Del City to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant

Members of the city council have voted to move forward with improvements to the wastewater treatment facility.

“The current plant has served us well, but it is time for an upgrade,” Bill Graham, Del City public works director, said during the Tuesday city council meeting.

Eleven pumps will be replaced at the wastewater treatment facility at a cost of $145,314. The current pumps have been in place since 1986 and have been worked on several times.

The new pumps will use less electricity and will pay for themselves during their 25-year life span, Graham said.

“We are invested in what we are doing,” said Graham, who has worked for the city for 20 years.

Funds for the project are coming from an $11 million loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Graham said it's possible the city will not have to repay all of the loan, in exchange for installing energy-efficient

“This is a big step forward in our city,” said Floyd Eason, council member for Ward 4.

The council also approved the installation of new LED lighting at a cost of $17,275 and a new monitoring system for the wastewater stations, at a cost of $55,700. All the proposed projects were approved unanimously by the council.

The new monitoring system will replace the current landline system with radio devices that

equipment. will alert employees when there is a problem or when electricity to the pumps is affected.

Future plans include changes to the way the facility cleans wastewater, changing from chlorine to ultraviolet light. Graham said he hopes to start the improvements in March or April.

Other action

Council

members declared a public nuisance at 4317 E Fairview. Two neighbors have been bitten by dogs, with one being sent to the OU Medical Center trauma center after Christina Holland's dogs escaped her property.

“People should not be afraid to go outside of their houses,” Mayor Brian Linley said.

Police were sent to the residence four times because of the dogs escaping or biting someone.

City attorney Jack Fried was present for the hearing, as was Holland.

The declaration requires that Holland remove her three dogs from the city within 24 hours.

“We are not a public nuisance, nor are our dogs,” Holland said.

Holland could face criminal charges and have her utilities shut off if she does not comply, but she said she plans to move out of the city.