$65M expansion will increase plant’s capacity, efficiency
A two-year report on the $65 million expansion of the City’s waste water treatment plant was accepted by the City Council during its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday.
The expansion, which is required by the Oklahoma Department of Environment Quality, will increase the capacity of the plant from 7 million gallons per day to 8.2 million gallons per day.
“In September 2020, the council approved a professional service contract with Tetra Tech for the first phase of planning for the wastewater treatment plant expansion and collection system improvements from Limestone to Chickasaw,” said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen. “This phase is to prepare an engineering report, which evaluates various improvement options, provides a 35 percent level of engineering design, as well as the environmental review and estimated construction costs.”
“The reports are a result of a two-year effort looking at wastewater samples from different points in the treatment system and available technologies to retrofit and expand the treatment capabilities of the plant as well as collection system improvements to eliminate chronic bypass locations within the system,” he said.
Lauritsen said all the existing structures are being renovated with updated equipment or repurposed for another type of treatment.
“In accordance with the report, additional structures will be built to facilitate the increase in capacity,” he said. “The only building being demolished is the administration building, which has experienced severe foundation problems and is beyond repair.”
He said a perimeter berm to protect the facility from the 100 year flood event is proposed as well. The estimated construction cost is $55 million.
Note: The cost estimate for this project increased since this publication, which has been updated to reflect the most recent estimate.