Pursuing sewer funds

Mar. 11—Designed to stay largely out of sight (and well away from the rest of your five senses), sewer systems are nevertheless some of municipalities' biggest ongoing expenses. The Hanceville Water & Sewer Board recently borrowed $4.2 million in bond money to overhaul portions of its citywide sewer infrastructure, for instance, and officials there say that the number, if cost weren't a concern, easily could have been more than double.

"We've got about $10 million in sewer projects that we could do, but we had to do something to get started,. and that's why we went out with the $4.2 million bond issue. We needed to get started on [replacing] some of our pipelines first, and to expand the sewer plant — and this is just a start."

If fortune favors their efforts, a second round of at least $4.2 million in sewer funding — bringing the city and sewer board's combined spending power to $8.4 million — could arrive without any additional borrowing. The city is hopefully waiting to hear back on its recent petition to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) on a request for state support for additional infrastructure upgrades, with optimism that much of the work's effect on major state school Wallace State Community College could help secure a funding commitment.

"Twelve, maybe 14 years back, the water department floated a bond that pretty much fixed problems they were having at the sewer plant," said mayor Kenneth Nail. "But now we're facing a thing where the sewer lines to Wallace State are way undersized. We desperately need money to fix some of these manholes and the lines that run out to Wallace.

"It has to be fixed at some point," he added, "because if we don't, we may have to cut off new tie-ons at Wallace State, and you know that we don't want to do that. Wallace State needs to be able to grow, and that would affect all of Cullman County. We aren't at that point yet, but without some work on the sewer system, we're getting there. The sewer folks tell me that 200,000 gallons of water per day is what they're treating — but whenever we have a rain event, it's actually kicking at over a million."

A second potential funding windfall, if lawmakers are able to secure it, might have fallen in city leaders' lap with the aid of some fortuitous timing. In Washington, D.C. last week to meet with Alabama's Senate and Congressional delegations along with the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and other Cullman County leaders, Stam and Nail learned of potential federal funds that might be available to bolster Hanceville's sewer needs — if, that is, the city acts fast.

"Me, Stam, and [fellow Hanceville public servant] Nolan Bradford drove up to Washington early and met with {Senators] Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville and [Congressman] Robert Aderholt, and we got word of a good grant possibility if we can get our application together fast," said Nail this week. "We didn't even know about it beforehand. But the window to apply closes next Monday [March 13], so we're trying hard to get everything together to get some additional funding for our sewer system."

If successful, the city's effort to tap the additional federal funding stream could mean between $1.5 and $1.8 million in previously unanticipated sewer money, bringing the gap in Hanceville's overall $10 million sewer funding target that much closer to closing. If awarded, the federal money, said Nail, would be used to replace sewer lines that run to Wallace State, as well as a lift station near the college.

Besides the flow issues that come with the college's continued growth, the board aims to rehabilitate aging sewer pipes and smaller-diameter lines all across the city that never were intended to serve at present-day capacities. "We've identified through [Birmingham-based engineering firm] Goodwyn Mills & Cawood the pipelines that we need to replace more or less everywhere," said Stam. "Some of it we can address by putting in liners; for some, we'll take out the old clay pipes and put in PVC while enlarging their diameter also."

The idea, added Nail, is to curb stormwater infiltration into the city's sewer system so the recently-overhauled sewer plant receives a volume of waste water that allows it to function at its design capacity.

"The water board has around 400 manholes across Hanceville, and I'll be honest: If you open them up during a rain event, most of them probably look like a sprinkler system going off. That's what we're trying to get a handle on. It's really just a matter of finding the money."

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.