Stoddard County Common Sewer District completes major renovation project

The Common Sewer District in Stoddard County is nearing completion of a major upgrade to its treatment system. The project included the installation of a new UV System, blowers to aerate the water and a generator to ensure the system runs should the main power go out.

The treatment facility is located off Highway ZZ west of Dexter and is designed to output 188,000 gallons of water a day. Sewer Board President Ronnie Alsup said the yearly average of 16,000 gallons. He said this means it is overbuilt which becomes a problem. He said they can't keep the plant fed which causes ammonia problems. To solve this he said raw sewage, which is referred to at the plant as mixed liquor, is brought in from Sikeston at no charge.

The mixed liquor is poured in by the lift station near the sewer districts office and is pumped through. This feeds the microscopic bugs at the plant that break down the waste. The plant has two water cells and water fed from one cell to the other to remove ammonia. It is then fed through the UV system to kill E. coli. The plant could serve up to 880 homes in the future but currently serves about 385.

The district must meet these ammonia and E. coli requirements because they are technically classified as a river.

Alsup said due to their smaller size, the Stoddard County Common Sewer District currently is exempt from the phosphate and nitrate regulations from the DNR that city must meet.

UV System

Sewer Board President Ronnie Alsup spoke about the UV System first saying its purpose is to eliminate the E. coli in the water before it leaves the treatment facility.

The unit contains large UV bulbs that use heat to eliminate the E. coli. Alsup said in the winter months the bulbs are removed and cleaned. They are then put back into the system in the spring. The bulbs and testing run April through October. This is due to cold weather keeping the E. coli levels lower.

Alsup said it is not yet known how long a single set of bulbs will last because this system has just been implemented at the treatment plant. Alsup said if a person were to place their hands under the bulbs while on it would result in burns to the hands.

Alsup said the sewer district has extra bulbs on hand but it is hoped that a single set will last quite a while.

Alsup said there are two ways to do this. He one is to use chlorine tablets to kill the E. coli. Alsup said this system was looked at, however it was not as cost effective due to more testing being required. It was decided to use the UV System.

Alsup said due to the regulations put in place by the Department of Natural Resources all sewer systems public or private will have to switch to either the chlorine tablet or UV system.

Generator, Blowers and Transfer Station

Sitting next to the new building at the plant is a new 200 kilowatt 480 phase generator. This is one of the requirements by the Department of Natural Resources for the new system. The blowers sit inside the new transfer station which is large enough to maneuver a forklift around and perform maintenance. This will allow the district to move one of the three massive 500 pound blowers. The blowers aerate the underwater area of the plant. The blowers send diffused air into the water which keeps the dissolved oxygen up so the plant will not turn septic. The blowers cycle every two hours. One will run for two hours and shut off and then the other will cycle. Air is fed to the blowers through three large intake valves on the outside of the station.

Before the new transfer station was built the blowers were housed in small buildings making maintenance difficult due to lack of room. According to Alsup, Smith and Company was the engineering firm and RLP was the contractor for the project.

The generator cycles every Monday morning for a set period of time. This ensures it is operating correctly in case of main power loss. Alsup said the generator will keep the UV system and the blowers going.

The District

Alsup said in January 2003 the commissioners that drew the boundaries for the Stoddard County Common Sewer district were excused from their jobs. He said in April 2003 voters approved the formation of the district by 56 votes.

The western boundary of the district is Highway ZZ and stretches east to just west of Dexter High School. It also encompasses some of the subdivision north and south of County Road 612.

A revenue bond issue was passed by voters in November 2004. The district borrowed $1.85 million and received another $1.85 million through grants to install the first system. Alsup said the loan money must be spent first and then the grant money.

In 2017 the district was notified that a new system must be installed. Alsup said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the process and the district was able to receive an extension.

According to Alsup there was bond money left through Rural Development. Alsup said this meant they did not have to put another bond issue on the ballot. He said they then borrowed $350,000 against the bonds. Alsup said the cost of the generator was $59,000 and the UV system was $58,000.

He suspects the district may come in under the projected amount of the project. He said this won't be known for sure for a year. The district has a ten percent holdback for the contractor that must be held for a year. He said other final bills are not in yet either.

The district is required to do numerous tests on the water in the system. These look for ammonia, E. coli, nitrogen, oil, grease, Bio Chemical Oxygen demand, Total Suspended Solids and more. These tests are required every three months. Plant manager Mike Jarrel performs tests weekly at the plant. Jarrell and Alsup said that when a test sent into the state comes back abnormal they almost always have already found the issue and corrected the issue. The weekly testing performed by Jarrell catches these issues and allows the district to stay on top of them.

The district has some lab equipment on site that allows them to complete some tests. Jarrell said a lab could be set up on site to perform all the tests but this would not be cost effective. Alsup said with the work of the staff and improvements on the plant there are not many issues now.