Bismarck must build new wastewater treatment plant
Heavy rains cause sludge and sewage to go into stream
By CHRIS CLINE
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
BISMARCK — Sludge and sewage runoff from the city’s current treatment plant into a receiving stream has Bismarck in hot water. City officials in Bismarck have no choice, but to move forward with plans for a new wastewater treatment plant or they could face stiff fines from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“We have been working with problems at the treatment plant for the past several years,” said Alan Williams, manager of the Bismarck treatment plant. “We’ve tried several remedies to avoid putting in a plant, but none have worked the way that we had hoped. It has gotten to the point now where we don’t have a choice. The treatment plant we currently have was built in 1985 and is a unique design. Most systems incorporate two clairifiers. We don’t have that. When we get heavy rain, sludge and sewage get washed into the receiving stream. We also have problems with illegal introduction of materials into the collection system.”
Williams said examples of illegal introduction could be someone dumping his septic tank into the city’s sewer system or someone disposing of chemicals used in a methamphetamine lab.
“Some of these chemicals have outright killed the biological flock that breaks down the sewage in our system,” he said.
Bismarck hired Taylor Engineering to develop plans for a new wastewater treatment plant for the city. City officials toured various facilities during the early stages of the design phase.
City officials under the guidance of Tim Robbs, an engineer with Taylor Engineering, have decided that a oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant is Bismarck’s best option. The same sort of treatment plant is utilized in Farmington and in Eminence.
“It’s the easiest and simplest to operate,” Robbs said. “It is very efficient and does a good job of breaking down the waste.”
Robbs said the plant will be cheaper to operate in the long run than most of the others that were considered because it doesn’t require as much manpower.
“We are going after whatever is best for the community,” said Mayor Dennis Mayberry. “When we chose this type of plant we took into consideration the cost, efficiency and its ease of operation. When we toured the plant in Eminence the plant manger emphasized many times how simple it is to operate.”
Williams believes the new plant can be constructed at the site of the city’s current plant. The estimated price tag of the facility is $5.4 million. Currently Bismarck’s population is 1,500. The proposed plant is capable of treating waste from as many as 4,000 people. Robbs said if Bismarck would see a jump in population, the plant could easily be expanded.
“It would be nice to utilize proven technology,” Williams said. “After what I have been working with for the past several years, I can tell you that we need this.”
Robbs said the city is presently talking with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the United States Department of Agriculture and is looking at a Community Development Block Grant to help fund the project. He said though, even if Bismarck does get some grant money most of the project will still have to be financed by the city.
Mayberry said that financing could come via a bond issue or a tax.
“We aren’t sure yet,” he said. “We are still in the process of making that decision.”
He said if the city goes forward with a bond issue the earliest it would be on a ballot would be February.
“DNR is giving us a time frame in which we have to get this done,” Mayberry said. “If we don’t comply, we will start having to pay fines with taxpayer money. We don’t want that to happen. We don’t want to have to take away from anything that we are trying to do in order to pay these fines.”
Mayberry said if the citizens don’t approve a bond issue, the city could get private financing. However, he said private financing would cost the taxpayers more money in interest charges.
“It’s gotten to the point where we don’t have a choice,” he said. “This is not a wish list, it has to be done.”
Robbs said if financing is in place, construction of the new treatment plant could get underway in the spring of 2010 and would most likely be done a year to 18 months later.
“We want our citizens to know exactly what we are doing and what we are up against,” Mayberry said. “Our main focus is the betterment of our town. We have a copies of the letters from DNR along with the engineering report available to anyone who wishes to look at them at city hall.”
He also said the city would be hosting informational open houses about the proposed wastewater treatment plant in the near future.
Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.
“We have been working with problems at the treatment plant for the past several years,” said Alan Williams, manager of the Bismarck treatment plant. “We’ve tried several remedies to avoid putting in a plant, but none have worked the way that we had hoped. It has gotten to the point now where we don’t have a choice. The treatment plant we currently have was built in 1985 and is a unique design. Most systems incorporate two clairifiers. We don’t have that. When we get heavy rain, sludge and sewage get washed into the receiving stream. We also have problems with illegal introduction of materials into the collection system.”
Williams said examples of illegal introduction could be someone dumping his septic tank into the city’s sewer system or someone disposing of chemicals used in a methamphetamine lab.
“Some of these chemicals have outright killed the biological flock that breaks down the sewage in our system,” he said.
Bismarck hired Taylor Engineering to develop plans for a new wastewater treatment plant for the city. City officials toured various facilities during the early stages of the design phase.
City officials under the guidance of Tim Robbs, an engineer with Taylor Engineering, have decided that a oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant is Bismarck’s best option. The same sort of treatment plant is utilized in Farmington and in Eminence.
“It’s the easiest and simplest to operate,” Robbs said. “It is very efficient and does a good job of breaking down the waste.”
Robbs said the plant will be cheaper to operate in the long run than most of the others that were considered because it doesn’t require as much manpower.
“We are going after whatever is best for the community,” said Mayor Dennis Mayberry. “When we chose this type of plant we took into consideration the cost, efficiency and its ease of operation. When we toured the plant in Eminence the plant manger emphasized many times how simple it is to operate.”
Williams believes the new plant can be constructed at the site of the city’s current plant. The estimated price tag of the facility is $5.4 million. Currently Bismarck’s population is 1,500. The proposed plant is capable of treating waste from as many as 4,000 people. Robbs said if Bismarck would see a jump in population, the plant could easily be expanded.
“It would be nice to utilize proven technology,” Williams said. “After what I have been working with for the past several years, I can tell you that we need this.”
Robbs said the city is presently talking with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the United States Department of Agriculture and is looking at a Community Development Block Grant to help fund the project. He said though, even if Bismarck does get some grant money most of the project will still have to be financed by the city.
Mayberry said that financing could come via a bond issue or a tax.
“We aren’t sure yet,” he said. “We are still in the process of making that decision.”
He said if the city goes forward with a bond issue the earliest it would be on a ballot would be February.
“DNR is giving us a time frame in which we have to get this done,” Mayberry said. “If we don’t comply, we will start having to pay fines with taxpayer money. We don’t want that to happen. We don’t want to have to take away from anything that we are trying to do in order to pay these fines.”
Mayberry said if the citizens don’t approve a bond issue, the city could get private financing. However, he said private financing would cost the taxpayers more money in interest charges.
“It’s gotten to the point where we don’t have a choice,” he said. “This is not a wish list, it has to be done.”
Robbs said if financing is in place, construction of the new treatment plant could get underway in the spring of 2010 and would most likely be done a year to 18 months later.
“We want our citizens to know exactly what we are doing and what we are up against,” Mayberry said. “Our main focus is the betterment of our town. We have a copies of the letters from DNR along with the engineering report available to anyone who wishes to look at them at city hall.”
He also said the city would be hosting informational open houses about the proposed wastewater treatment plant in the near future.
Chris Cline is a reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at 573-431-2010, ext. 114 or at ccline@dailyjournalonline.com.
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