2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Water & Sewer Subcommittee March 25, 2003 Page 4 illegal because the city's permit states that the city has to do a noncompliance report; this means if you are overflowing sewage into the streets the city is not complying with the permit. The EPA expects the city to have the sewage in a pipeline taking it to the wastewater plant for treatment. Mr. Campbell stated they started reporting the overflows, and the reports started climbing until they peaked in 1990 at 125; by that time, the EPA was on the city really heavy. The City started spending money and changed the way it did things. It changed the way lift stations were operated, the way they approached overflows, and the personnel. As a result of these changes the overflows were reduced. Mr. Campbell said there are one or two a year at this time; however, the city spent 18.3 million dollars to get to this point. The City was under an administrative order up until last year. Mr. Campbell explained that this figure includes everything involved in stopping overflows: upgrading the sewer treatment plant, putting in new pipelines, adding new lift stations, installing manholes and manhole covers, and a study. City Manager Malone said the EPA proposed a very large fine because of the overflows. The city took the position that overflows were being brought under control and the city was efficiently using twenty year old data and had personnel in the field fixing the problems. The city refused to consider paying a fine, so the EPA wrote a new order requiring the city to do a study which cost approximately $850,000.00. EPA also required the city to meet the permit requirements within a three -year time limit. The last big bond issuance provided the money to carry out the repairs that were dictated by the study which had been mandated by EPA. Councilwoman Neeley wanted to know how much was the issuance. Gene Anderson, Director of Finance, advised that it was 9.5 million dollars and was issued in March of 2000. Mr. Anderson said the city still has about seven million of that money left, but about four million of that money will go toward finishing the elevated water storage tank on the west side of the city along with the water lines needed for that project. Mr. Campbell said on page 28, one of the things they did at the wastewater