By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Bob Marcuccilli provided the Lakeland Regional Sewer District Board of Trustees with an update regarding the independent contractor committee’s negotiations with Astbury Water Technologies, the company overseeing the sewer plant’s management and billing. The update was provided during the sewer district’s regular meeting Wednesday, April 20.

In Astbury’s monthly report to the board, a bar screen and auger were recently damaged and needed to be repaired. The approximate cost is $10,000 for materials.

The board also decided to upgrade the plant’s inventory for pumps and panels.

Unwanted grease and other debris such as flushable wipes are getting caught up in the grinders, becoming an issue.

The board received an update regarding the Selge breach of contract. Greg Gear, district manager, explained Selge is the contractor who constructed the plant’s infrastructure, installing grinders, mains and essentially anything that gets waste to the treatment plant.

A customer reported an issue where a lateral connection between a grinder pump and a main was not connected properly.

LRSD paid for the repair work and wants Selge to reimburse it for the expense. DLZ Engineering, the district’s engineering firm, and the district’s attorney were both notified of the breach of contract.

The district had two property owners express a desire to join the sewer district. The board recommended they approach the county about being in the sewer district. Currently both property owners are researching the cost estimates of joining the district.

Gear said there are only four properties out of 1,200 in the district that have not yet been connected.

The board also learned Lake Estates, a manufactured home park, has been experiencing some high alarms. Work is being done to figure out what is causing the problem.