July 31, 2008

Lind council approves extended

aeration wastewater treatment plant

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

A meeting with the mayor, Department of Ecology representatives, Joe Pessutti, Greg Schmunk and Bill Wills on June 24 centered on the wastewater treatment plant upgrade process.

Pessutti met with the town council on July 8 to discuss the meeting and explain costs associated with different options for the WWTP upgrade.

His recommendation to the council was to use an extended aeration mechanical treatment plant for the planned upgrade. The council unanimously approved the recommendation.

The town previously discussed constructing a lagoon-type treatment plant, but opted for the less-expensive option of extended aeration.

Pessutti said that lagoons would probably cost in the neighborhood of $3.8 million while extended aeration will cost about $2.1 million.

The top reason for a lagoon system is that operation would require a Wastewater Treatment Plant Class 1 certification. The extended aeration system would require WWTP Class 2 certification, which is one level higher.

Pessutti continues to work on completing the Wastewater Treatment Facilities Upgrade, which will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Agriculture upon completion to apply for funding for an Environmental Impact Statement.

He expects the EIS process to start within the next few weeks, with completion by the end of the year. The next step is to secure funding for the preliminary engineering report, design on construction.

The town is currently using a trickling filter mechanical plant, which was installed in 1953, and discharging effluent into the coulee. The current permit for the town’s wastewater expires in 2010. Pessutti explained that as long as the town is making progress in its efforts to upgrade the facility, there should be no issues with renewing the permit.

The extended aeration mechanical treatment plant will have some type of land application, Pessutti said, either a seepage pit or drain field. Once that was in place, the city would then stop discharging into the coulee.

The town would also have the capability to retrofit the new plant in the future in order to create a higher class of water for irrigation, Pessutti said.