ANSWERS SOUGHT- Council Hears Update On Sewer Project Ideas

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

— The City Council during last Thursday night’s meeting heard reports from Junior Hartley, Gravette’s Public Works Operations Manager, and from Council members Byron Warren and Forrest White concerning the much-discussed sewer treatment facility project.

Warren said the trio has visited numerous sewer facilities during recent weeks, including those at Fayetteville, Rogers, Bentonville, Westville and Miami, Oklahoma.

He said Gravette’s facility “is first class” compared to many. It is well designed and is performing the function it was designed for more than 20 years ago.

Its problem, according tostate and federal authorities, is that it does not meet new low phosphorus and ammonia discharge levels. The city is under a mandate to rectify the situation.

The treatment plant at Miami “does not even test for phosphorus discharge,” Warren said.

Hartley reported that after visiting with the city’s engineering firm, McGoodwin, Williams and Yates, which has proposed three possible solutions, that “by removing contingency funds from the problem and making ‘cosmetic’ changes including paving, the estimated $8 million cost of the Gravette project can be reduced by more than a million dollars.

The Council was told that additional researchand investigation of other possible solutions is being undertaken. One possible scenario is to determine if chemical additives and a change in discharge times along with a sludge removal plan could be an effective solution.

Hartley reported he will be joining engineers on a visit to a facility in North Carolina within the next few weeks to observe its operation. His trip is being made at no cost to the city, he said.

Mayor Bill Howard reminded the Council the operation permit for the city’s plant expires in October. Unless progress or a solution is found by that time the city could possibly face fines, the city has been informed.

News, Pages 1 on 04/28/2010