Sewer plant plans proceed

Plans for a new wastewater treatment plant are ahead of schedule according to Ken Hayes, superintendent of the Water/ Wastewater Department.

“I would expect to have all the drawings complete and ready to go to bid by the end of the year,” Hayes told city officials at the September City Council meeting.

Council members adopted an ordinance authorizing the sale and issuance of water and sewer refunding revenue bonds by Stephens, Inc.

The city will refund the outstanding water and sewer revenue bonds issued to USDA Rural Development including $4,300,000 bond dated Aug. 13, 2008, and $1,044,000 bond dated Jan. 8, 2009. The total outstanding indebtedness of the system on Oct. 25, 2016, will be $6,781,549, according to the ordinance authorizing the sale of the bonds.

The new sewer plant will allow flexibility in operations, according to Kelly Freeman, project manager for McClelland Engineering, and will be designed to handle 800,000 gallons.

“It’s a popular technology,” Freeman told city officials earlier this year when presenting the design. “It’s a biological plant and has mechanical aeration in the primary contact chambers.”

Hayes told city officials he had visited numerous plants and investigated many different designs.

“We wanted to give you flexibility. If we permit for 1 million, then we’re required for phosphorous, but that’s not necessary right now. It’s very energy efficient,” Freeman said.