FARMINGTON – Waste Water Superintendent Steve Moore told selectmen Tuesday that toxicity problems in the sewage treatment plant’s effluent could be due to someone dumping into the system.
Toxicity tests done in the spring and in July both failed, but tests passed every day last week. The test involves putting trout and minnows in plant effluent, or treated wastewater, to see if they survive. If they do, then the water is statutorily fine to dump into Temple Stream.
“Those fish were just going belly up. It just doesn’t make sense,” Moore said.
The toxicity that showed up could be due to two things, he said. Either there’s something wrong in the plant or somebody is dumping into the system. Since tests came back fine last week, he suspects the latter.
The sewer district may have to hire an engineer to evaluate the issue and have it fixed if there is a problem.
Moore also told selectmen that he had not been chemically treating wastewater to remove phosphorus as was stipulated by the sewer plant’s most recent state license. It was an oversight on his part – the requirement is in very small print in the license. The treatment was a direct result of the Clean Water Act because the system dumps into a body of water, he said. Previous licenses required no chemical treatment but only removal of solid waste and other materials. Though corrective measures have been taken, the district could be fined for the infraction.
The saga of a granite retaining wall continued when attorney Gerard Williams told selectmen that he will sue the town if they vote not to assist him in fixing the wall at the corner of his property on Front Street and Broadway.
Armed with an 1874 map of Farmington, drawn 10 years prior to a deed selling land to the town to make a public way, Williams showed that the road has not changed since that year. He said he and his assistant had also gone through every town meeting warrant from 1884 to 2004 and found that the town never voted to spend any money to build the wall. Williams contends that a covenant of the deed was to build such a wall, which the town never did, he said.
“But doesn’t that mean that the town didn’t own it?” Chairwoman Mary Wright asked.
Two attorneys, the town’s and one from Maine Municipal Association, found that the wall’s ownership was solely Williams’ and that he, therefore, was responsible for its repairs estimated at $18,000 to $25,000.
Williams agreed, saying that though the town did not own the wall, it was required to build one and never did.
“So now you’re calling your marker?” asked Richard Davis, town manager. Williams agreed.
“I guess we have a little more work for Frank,” Wright said referring to Frank Underkuffler, the town’s attorney, before tabling the issue once again.
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