By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax wastewater treatment plant has earned a grade of “B” on the compliance maintenance annual report submitted to the state Department of Natural Resources.
The section on the report pertaining to total suspended solids at the wastewater treatment lagoons earned a grade of “F,” said Rand Bates, director of public works, at the Colfax Village Board’s June 13 meeting.
The fall before, an extra amount of water was discharged from the wastewater treatment lagoons to work on equipment, he said.
Although the wastewater treatment lagoons typically begin discharging to the Red Cedar River in May, because it was dry last summer, the discharge did not start until September, Bates said.
Since the lagoons only discharged for three months instead of the normal six or seven months, the average of the total suspended solids “was not good,” he said.
Bates said he had talked to a representative from the DNR, who had told him to start sampling earlier.
There is no penalty for failing that part of the report, Bates said.
Instead of discharging, the water evaporated, he noted.
According to the CMAR report, Colfax completes cleaning, root removal and flow monitoring for the sanitary sewer lines on 100 percent of the system every year.
Sewer line televising is completed on 10 percent of the system each year, while all of the manholes are inspected every year.
Colfax has 7.8 miles of sanitary sewer and one lift station.
In 2021, the village received 34.8 inches of precipitation. The average for Colfax is 34.5 inches of annual precipitation.
Colfax had one sewer backup into a basement last year.
The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the resolution informing the DNR that the board has reviewed the Colfax Wastewater Treatment Facility 2021 Compliance Maintenance Annual Report.
The report will be attached to the resolution and submitted to the DNR.
