ENGINEERING STUDY COMPLETED To extend the city's wastewater treatment plant's life for another 15 years, an engineer (from CH2M HILL Inc.) told the mayor/city council it needs a $10 million upgrade now; and should ADEM eventually tighten environmental restrictions, another $10 million may then be needed.
He advised it would be more cost-effective now to go ahead and upgrade the current downtown plant -- rather than to replace it by building an all-new one, possibly south of the airport; a new plant eventually would be needed when the old one's capacity is reached, in about 15 years (click).
He did not recommend considering operating 2 separate wastewater plants simultaneously as an alternative -- because of the inherently higher costs involved; and said the situation should be reevaluated every 5 years or so.
The next phase of the study should be to examine the city's wastewater collection system (underground piping, lift stations, etc.) -- which have been subject to overflow in recent years.
Comments
I would guess so if that's what it takes to fix the problem. Or we could sale it to BCSS and then we would be stuck paying a $60+/month flat rate. You choose...