NEWMAN — The Newman City Council voted Feb. 24 to approve a $2.49 million agreement with Synagro-WWT, Inc. to dredge, dewater, transport and dispose of accumulated biosolids at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, a project officials say is urgently needed to avoid regulatory violations and restore treatment capacity.

City staff reported that Anaerobic Basin No. 1 at the Newman Wastewater Treatment Plant has become so compacted with sludge and scum that it is no longer functioning as designed. The buildup has reduced the basin’s ability to process organic and inorganic waste, interfered with accurate flow monitoring and jeopardized the city’s compliance with its State Waste Discharge Permit.

An engineering analysis by Stantec, conducted with city staff, confirmed the severity of the obstruction. Measurements by Synagro estimate that roughly 2,000 dry tons of material must be removed to restore the basin’s capacity.

According to the staff report, the compromised basin poses a direct threat to public health and safety because the reduced treatment efficiency increases the risk of permit violations. Restoring the basin is considered essential to maintaining the plant’s overall performance.

Under California Public Resources Code section 40059, cities may contract directly for biosolids removal when the work is necessary to address an immediate health or safety concern. Staff said the condition of the basin meets that threshold, allowing the city to proceed without a competitive bid process.

The approved scope of work includes mobilizing equipment, dredging solids to within one foot of the basin floor, dewatering the material, transporting it to an approved end-use site, and demobilizing equipment once the project is complete. Depending on material quality, the biosolids may be land-applied, composted or disposed of in a sanitary landfill. Synagro will operate up to 12 hours per day, six days per week, and will be paid only for the actual volume removed.

The city will provide access to the treatment ponds and up to 300 gallons per minute of water for operations. Synagro will supply temporary power, refuse collection and sanitary facilities. Both parties will use a mutually agreed-upon sampling protocol to verify daily solids removal.

The project will be funded through the city’s Sewer Fund and will require a budget amendment.

City officials said immediate action is necessary to protect wastewater infrastructure and ensure continued compliance with state environmental regulations. The agreement allows Synagro to begin work on removing the estimated 1,950 to 2,000 dry tons of accumulated material that has hindered the plant’s treatment capacity.

The Newman City Council also approved the resolution to adopt midyear budget changes and the T Street Corridor Improvement and Community Connectivity Plan.

The next Newman City Council meeting is set for 7 p.m. March 10.