Brookhaven has been fined by the state Department of Environmental Quality for deficiencies that occurred at the city’s waste water treatment plant earlier this year.

     DEQ levied a $5,000 fine against the city, but allowed the city to spend $3,500 of that amount on new equipment at the plant and credit those purchases toward the fine, officials said.

      City leaders have known a fine could be coming since the summer but received word of DEQ’s final verdict on the matter via letter that arrived mid-December, said Mayor Les Bumgarner.

     The violations occurred earlier this year after plant operator Calvin Carter retired and left the plant in April, but before the city contracted with Mitchell Technical Services to operate the plant beginning in June.

     “Within that couple-month period was when we had some violations,” Bumgarner said. “No one really knew or could do all the work that Calvin was doing.”

     Ralph Augimeri operates the Brookhaven plant for Mitchell Technical Services. His company wasn’t involved with the plant when the violations occurred, but he’s been involved in subsequent negotiations with DEQ and explained the general nature of the problems.

     “Each plant has a permit that sets limits on the allowable discharge on specific pollutants,” Augimeri said. “Any of those pollutants that exceed the limit, it’s a violation.”

     The reported violation was only “small,” said Bumgarner and has not been an ongoing problem.

     The $3,500 credit for equipment purchases will be spent on remote monitoring systems at two major lift stations and at the plant.

     “This will allow me even from home to access this equipment and monitor it more frequently,” Augimeri said. “If there are any problems, it will contact me at home via computer or phone.”

     Augimeri plans to have the monitoring system installed by March.

     He still has a long wish list of improvements he’d like to see at the facility.

     “This plant is 20 years old,” said Augimeri, describing the needs at the waste water treatment plant as “typical.”

     Augimeri has discussed these needs with aldermen previously, so city leaders were glad to see some of the fine diverted toward addressing them.

     In July, Augimer and Bumgarner met with DEQ officials about the matter.

     “They wanted to make sure we were on track on correct the deficiencies and make sure everything was OK,” the mayor said.

     That was when Augimeri initially proposed DEQ allow equipment purchases to count as a credit toward the fine.

     The December letter indicated the amount of the fine and allowed a partial credit.