SALISBURY — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued an administrative order against Salisbury, requiring the town to remedy problems with its treated wastewater, which is expected to cost millions of dollars.
Salisbury's treated wastewater contains more trace copper and ammonia-nitrogen than allowed by EPA standards, according to the administrative order sent recently to Town Manager Neil Harrington.
EPA engineer George Harding of the Water Technical Unit said yesterday that the violation is not major, but wastewater needs to be brought into compliance. Higher than allowed levels of copper and ammonia-nitrogen can produce aquatic toxins, affecting organisms living in the marine environment into which the town discharges its treated wastewater, he said.
The amount of trace ammonia-nitrogen allowed by EPA standards is 5 milligrams per liter, Harding said. Salisbury's levels rise to between 10 and 15 milligrams per liter on average during the warmer months.
The allowable amount of trace copper is 3.1 micrograms per liter. Salisbury registers 20 micrograms per liter on average.
"While the copper is several times higher than the limit, it's still lower than what is often seen in other communities," Harding said.
Salisbury's aerated lagoon wastewater treatment plant, located at 125 Elm St., discharges treated effluent into a tidal creek, which drains into the Merrimack River and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean. Harding said the lagoon system is a good format for Salisbury, but the site of the outfall pipe is a primary cause of the problem.
"The location of Salisbury's outfall pipe is right at the end of the tidal creek," Harding said. "So, there is no available dilution capability (for the wastewater discharged) at low tides."
In its order, the EPA is requiring Salisbury to submit engineering reports recommending how it will achieve ammonia-nitrogen compliance. It also gives Salisbury 545 days to submit its plans for trace copper compliance.
The problem isn't new to town officials, Harrington said. Department of Public Works director Donald Levesque has been working with federal regulators on it for years, he said.
After about three and a half years of discussion, Harrington said the EPA sent the administrative order, finally putting on paper the process that must be followed to meet federal standards.
Harrington said the study needed to provide the required engineering information and compliance tactics will probably cost about $1 million. However, Harrington believes the town probably won't have to build a large addition to its facility, which could cost in excess of $10 million.
What the study could show is that simply extending the outfall pipe beyond where it currently discharges could provide the necessary dilution to bring both ammonia-nitrogen and copper levels into line, he said. Even that won't be cheap and could cost about $3.5 million, he said.
The cost of the remedy, however, won't come from property taxes. Harrington said the expense will be borne by Salisbury's Sewer Enterprise Fund. Residential and commercial sewer fees go into the fund to pay for daily operation, making the sewer system completely self-sustaining, he said.
In addition, years ago, in anticipation of town growth and possible new EPA requirements, Salisbury began charging sewer access fees to new users. The money accrued from years of access fees has been put aside to pay for exactly this type of situation, Harrington said. The access fees will be used to cover the $1 million cost of the extensive study.
The money to pay for the actual remedy, whatever it will be, will also come from sewer fees, not an increase in property taxes, he said.
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