Meridian making progress on consent decree

Dec. 9—The City of Meridian is making progress on addressing longstanding issues with its sewer system as part of an agreement with the federal government, Meridian City Council members were told Tuesday.

In August 2019, Meridian signed a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Justice and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality after failing to address numerous sanitary sewer overflows throughout the city. The consent decree outlines repairs and improvements needed to the city's physical sewer infrastructure as well as new policies, procedures and programs needing to be implemented to address sewer issues in the future.

David Ruhl, of Waggoner Engineering, which is acting as the project manager for the city's consent decree, updated council members Tuesday about the work being done to move the city closer to compliance. Projects, he said, are split into three main categories, including wastewater collection and transmission, wastewater treatment and capacity, management, operations and maintenance programs, also called CMOM programs.

Collection and Transmission

Wastewater collection and transmission is the city's network of sewer pipes and pumps that transport waste from its source to the city's wastewater treatment plants, and issues with the network are the heart of federal consent decree. Collapsed lines, blockages, fats and oils clogging the pipes, pump failures and other issues have all contributed to the sewer overflows cited by the federal agencies.

A number of projects addressing problem areas have already been completed, Ruhl said, including a 54-inch sewer line replacement leading to the south wastewater plant, repairs to sewer lines in the medical district and along D Street, sewer improvements at Sela Ward Parkway and B Street and phases 1 and 2a of a project to fix issues with a main sewer line, or trunk line, along Highway 80.

Currently underway are phase 2b of the Highway 80 trunk line project, as well as the first phase of a west Meridian trunk line project, Ruhl said. The city has acquired all the necessary easements for both projects and is almost ready to move forward.

A project to fix issues with the pump station near Eastern Gardens is also underway, with about 60% of the design completed, Ruhl said, and another project to install remote monitoring equipment on pump stations throughout the city, which was awarded in November to Luckette Pump & Well Services for $258,000, should start within the next few months.

Looking forward, Ruhl said plans are being made for the third phase of the Highway 80 trunk line project, the second phase of the west Meridian trunk line, repairs to sewer infrastructure in the industrial park and along B Street between 8th Avenue and St. Andrews Street.

Wastewater Treatment

As the city works to fix the sewer lines leading to its wastewater treatment plants, improvements are also needed for the plants themselves. Several projects are in the works at both the south and east plants.

At the south plant, Hemphill Construction will be replacing several of the clarifiers, rakes, screens and other equipment needed to keep the plant functioning after being awarded the project in September at a cost of $5,664,725.

A second project, which was awarded at the same time to Synagro for $3,150,000, will dredge solids from the plant's equalization basins. The basins are used to contain overflow during rain and other times the plant is receiving more water than it can treat at once. Over time, Ruhl said, the solids build up limiting the basin's capacity.

Both projects are set to begin in January, Ruhl said.

Also at the south plant, the council voted in November to approve a $5,700 site assessment of land south of the facility. Public Works Director David Hodge explained the city will need to expand the plant in the future and will need additional land on which to grow.

At the east wastewater treatment plant, planned improvements to the influent pump station is in the design phase, with about 70% of the design work complete. A second project to upgrade the plant's control systems has been awarded and is set to begin in April.

CMOM Programs

There are nine capacity, management, operations and maintenance programs the city is required to implement under the federal consent decree and are intended to build and implement policies and procedures necessary to keep the city's wastewater treatment system running smoothly.

CMOM programs range from developing plans public works employees must follow in the event of an unexpected sewer overflow to inspecting restaurants to ensure grease and oils are being disposed of in a proper manner.

As part of its implementation of the CMOM programs, the city's sewer system was mapped and the data entered into a software called City Works. The software allows city officials to generate, prioritize and track work orders, organize and stay current on maintenance and record what has or has not been completed.

Meridian has also hired a Fats, Oils and Grease, or FOG coordinator, who is responsible for restaurant inspections, public outreach and education and potential citations to limit the amount of oils and grease that are being introduced into the city's sewer system.

Funding

The main source of funding for the consent decree work comes from a $41 million bond issued by the City Council in 2020. In passing the bond, the council authorized a 7% increase in water rates beginning April 1, 2020 and an additional 9% increase annually on Oct. 1 beginning in 2020 through 2025.

Water funds are separate from the rest of the budget and are supposed to be self supporting. The city cannot use tax dollars to pay for the consent decree work, and money collected from water bills cannot be spent outside the water department.

Councilman George Thomas said that is what the bond attorney advised the council was necessary to cover the debt, which is expected to grow through further bond issues.

In addition to the bond, the city has about $18 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and $10 million in federal funding, Ruhl said. Additional requests for $750,000 in community development block grant funds and another $100 million in federal appropriations have been submitted.

While it may seem like a lot of money, Ruhl said, the number of projects planned for the 2024 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, will put the city's consent decree account $7.7 million in the red if additional funds aren't found or a second bond issued. By the end of FY25, he said, the deficit will grow to $23 million.

Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com