Gravette issued new wastewater permit

Results could mean huge savings to city's residents.

— GRAVETTE - Gravette will be issued a new permit to operate the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

That information was relayed to the Gravette City Council Thursday. The permit question has been “up in the air” pending progress on steps being taken to meet more strict phosphorus and nitrate discharge limits.

The city has been working toward a solution for several years with options presented by McGoodwin, Williams and Yates, the city’s engineering firm, reconfiguring the present plant, a new facility or transporting the effluent to Decatur.

The council has labored in an attempt to bring down the cost which has ranged from almost $6 to 8 million.

Several months ago a contract with MWY was terminated. A new agreement is now in place with EGIS, a Bentonville firm. Joe Tarvin has been working with the city to find a lower-cost solution.

The city had been discharging effluent about four months of the year but is now discharging daily and through chemical treatment is now meeting the stricter EPA discharge figures.

The new operation prompted the city to request a six-month trial period to measure the effectiveness of the new procedure and, according to Warren, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will issue the new permit to allow the testing period.

The final result will not be confirmable until the winter months when problems with meeting nitrate levels could come into play.

The city must continue to work toward a final solution to the problem until final determination can be realized or an alternate solution found.

If the new discharge configuration is workable and/ or modified, the savings to the city could be substantial, the mayor reported.

Other council business

Other business conducted by the council at its committee meeting involved reports from various city departments; discussion of the Rocky Dell water line upsizing, which is awaiting an engineering report; discussion of infrared meters for water west;advising that in-house building inspections will be done by city employees, supplemented with the assistance of county inspectors; advisement of mechanical problems involving two of the city’s fire department pumper trucks, though the city is well protected by its other equipment; and hearing that both replacement ambulances have been certified for use.

News, Pages 1 on 06/15/2011