:

Retention treatment basins;

Conduct an energy audit on wastewater that is pumped three times through the plant;

The consultants also suggest the city consider remote monitoring of the sewage plant to reduce staff.

Under contract operations with a for-profit firm, the city would retain all capital, repair, replacement and vehicles cost while the contractor would provide manpower. The contractor makes staffing assignments and sets staffing levels while the city is responsible for extra staff.