City worries about possible sewage explosion

SPRINGFIELD — The prospect of exploding sewage is a very real concern for Springfield’s leadership.

City commissioners during a workshop this week expressed concerns the dangerously high hydrogen sulfide levels at a nearby lift station could cause an explosion and liability could partly fall in their lap.

Blame has been traded off between Bay County and Callaway for months as to the cause and who should foot the bill to repair the “BC-2” lift station, which receives and pumps sewage into the sewer line. However, Springfield and Parker also own a share of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) sewage system and could be held liable in the case of an incident, city officials said.

A public meeting between representatives of the cities and county will be held at 9 a.m. Friday in room 1030 of the Bay County Government Center, 840 W. 11th St.

Springfield Mayor Ralph Hammond requested commission direction for how Springfield should vote in an upcoming decision from each of the municipalities.

“There’s a situation over there that is highly explosive, and that isn’t just between tempers,” Hammond said. “With the right conditions that whole place could blow up.”

The commissioners’ made their wishes known in writing but the votes have been sealed until the AWT meeting.

Based on atmospheric testing of the BC-2 lift station in Callaway’s Veterans Park, an independent safety services company determined gases in the area not only pose a high threat of fire or explosion but also a threat to the public using the park.

That’s because air containing more than 500 parts hydrogen sulfide per million parts of air by volume can result in immediate unconsciousness and rapid death, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The wet well of BC-2 has peaked at times to nearly 1,500 parts per million, according to county Utilities Director Paul Lackemacher. Inspectors found nearly identical readings at Lift Station 1 in Callaway near the boat yard.

Hammond laid out three options for commissioners: split the cost, wait for a determination on who was at fault, or allow Callaway to assume responsibility for the lift station and take on maintenance, which Hammond said he did not want.

“From that lift station, the county needs to know what’s going out to the AWT plant,” Hammond said.

The county operates the system and the lift station but is adamant Callaway is to blame because sewage flow levels through the city’s lines are so low the waste sits in the lines for weeks, rotting and creating hydrogen sulfide levels that escape at the BC-2 lift station. Bay County has been proceeding with repairs to the scrubber system and ventilation for nearly a month. Further monitoring and inspection would be needed to determine a long-term solution.

Callaway has hired an engineering firm to analyze the lift station and sewer lines and issue a report on the problem.

“At this point, with the hazardous conditions, it needs to be taken care of quickly instead of waiting on four or five engineers,” Hammond said.