| Show Sewage Problem Critical Officials Warn Voters When Moab voters go to the polls on November 7 to balloon ballot ballo on a prop proposed sed bond issue for tor water and sewer system Improvements Improvements Im- Im Im- Im they face more than Just a certain water shortage shortage shor shot tage for the coming year and succeeding years Included In the planning for foran foran foran an adequate municipal system is the proper treatment of an increasing volume of produced from the city Is The overall bond proposal for a figure of dollars dol dol- dol lars lam admittedly a sum that merits more than passing In Interest In terest Included In that figure is in outstanding bonds already authorized nad naci to be consolidated in the current proposal pro should voters decide that way Included too Is a dollar dol dol- lar ian Investment in the health of this community now That fi figure ft fl gure Is La the estimated costs of Improving and the present facilities for sewage disposal Of that do dol dol- lars lam will win be granted by theU the U U. S. S Public Health Service We would appear to have littie littie lit lit- tie tle choice in this portion of the project Our mora moral obligation Is evident now to permit the problem to exist and perhaps grow Is to make it a legal problem pro pro- blem with health authorities The Board of Health governs also water projects so their opposition opposItion op op- position would not be unrelated to the solving of our water problems The present sewage plant is crowding capacity ot at all sit times with a corresponding d decrease ease 11 In efficiency and Increase in maintenance cost During peak periods incoming sewage exceeds ex cx by 20 per cent the ca of the plant The facil ity fly is constructed and sewage disposal is generally designed in such a manner that a portion por per tion cannot be treated and another another an an- other portion untreated You treat it all aU efficiently or you treat none efficiently Bluntly stated sewage Is not something you can govern by rationing or conservation Fortunately the present plant plantis is expandable That was not the case six abc years rean ago when the plant had ad to be constructed to completely replace an obsolete faculty facility We face this prospect of a 4 plant digester dIgest or capable of handling han ban dUng SWO people with some difficulty At that figure sludge produced has been objectionable objection able and anything worse Illegal illegal illegal Ille ille- ille- ille gal from a health standpoint The sludge at the present rate is being put Into the digester too rapidly In speeding up the process the bacteria that accomplish accomplish ac ac- ac- ac digestion are removed Once removed the plant has been lost as far as treating any sewage properly property What has been engineered as a solution is in part a new digester that will allow v the existing one to be used for tor se secondary secondary secondary se- se condary treatment The present present present pres pres- ent concrete capped structure will not have to be used Instead Instead Instead In In- stead a steel topped structure will be built bunt capturing the gasses gasses gas- gas ses sea that are used for the oper oper- atlon Expansion and Improvement will wUl also be needed in the clarIfier clar- clar portion of the plant Pre- Pre the time allotted for forthe forthe forthe the removal of solids is not sufficient for clarifying and the liquids that should should flow flow off through the outfall line are not liquids Two hours minimum minimum mini mini- mum should be aU allowed owed an and more is desirable We actually use only 1 hour 33 38 minutes with the result being raw sewage emanating from the plant at times The size of Moab now and the trend nationally indicates that we eventually will be forced forced for- for ced cod into secondary treatment of sewage We Ve can do so now with the proposed plan by usIng us us- tag Ing ng pr present ent facilities that could be MJ expanded and improved We Weare Weare Weare are fortunate that we do not have lave have to tG completely replace the facility The basic l proposal as included in In- eluded in the upcoming bond election suggests a double process pro cess that would process the sewage through a second clari clari- tier ier fler effectively double or r more the capacity double the and yet retain the present plant as a base of the system I HOW ow much choice do we have haver The Board of Health is aware of our problem Its It's not an one as witness th the he recent Salt Lake City bond election lection that win will bring that city up to date and eliminate a health threat Ne Nut Neat t Week The water project pro pro- what will It U provide What will wUl it cost Why go so ao soar tar far ar for water What about wells Why do we wait walt until now How now do we pay for it tu |
