Village of Red Hook SEWER DEPARTMENT REPORT September 2025
We had an operational meeting on Sept. 10 & 25 where we reviewed sewer operations.
H2O’s software platform, Waterly, is now up and running for the Village of Red Hook. This will enable the team to have ready access to all of the testing data in real time.
We discussed a list of equipment and supplies needed for the Sewer plant. Karen will review and authorize these purchases.
At the “old plant”, Plant 1B, a pump has been installed in the EQ tank to allow for better management of the flow. Now that the biology or “bugs” are growing well, there is a need to maintain the right amount which means sometimes an excess needs to be “wasted”. With the added pump in the EQ tank, that will allow for wasting to occur. The West side aeration tank is waiting for a valve replacement so that the return activated sludge can function on this side. This valve replacement is scheduled for the week of 9/29. The East side is currently handling all the flow. Some adjustment to the floats in the sand filter is needed.
The new plant, Plant 1A, the plant is operating smoothly. It functions best when it has consistent, steady flow through the plant. Wasting of the biology or “bugs” needs some adjustment and the sand filter floats also need some adjustments.
H2O did discover that our BOD testing, since June, has not been in compliance. The test required changes seasonally so from June to Oct, a different test is required. This change was made due to human error. H2O contacted DEC and has reported our non-compliance. Everything else has been in compliance. While the other test results would indicate that the BOD test should have been in compliance, there is not a calculation that can confirm that.
There was a significant toilet leak in one of the apartment buildings on the sewer system. Fortunately the water meter for that building had been changed to a cell meter so the location was isolated quickly. All the extra water flowed into the system to the WWTP which caused the extra EQ to fill up. This reiterates the need for the expanded EQ tank capacity to allow for disruptions in the system.
We reviewed the proposed alarm system from Vector and the team determined that we could set up our own system with notification via cell service that would function just as well and would be less expensive. Next steps to be discussed at our next meeting.
We received no odor complaints that tied to the WWTP in the month of September. The last WWTP odor complaint we have received was in early May.
Rural water is scheduled to meet with the Sewer team in mid-November to help the team begin developing an asset management plan.