SALEM — The utility commission heard that upgrades to the city’s wastewater and water plant are nearing the finish line during Thursday’s meeting in Salem City Council Chambers.

Current construction at the wastewater plant — part of a $21 million project to modernize the facility and improve efficiency — was described as “on target” and “on track” by plant manager Dean Stokes. The project includes upgrades to the trickling filter station, sludge dewatering and conditioning building and the anaerobic digester building and implementing a state-of-the-art pondus filtration system which will be the second of its kind in the nation.

Stokes said within two weeks, he expects just “some punch-list items” to remain and start-ups are scheduled to begin as early as Monday, as valves, pumps and drives have been installed and most electrical work complete.

While the project is nearing completion, the commission did discuss recent snags related to construction, specifically at the sludge dewatering building. The snags include an engineering flaw that makes loading trucks currently impossible and a disagreement regarding what paving is left to be done. “Engineering [plans] called for X brace and it goes right through the middle of the entry, and you can’t get a truck or front loader through,” Commission Chairman Bob Hodgson explained. “[The project engineers] Burgess and Niple need to work up a fix for that screw up. This is major. I went to look at some stuff and drove to the back and I can’t even get my pick-up truck in. It’s incredible that you spend half a million (dollars) for a pad and a roof and then you can’t access it because of the bracing.”

As for the paving problem, the commission said that all paving was to be completed during Phase 2 and what was left was to be done in the next phase. However, what exactly is left is in dispute. The city was under the impression more area around the building would be asphalted. The contractors say the contract called for less of an area and that the only areas that are left to be paved are the ones damaged by construction.

“There seems to be a disagreement out there with the contractor saying they only need to repave what they tore up and the plan was to have that whole back area repaved from Phase 1 to the last phase and the builder is now saying that’s not in the contract,” Hodgson said. High pressure in the compressor of the digester burner also was a concern discussed with Hodgson reporting “that pressure in the tank was triple what it should be.”

Stokes explained a temporary solution of “bypassing the compressor” and connecting directly to the burner to get it “up and running” was implemented until equipment that has an automatic pressure detector and shut-off arrives and can be installed.

As for the status of water plant improvements, progress has been made on erosion control and landscaping control, grading and under-seeding all around the tank. Painting is progressing, electrical work continues in the generator and pump buildings and the pump tanks. Trench work for electrical lines and masonry work is also ongoing.

That project too is working through some kinks as earlier this month the pressure test was interrupted due to trouble with a valve on the 20-inch line. That valve has since been replaced.

The commission also heard from Matthew Neisheisel, a representative of internet provider Spectrum, who proposed running fiber optic to the water plant instead of installing a tower.

The commission said more research was needed before a decision regarding the proposal could be made. The matter is under advisement.