A neighbor’s concern for organic matter dumped on a farmer’s field in Hamlin Township last week turned out to be sludge from a Bradford City Water Authority lagoon that is expected to provide nutrients to the farm property.
On Friday, a neighbor of Hamlin Township farmer Dan Shetler called The Era with concerns regarding the types of material hauled in by trucks and dumped on Shetler’s field near Anderson Street extension. The trucks pass over roads in the borough of Mount Jewett.
Calls made to Mount Jewett Borough officials by The Era revealed that the sludge is from the Water Authority’s lagoon on West Corydon Street extension in Bradford.
Jody Zimmerman, administrative assistant for the Water Authority, said the sludge is from the lagoon at the water plant at 2000 W. Corydon St. extension.
“When we process water, there is residual waste that gets washed out of the filters everyday and goes into the lagoon,” Zimmerman explained. “After so long it builds up in the bottom of our lagoon and we have to clean it out or it gets too full.”
She said the lagoon has been cleaned out three or four times since the plant was created and went on line in 1984.
“It’s just compacted dirt in the bottom of the (lagoon),” Zimmerman added.
She said the Water Authority had put the lagoon cleaning process out to bid and accepted a low bid of $278,000 from Custom AG Services.
Brett Morgan, a councilman for Mount Jewett Borough, said Custom AG has bonded the project for the roads used by trucks to haul many tons of sludge.
“It’s a 10-ton road … and (Custom AG) will be held accountable for any damage done to it,” Morgan commented. In addition, borough officials notified the Department of Environmental Protection regarding the project.
“All indications are that it will be a few weeks that they will be hauling this sludge,” Morgan continued.
When contacted, Shetler, who is a beef cattle farmer, said the sludge dumped on his land is “not real high in nutrients, it’s like a topsoil application.
“When they bring it from the reservoir, it’s just silt from the bottom” of the lagoon, he remarked. “They will put lime on it, too.”
Shetler said the dumping process, which took place last week at his Anderson Street Extension property, will move to his 50-acre property on Division Street Extension this week.
“It’s kind of a win-win situation because it’s improving the water (quality) and improving our soil,” Shetler concluded.
