After months of planning, the Otter Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant construction project will begin Wednesday, May 14 with a groundbreaking ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The project site is at 2001 Red House Road and is being done to eliminate the existing Tates Creek and Dreaming Creek waste water treatment plants.
“It’s going to be about a 30-month process,” said Scott Althauser, superintendent of Richmond Utilities. “We’ve done all our preliminary work and Mother Nature would be the only thing to hold us up.”
An entrance road has been built and dirt should start being moved today, but the construction part of the project should be ready to begin by May 14, Althauser said.
The construction of the new plant is being estimated to cost about $30 million. In addition, it will take about $25 million to decommission the Tates Creek and Dreaming Creek plants.
The work is being funded through a KIA (Kentucky Infrastructure Authority) loan with a 20-year payback plan.
The new treatment plant will pump about 8 million gallons of water each day. The Tates Creek and Dreaming Creek treatment plants pump only 3 million gallons daily, Althauser said.
The elimination of the two existing treatment plants will save funds that were being used on the operations including treatment chemicals and maintenance.
Richmond Utilities sells water to the City of Richmond, the Madison County Utility District and the Kirksville Water District.
The project will increase sewer rates slightly for the next six years.
The average rate in 2008, which is $12.03 inside the city and $24.08 outside the city, will increase to $30.34 and $60.72, respectively, by 2014, according to a rate scale distributed at Tuesday’s workshop.
The scheduled increases (for the first 300 cubic feet of service) are: 2009 — $13.84 inside the city, $27.69 outside the city; 2010 — $16.19 inside the city, $32.40 outside the city; 2011 — $18.95 inside the city, $37.91 outside the city; 2012 — $22.17 inside the city, $44.35 outside the city; 2013 — $25.93 inside the city, $51.89 outside the city; and 2014 — $30.34 inside the city, $60.72 outside the city.
“This is going to prepare us for the future,” Althauser said. “It will be cheaper to operate on a month-to-month basis. It’s going to be costly upfront, but should save money overall.”
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
Otter Creek project to begin this month
Two water treatment facilities to be eliminated
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Uncollected household waste at a mobile home park on Big Hill Avenue in Richmond will draw a notice of violation from the Madison County Health Department and is prompting the city to clean up the site on its own.
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Realities of prescription pill abuse spark another summit
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NFL football player and former University of Kentucky running back Artose Pinner autographed lunch bags, footballs, notebook paper and anything Glenn Marshall elementary students could find (including arms and hands) during his visit Thursday to kick off the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) grant program.
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Berea Arena Theater presents: Kitchen Witches
Performances are 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and Feb. 10-11, and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 12 at 1835 Big Hill Road (KY 21) in Berea. Call 986-9039 for tickets, $8 for adults and $5 for students/children.
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While preparing the head and feet of a pig to make souse meat, Bennett said he made a surprising discovery after removing two of the toes.
When he went to cut off the next two, there were three. A smaller, third toe was higher up the leg.
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Model Laboratory’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration
Model Laboratory third-graders Olivia Florell, left, and Katie Upchurch, inside a paper dragon, wait Wednesday morning with their classmates in the school hallway for the start of the annual Lunar New Year Celebration parade. The students created the dragon after learning about Asian
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Because Rebecca D. Elswick won publication of her debut novel, “Mama’s Shoes,” in a national contest, it might be easy to view her as a kind of literary American Idol.
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She will read and sign books tonight along with Lexington author George Ella Lyon at the Richmond Area Arts Council, 399 W. Water St., beginning at 6:30 p.m. -
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Steve Hupp likes solving problems, and at 27 years old, he has seen more than his fair share. Hupp has been in and out of hospitals since childhood, making it difficult for him to focus on school. To make it worse, he also is dyslexic.
Hupp dropped out of school in the 11th grade.
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