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Boonville —
The city of Boonville will spend millions of dollars in the next decade on wastewater treatment in response to Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ regulations and to ensure infrastructure can handle growth.
Before the city spends money to upgrade its treatment plant, the state must first inform the city whether it can increase its capacity rating, which indicates how much wastewater the system can handle.
The treatment plant is currently allowed to treat 1.5 million gallons of water per day, but the city has conducted process evaluations which found the infrastructure can manage more than 2 million gallons. The city submitted a permit modification request and is negotiating with DNR officials.
"As long as they are talking with us and negotiating, it's a good thing," Public Works Director M.L. Cauthon said of negotiations. "It's when they shut down that we need to worry about."
Jerry Lane of MECO Engineering at a meeting Monday outlined the projects he anticipates the city undertaking in the next decade, the most expensive of which is the $12 to $15 million renovation and expansion of the treatment plant.
The city started improving the system to combat inflow and infiltration problems in 2007 and must now make decisions on the discharge point of water that has been treated at the plant and how the plant will address potential new standards for levels of ammonia and other chemicals in water. When the city designed the existing plant decades ago, such standards were not considered.
"The result is that if an ammonia standard is set, our plant simply is incapable of removing ammonia, thus we are out of compliance," City Administrator Irl Tessendorf wrote in a memo.
In order to build infrastructure for new developments such as the residential properties planned around Hail Ridge Golf Course, the city had to negotiate with DNR on its plans for upgrading the wastewater treatment plant. If the city does not receive permission to change its capacity rating, the state could refuse to issue construction permits for future projects.
Not all the water the city treats at its plant has been flushed down a toilet. Porous clay tile pipes, drains the lead directly into the sewer and manholes at improper elevations allow rainwater to mix with the wastewater.
"That's just clean water going and being treated," Second Ward Councilman Henry Hurt said.
The city currently discharges water into the Lilly Branch Stream, which flows into the Missouri River. When the city upgrades the plant, officials could opt to discharge the treated water directly into the Missouri River. The state standards differ between water discharged into the stream and water discharged directly into the river.
“That to me is just not common sense,” Hurt said.
A regular council meeting followed the work session.
At the meeting:
The council voted 5-3 to approve remodeling at the former UMB Bank building. City officials would move their offices into the bank and City Hall would be used primarily for meetings. Hayes Murray, Noah Heaton and Morris Carter voted against the measure. Murray argued it would be fiscally irresponsible in light of upcoming wastewater treatment costs.
“I can’t see why we in good conscience should invest in this,” Murray said.
Mayor Julie Thacher was absent from the meeting.
The city of Boonville will spend millions of dollars in the next decade on wastewater treatment in response to Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ regulations and to ensure infrastructure can handle growth.
Before the city spends money to upgrade its treatment plant, the state must first inform the city whether it can increase its capacity rating, which indicates how much wastewater the system can handle.
The treatment plant is currently allowed to treat 1.5 million gallons of water per day, but the city has conducted process evaluations which found the infrastructure can manage more than 2 million gallons. The city submitted a permit modification request and is negotiating with DNR officials.
"As long as they are talking with us and negotiating, it's a good thing," Public Works Director M.L. Cauthon said of negotiations. "It's when they shut down that we need to worry about."
Jerry Lane of MECO Engineering at a meeting Monday outlined the projects he anticipates the city undertaking in the next decade, the most expensive of which is the $12 to $15 million renovation and expansion of the treatment plant.
The city started improving the system to combat inflow and infiltration problems in 2007 and must now make decisions on the discharge point of water that has been treated at the plant and how the plant will address potential new standards for levels of ammonia and other chemicals in water. When the city designed the existing plant decades ago, such standards were not considered.
"The result is that if an ammonia standard is set, our plant simply is incapable of removing ammonia, thus we are out of compliance," City Administrator Irl Tessendorf wrote in a memo.
In order to build infrastructure for new developments such as the residential properties planned around Hail Ridge Golf Course, the city had to negotiate with DNR on its plans for upgrading the wastewater treatment plant. If the city does not receive permission to change its capacity rating, the state could refuse to issue construction permits for future projects.
Not all the water the city treats at its plant has been flushed down a toilet. Porous clay tile pipes, drains the lead directly into the sewer and manholes at improper elevations allow rainwater to mix with the wastewater.
"That's just clean water going and being treated," Second Ward Councilman Henry Hurt said.
The city currently discharges water into the Lilly Branch Stream, which flows into the Missouri River. When the city upgrades the plant, officials could opt to discharge the treated water directly into the Missouri River. The state standards differ between water discharged into the stream and water discharged directly into the river.
“That to me is just not common sense,” Hurt said.
A regular council meeting followed the work session.
At the meeting:
The council voted 5-3 to approve remodeling at the former UMB Bank building. City officials would move their offices into the bank and City Hall would be used primarily for meetings. Hayes Murray, Noah Heaton and Morris Carter voted against the measure. Murray argued it would be fiscally irresponsible in light of upcoming wastewater treatment costs.
“I can’t see why we in good conscience should invest in this,” Murray said.
Mayor Julie Thacher was absent from the meeting.
