City approves waste sludge agreement

NEW LONDON – The New London Common Council approved a waste sludge agreement with the city of Omro that will run through Dec. 31, 2029.
The council approved the agreement at its March 17 meeting. The agreement allows Omro to haul waste sludge to the New London Wastewater Treatment facility to be processed. Past agreements with Omro have been renewed annually. The agreement that the council approved would allow New London to adjust the rate once per year.
Robert Garske, director of Public Works for the city of New London, told the New London Board of Public Works & Sewer Utility Commission at its March 2 meeting that the agreement with Omro would be similar to past agreements with Omro.
Omro averages around 20,000 gallons of sludge per day, Garske said. Over the past three years, Omro has averaged around 700,000 gallons annually.
The new agreement calls for a rate increase from $.001 to $.03 per gallon. There was a larger increase in the past, Garske said. That increase saw the cost to Omro increase from around $12,000 per year to around $20,000 per year.

“Knowing that we can pretty much take their sludge without interruption, having that old plant run,” Garske said. “… That still gives us flexibility as far as end product for the new (wastewater treatment facility) upgrades and negotiation at that point.”
He added that Omro’s sludge has been analyzed in preparation of a new wastewater treatment facility being constructed.
“It gives us the flexibility if we start seeing any increases in hauling sludge, that we can increase this on an annual basis as well, just like we have in the past,” Garske said.
New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth said if the new facility would have a drying facility included in it, this could be an opportunity for the city’s wastewater treatment facility to be a regional acceptance site for sludge-type waste from other municipalities.