For decades the Montague Water Pollution Control Facility received pulp and paper waste from two mills, and some parts of a 2010 upgrade were tailored around their flows.
Both mills ceased operations, and the largest (70,000 gpd) closing abruptly in August 2017. Almost overnight, sludge consistency changed to a mix of residential, industrial and septage waste streams.
“Before we lost the mills, our new four-channel rotary press dewatered material to 30-45% solids,” says Chelsey Little, plant superintendent and pretreatment coordinator for the facility in Northwest Massachusetts. “Now we were seeing cake at 15% solids and couldn’t keep up, even with our contract hauler making
