WM Utility to spend $7 million to fix I&I issues

WM Utility to spend $7 million to fix I&I issues

Inflow and infiltration problems causing sanitary sewer overflows in times of heavy rains

news@theeveningtimes.com

The West Memphis Utility Department committed to spending $7,000,000 to fix sewers. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality cited WMU for three counts of bypassing a portion of the treatment process and sending the effluent into the river. ADEQ wanted recommendations to improve the hydraulic system and semi-annual progress reports.

The city utility company had already been working on the required study and employed consultants at Fisher Arnold Engineering to answer the state. WMU self reported the three bypasses occurring last year resulting in over 70 million gallons of partially treated waste water being discharged into the river. The consultants said in the May utility commission meeting that major storm events forced the water through the waste water treatment plant.

“The impact heavy rainfall and extraneous water has on WMU’s collection system and treatment facility had been noted for several years.” read the Fisher Arnold Report.

Utility General manager Todd Pedersen said the previous studies and rehabilitation projects softened the corrective action plan.

“They saw the issues we were having within our sewer system in large rain events,” said Pedersen.

“After several days we had bypasses due to excessive inflow and infiltration causing sanitary sewer over- flows. So, they asked us to develop corrective action plan to correct this issue.”

ADEQ approved the preliminary proposal to reduce potential for effluents bypassing the treatment plant, but it came at quite an expense for WMU. Utility department planned a quick response and committed spending $1.25 – $2 million dollars over the next five years to address the issues.

The initial estimate totaled $6.975 million for 13 projects including monitoring, assessment, reporting and sewer line rehabilitation through 2022. Spending on study and planning this year totaled $325,000 with another $700,000 manhole and sewer line renovation slated for the last six months of the year.

“Everybody wants to know where we are getting the money from,” said Pedersen. “We’ll reallocate revenue from last year for expenditures this year and bond money closing.”

The required sewer project will tap electric revenue too. Commissioners noted the sewer revenue deficit.

“We’re loosing $40,000 per month on sewer,” said Commissioner Dana Parker.

“The next four years because of the power supply contract will allow us to pay for these expenditures,” said Pedersen. “The system is as old as most of us in the room, it needs some TLC,” said Pedersen. This same issue in infrastructure

all across the state

of Arkansas.”

Commissioners accepted the corrective action plan and authorized proceeding with the repairs.

By John Rech