SALEM — The utilities commission discussed the rate of progress for phase three improvements at the wastewater treatment plant in its meeting Thursday.

Burgess and Niple Contract Administrator Don Tych said that the trickling filter station has been renovated with new pipes and valves, and that the new pumps were ready to be set in place. Progress is also continuing in the sludge dewatering and sludge conditioning building. He said that the conveyor system in the sludge dewatering building had been roughed in and were “98% complete,” process piping in the sludge conditioning building was about 50% complete, waste gas piping for the anaerobic digestor had been completed and tested, and the primary tank roof inspection had been completed.

Tych also said that they were working to test the secondary and primary tanks and making changes to the anaerobic digestor building, noting that material sourcing was proving to be problematic and that “parts and pieces” for the project were on back order causing delays.

“What we’re trying to do is get the secondary and primary tank full of water … so we can test the tanks and float them better to make sure they are going to sit evenly and work in tandem … before we can start transferring anything into it, in the meantime we have a couple of piping changes in the basement of the digestor building,” said Tych. “They’re minor changes we want to get done before putting anything online, they’re basically just a couple of extra valves and recirculation lines to be sure they can move everything around between the piping down there … they’re in the process of doing it, between that and getting some materials. Procuring materials seem to be the worst thing, when you think it’s a shelf item it’s not.”

Commission Chair Bob Hodgson said that he had visited the plant and was concerned if the renovations, except for the switch gear, would be completed before the April 8 deadline as the extension granted by the state was only for the gear.

“We’ve still got the April 8 drop dead date for everything except the switch gear, and with the amount of stuff that’s still sitting on the floor I’ve got a real fear that we’re not gonna meet that date,” said Hodgson. “The letter from the attorney general was crystal clear, the only thing we were given the extension on was the switch gear, it did not alter any of the other parts of the [consent] decree. There’s a lot of stuff sitting out there that needs put together.”

Hodgson said that it needed to be ensured that “everything other than that switch gear is operational on April 8,” and that there was still “20 valves and connections sitting in” the sludge conditioning building. Hodgson also asked Tych to have Project Manager Bob Schreiner call Utilities Superintendent Butch Donnalley and Assistant Superintendent Chad Hess Friday morning.

Tych said that those valves hadn’t been installed yet because Project Contractor Stanley Miller has been unable to get the necessary hangars. Hodgson said that the commissioners, Donnalley and Hess needed to be kept appraised of these issues so they can contact the attorney general’s office about delays.

“We’ve got to be on top of this. We have a very specific timeline to notify the attorney general’s office once we discover we have a supply issue and we need to comply with that,” said Hodgson.

The utilities commission will meet next at 3 p.m. April 17.