The plant isn't operating at 100 percent yet but all work is expected to be completed by August, according to Brian Boehmer, public works director.

Boehmer expects the Missouri Department of Natural Resources should issue the operating permit for the plant, "any day now."

The plant began treating sewage Thursday, May 7, Boehmer said. Before that, workers filled the plant with clear water to test all the pumps and other systems, he explained.

"We started out real slow," Boehmer said. "We slowly introduced sewage to the plant."

The general contractor is KCI Construction Company Inc., St. Louis.

"We're way ahead of schedule," Boehmer said of the largest public works project in the city's history. "We have nothing but good things to say about the general contractor and Jacobs Engineering."

Jacobs is the city's design consultant on the new VLR (vertical loop reactor) plant, the first of its kind built in Missouri.

The new facility includes an ultraviolet light disinfection system and a "cannibal" sludge system that will virtually eliminate disposal of the sludge byproduct.

"They still have to dismantle parts of the old plant and build the cannibal sludge system," Boehmer explained.

Currently, wastewater that's being processed through the new plant also is being run through the existing treatment facility before being discharged into the Missouri River.

The plant will be capable of treating up to 4 million gallons of wastewater per day and is designed to be expanded to treat up to 6 million gallons in the future.

The ultraviolet light system has been installed but is not operating yet as workers continue to adjust that equipment, said Kevin Quaethem, water and wastewater superintendent.

The cannibal sludge system will be constructed at the old plant site. The city also will maintain the existing sludge dewatering equipment, Quaethem said.

Meanwhile, the three city employees who will be operating the plant are training to learn the new systems.
"It's a work in progress," Boehmer said.

How It Works

Wastewater is pumped into the headworks building where mechanical systems separate "grit," paper and solid trash from the wastewater. Those separated solids will be disposed of in the landfill.

After that process, the wastewater is pumped to the VLR portion of the plant which circulates the water through a series of cells and agitating equipment that introduces large amounts of oxygen into the water to promote and sustain the aerobic bacteria which digest the waste.

After that, the wastewater is pumped into two large clarifier tanks - each 90 feet in diameter and 24 feet deep - where sludge settles to the bottom and the clarified wastewater is drawn off the top. The sludge is then pumped out of the tanks and eventually will go to the cannibal system.

For now, the sludge is being circulated back through the treatment plant, Quaethem explained.

In November 2006, voters authorized the city to issue $20 million in bonds or certificates of deposit to finance the new plant along with other sewer system improvements.

The city was authorized to sell bonds through Missouri's Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority (EIERA), realizing savings of almost half the cost of conventional bond financing.

When voters approved the bond issue they also authorized the city to increase sewer rates to retire the bonds. The rate hikes are being phased in over three years. The last increase will be implemented in October this year.

The current contract amount for work by KCI is $19,639,199. That does not include the cost of engineering and design work by Jacobs.

The facility is located just off Old Highway 100 east of East Fifth Street.