Correspondent
CANTON — The most intriguing subject of the Sept. 8 meeting of the Canton Borough Water Authority was the small jar of dark material that looked a bit like potting soil.
The “soil” in question was the result of a demonstration of a Dewatering Press. A Dewatering Press is exactly what the name suggests. Liquid sewage sludge is loaded into the press and the liquid is squeezed out at high pressures to leave only mostly dry organic material.
Current procedure for processing sludge into usable material for fertilizer purposes involves using an evaporation method that results in a still mostly-liquid material.
A benefit of a dewatering press is the end result material is a dry material that local farmers and gardeners can spread on fields or pile up in concentration areas year-round: environmental regulations deter spreading liquid fertilizers on frozen ground so the current liquid sludge cannot be used in the winter. Trucking the dehydrated sludge would also be significantly cheaper than current measures as there would be less material to handle.
The downside of buying a Dewatering Press? Buying a Dewatering Press. Authority members estimate the cost of one “around two to three hundred thousand dollars” and it would take a significant amount of time for a press to save the Authority enough money to “pay itself off.” Nonetheless, the end result of the three-day demonstration was a fascinating topic of discussion.
In other news, members of the Tunkhannock Borough visited the Canton Water Treatment Plant to tour the facilities, specifically the UV decontamination system. Tunkhannock is looking to purchase a similar system for their treatment plant and expressed optimism that the two municipalities could work together and share parts and expertise when needed.
Regarding potable water, grants applied for involving upgrading the water pipes under Troy Street have been approved. Now the Authority will look to contract an engineer to start designing the water system with the hopes of work starting on the project next summer.
Final discussions revolved around water leaks the Authority is trying to trace out. They’ve found two possible leaks in the new water system running through town and have made PA One Calls in regards to repairing them both. The Authority is currently working to track down leaks totaling 373 gallons of water per day in the month of August. Speaking of leaks, PA Rural Waters Association will be in the Borough Sept. 23 to inspect the wet area of the water truck fill station on Sullivan Street. One last piece of data, the Authority has currently received $113,395.21 from Bradford County Collections for restitution from Brenda Mott per previous civil suit agreements. At the current payment rate of $600 per month the remaining balance of $215,648.69 will be payed off in just 360 months, 30 years. The next meeting is on Oct. 6.