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Pool Improvements Benefitting the Community

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James Rada, Jr.

Rebuilding the Emmitsburg Community Pool proved to be a good investment for the town, and judging by the number of people that used it this summer, it was well-liked by residents.

The town closed the community pool for the 2017 season in order to undertake a $369,500 rebuilding of the pool. The town commissioners had initially only been planning on renovating the existing pool, but a pressure test of the plumbing showed that it needed to be replaced. Also, the beams beneath the pool were damaged and needed to be replaced.

Besides a new pool, the pool house has a fresh coat of paint, and the pavilion was treated to remove the bees. The parking lot was repaved and repainted. The new pool’s depths range from 1 foot to 10 feet.

For the two seasons that the pool has been reopened, it is proving less costly to operate, in part, because it is not leaking water like a sieve.

Town Manager Cathy Willets told the commissioners in September that, not including the season pass holders, total attendance for the 88 days the pool was open was 9,911. The town also earned an average of $112.63 per day for admissions. This compares to 2018 when total attendance was 8,404 for 86 days, with the town earning an average of $97.72 per day.

The increase in revenue the town received was $7,258 for the year or about 33 percent more than 2018.

“That’s significantly higher than 2014, 2015, and 2016, before the renovations occurred,” said Willets. During those years, attendance was around 5,300 people a year for 65 days of operation.

Commission President Cliff Sweeney also pointed out that for the 35 days the concession stand was open, it averaged about $75 a day for the 3-4 hours it was open each day. It earned $2,700, while the food cost only $1,140. The profit from the stand goes toward Community Heritage Day. He said if it could be run by another organization that has the volunteers to run it, the concession stand could be a large fundraiser.

“You wouldn’t believe the people from Frederick who come up here to use the pool,” Sweeney said.

Besides Frederick, people are also coming from places like Fairfield and Taneytown and paying out-of-town prices to use the pool.

He said the reason they are willing to travel further and use a pool not in their community is that it is cleaner, quieter, and they enjoy the atmosphere and staff.

Commissioners Hear Lagoon Odor Abatement Plan

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James Rada, Jr.

The problem of an odor coming from the wastewater treatment plant lagoon that the town rents to Enviro-Organic Technologies (EOT) during the winter appears to be under control.

After many residents complained of the horrible smell caused by the food process residuals that were being stored in the lagoon, the town and EOT took steps to address the problem.

The lagoon had not been used since the new wastewater plant went into operation. EOT currently hauls the town’s sludge, but it was in need of a place to store a wash water product from processing poultry.

With the lagoon being filled once again for winter storage, Town Manager Cathy Willets and EOT General Manager Mike Oliver updated the mayor and commissioners on what would be happening at the lagoon for the next year to keep the smell to a minimum.

The problem is that the material stored in the lagoon has been creating a hydrogen sulfide type of smell. “They mixed last year, which was the big reason why there was the odor in town,” Oliver said.

The best preventative in stopping the smell was the development of an 8-inch crust on the top of the lagoon, using straw laid over the lagoon. So now, any stirring that is done, can be done under the cap, with very little odor escaping.

PVC piping was laid down the slope of the lagoon and under the cap. This allows the lagoon to be filled or material removed directly to and from the truck, with little to no chance for the odor to escape.

The time frame for filling the lagoon can take place on twelve work days, from December 15, 2017, to February 28, 2018.

In the spring, it can be removed over twelve days, from March 1 to May. The preference is to remove the material as soon as possible before the temperatures warm up, increasing the chance of an odor problem.

The trucks won’t travel through Emmitsburg, which will reduce the chances of odors reaching residents, should there be a problem.

A field operator will be onsite when the material is being removed to deal with any problems quickly.

Oliver also said that a new bacteria was being tested in Georgia lagoons to control solids and odor. It was showing promise, and if the data continues to be favorable, it might be pilot tested in Emmitsburg. The one possible problem, though, is that the lagoon will need to be at least 45 degrees for it to work.

EOT pays the town $80,000 to use the lagoon. The rent will help offset some of the operating costs of the new wastewater treatment plant.