By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Does the City of Decatur have the wastewater plant capacity to continue to take in new areas added by the Adams County Regional Sewer District as it continues to expand?
Yes it does … for now. But city officials say they need to take a hard look at the overall picture in the near future.
The issue arose at a recent meeting of the city’s board of works and safety as Wastewater Superintendent Karey Fuelling said the district would like to add additional users, bringing the total required capacity to be held for the district to 12.3%.
The district now uses 7.5% of the plant capacity and with Project 6 she sees that number jumping to 9%.
The treatment plant is now at 63% of capacity, so the additional sewage would, of course, boost that number higher.
City officials showed concern about possible future district requests that would use up more of the treatment plant’s capacity.
Should the plant in the future get to 90% capacity, a considerable plant upgrade would be required. And that would likely cost “in the millions,” Fuelling said.
“I appreciate what the district is doing,” Mayor Dan Rickord noted. “But we are at a point, I think, where we need to take a look at this for the future.”
Regional Sewer District Superintendent Nathan Scherer, who attended the meeting, pointed out that the district’s continuing expansion of sewer lines brings new homes and new revenues to the city.
Rickord agreed, but expressed the thought that if a new industry should come to town, it would likely use a good-sized portion of the plant’s remaining capacity.
That could push the city nearer the 90% mark that would bring on an expansion of the treatment plant.
“And that can reduce the city’s ability to grow,” City Attorney Anne Razo said.
“I’m okay with this round (of increase), but I think we need to have some engineers take a look at this to see what it would cost to expand,” the mayor said. “And I think we then need to put a halt on until we can see what an expansion would cost.”
Board member Tyler Fullenkamp agreed: “We’ve got to get a plan to see where we are going.”
“And we need to have a conversation with the county,” Rickord added.
The board then approved on a 3-0 vote the regional sewer district’s request for an increase in the wastewater it sends to the city.
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