Chelsey Little, superintendent of the Water Pollution Control Facility in Montague. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

MONTAGUE — Thanks to equipment installed in late 2021, the Water Pollution Control Facility has resolved a five-year sludge buildup.

Wastewater Superintendent Chelsey Little and partner company Process Wastewater Technologies LLC (PWTech) attributed the progress to the town’s new Volute dewatering press, a machine that compacts sludge for more efficient processing. Little reported that, as of April 20, the system’s solid pounds of sludge — which Little explained is “the solid material that cannot be broken down any further in the wastewater process” — had been reduced from 60,000 to 6,000 through the screw press’ dewatering drum that thickens the material. The town is now meeting Environmental Protection Agency permit regulations.

“(Removing) sludge is an important control mechanism that keeps the buildup of these solids from exiting the system to the receiving waters, which would in turn cause a violation in permit compliance,” Little added. “Keeping old sludge out and fresh sludge in also assists with a healthy balance of microorganisms that break down the waste.”

Little said the five-year backup began in 2017 when the last of Montague’s paper mills closed. The press at that time was tailored toward dewatering paper pulp waste from the mills, so having regular residential and industrial waste made it difficult to break down as many solids, enabling permit violations. PWTech, a wastewater management product manufacturer, framed this as a “significant industrial change” that forced facilities to “reevaluate processes and invest in new capital.”

“Since our sludge had become so difficult to dewater, we had to send it to Canada for disposal, which is anticipated to cost over $350,000 a year,” Little said in a PWTech press release. “With this new system in place, we’ll have the opportunity to put that money toward other initiatives benefiting our community.”

“The Volute dewatering press, which was installed by the town’s own staff, has a smaller footprint than previous dewatering equipment at the facility and has already drastically improved processed sludge cake conditions,” PWTech stated in the release. “It is also expected to save local ratepayer dollars by reducing man-hours required in previous operations.”

Increased efficiency has also translated to reduced run times, which results in reduced electricity use at the Greenfield Road facility, according to PWTech.

“It’s remarkable to see how quickly the Volute screw press was able to turn things around,” Chris Hubbard, business development manager at PWTech, said in the release. “The Volute-style screw press gives municipalities a new, highly efficient option for sludge dewatering. As the area continues to adapt to new conditions, we are hopeful this success in Montague paves the way for other communities experiencing similar battles.”

Little said to reduce the financial burden on sewer customers, the screw press is being leased over a five-year term. The total price of the press is $260,227.27.

Little will present results of the Volute dewatering press installation at the New England Water Environment Association’s (NEWEA’s) 2022 spring meeting during the “Innovation and Resiliency” session on Wednesday, May 25, at 9:30 a.m. The event is open to all NEWEA members and will be held at Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Additional information is available at springmeeting.newea.org.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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