The Columbus Light and Water board Thursday agreed to invest up to $112,000 over the next 12 months to study the impact of water from the local treatment plant deposited into the Tombigbee River.
New standards released by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality when CL&W”s permit was renewed call for reduced levels of various substances in the river. The levels of such substances as oxygen, ammonia and phosphorus are regulated by the DEQ.
To meet the new DEQ standards, CL&W would have to spend $15 million on upgrading the city”s water-treatment facility on Yorkville Road.
Over the next three years, CL&W expects to spend $400,000 to $450,000 on studies to show the levels are safe without expanding the water treatment plant.
“That”s better than $15 million,” Board Chair Jabari Edwards said.
The board approved accepting a proposal from Neel-Schaffer engineering for the first year of the project, at an hourly rate, not to exceed $112,000.
CL&W Manager Todd Gale noted the three-year study would be paid for out of reserve funds.
Edwards recused himself from the vote, since Neel-Schaffer is a client at his insurance firm, The Bridge Group.
In other matters, the board:
n Approved cutting the city of Columbus” water and sewage bill in half, due to a leaking toilet at the Hitching Lot Farmers” Market. City workers had winterized and shut off water to the area. Someone later turned the water back on and caused overflow in a bathroom. CL&W routinely grants reductions of up to 50 percent off customers” water and sewer bills, when there is proof of a leak that has been repaired. Board members decided to offer the city the same courtesy on its $1,800 water and sewer bill.
n Declared a 150,000-gallon water tank in the Holly Hills subdivision surplus property, in hopes of getting someone to remove the tank from the property. The board plans to first explore having someone remove the tank at no cost, to salvage it as scrap metal. After the tank is removed, the board also may look into selling the land, which is about an acre. The city of Columbus bought Dixie Land Water Association about 15 years ago, and the water tank has not been in use since, Gale said.
n Received an update on installation of smart meters, a five-year, $4 million project, to meet Tennessee Valley Authority standards.
The first two meters — one water and one sewer — were installed last week in Dean Acres.
This year, CL&W plans to install 1,500 smart meters.
Smart meters relay their information directly to the main CL&W office and eventually will eliminate the need for meter readers.
“It is not our intention for the meter readers to lose their jobs,” Gale said. “We”ll try to fill those in through attrition.”
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