Waste plants get good reports
Published 12:09 am Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Opp residents can rest assured that things are operating smoothly at both of Opp’s waste water treatment plants, utilities officials said Monday.
Reports filed with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management stated both plants are operating accordingly, Opp Utility Board members announced Monday.
Utilities General Manager Stacey Parker said that ADEM tests based on multiple criteria to make sure the treatment plants are operating up to par to prevent water pollution.
“Both of our treatment plants passed,” he said.
Board member Charles Willis and Mayor John Bartholomew praised the city’s workers for their efforts.
“Our employees do an excellent job,” Bartholomew said.
Additionally, board members heard from Wendy Andrews of DMD Engineers, who said the new start up generator at the South Lagoon lift station was up and running.
Parker said the new generator, which begins working in under a minute of power loss, was paid for by a $59,800 hazard mitigation grant.
“This is money very well spent,” Andrews said.
The new generator is an add-on to the $373,845-sewer rehab project from 2012 that replaced the master lift station at the South Lagoon. That project was paid for by a community development block grant.
The previous lift station fell in shortly after construction began on the new one.
“The only thing holding the building up was a pipe,” Parker said.
Andrews said an ADEM representative would have to come and inspect it.
In other business, the board:
• heard the February financials in which the utilities board saw $1.05 million in total income, and had $641,350 in electrical expenses; $64,045 in water expenses; $91,276 in sewer expenses; and $244,539 in cable expenses. The board saw $13,608 in net margins.
• agreed to seek bids for a new right-of-way vehicle, and agreed an emergency meeting may be necessary to allow the board to approve the purchase of the new vehicle due to the current vehicle being out of service.