By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
As one of Whitewater’s more grandiose capital expenditures — upgrading the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant — waits in the wings, officials continue to comb through some of the finite details concerning the project, which carries a projected $20.7 million price tag.
The Common Council on June 23 held a special meeting with Tim Reel, the city’s wastewater superintendent, about the short- and long-term goals for the upgraded facility. The meeting included a series of slide presentations under the banner “Looking to the Future,” followed by a tour of the existing facility.
Reel laid out a number of facts and figures about the community’s wastewater system, which includes an intricate series of sanitary lines that if laid out would stretch 52 miles in length. The figure does not take into account private laterals.
The existing wastewater plant, located along Highway U, was constructed in 1983. City officials have frequently stated the facility was only designed to last 20 years.
One of the greatest sticking points throughout the years-long debate over constructing a new wastewater plant has been the end cost on consumers.
City Manager Cameron Clapper said residents could face sticker shock if all of the proposed upgrades were implemented at once, and the fees were borne onto users. A series of proposals are being examined, including a phased approach to the upgrades. The city also is seeking a series of grants to defray some of the costs.
At the recent meeting and tour, Reel and Clapper spent a chunk of time trumpeting the possibilities for the new plant. With increased digester capacity, for example, the facility could be used to process outside waste.
“It is an area that could generate revenue for the city,” Reel said. “There is no crystal ball, but it could offset future utility rate increases by capturing some revenue in that area.”
As technology continues to evolve, Clapper said the possibility exists for additional uses as well. Greater amounts of sludge, for example, could be used as fertilizer.
“Right now, we’re pretty confident that something is going to offset those tipping fees,” Clapper said. “There will be less of a need for outside energy.”
The council and other city officials in recent months have taken an in-depth look at the Whitewater Wastewater Treatment Plant’s current rate methodology. An outside engineering firm, Donohue and Associates, was enlisted this spring to make future recommendations.
A fixed charge is assessed, as well as a volume charge. During a discussion in May, council members appeared interested in maintaining that existing structure.
The city currently charges each utility user a monthly fixed service charge of $9.56, and volume charges are $6.57 per 1,000 gallons.
Nathan Cassity of Donohue and Associates said the average utility consumer uses 3,110 gallons per month.
A few of Donohue’s recommended changes include volume rates hiking up from $6.57 per 1,000 gallons to $10.45 per 1,000 gallons by 2018. Monthly rates could run anywhere from $9 to $920 by that year, depending upon the type of customer and meter classification.
The council is expected to continue discussing and making recommendations about the wastewater treatment plant upgrades in the months ahead.
