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Show Tooele, Utah Thursday, May 10, 1984 Volume Eighty Nine Cost: Number Cents Twenty-fiv- e reconstruction contracts for sections of highway along the south shore. Lays Rock Products of Richfield is currently raising the grade on a e section of between Lake Point and Burmester. "We have a supplemental contract with Lays Rock to keep both the Great Salt Lake and the Lake Point interchanges open until we can advertise for bids to raise both ramps, said J. R. Chamberlain, who is the preconstruction engineer for district two of UDOT. He said bids are expected to be advertised next week. ' The new contract will also include diking from Black Rock to Saltair. Waves driven by wind from the north and the northwest have been pounding this section of highway for the past month. Meanwhile, Lays Rock Construction Co. has begun to raise a six-misection of highway between Burmester and Lake Point which they should complete by Oct. 15. The project involves raising the grade by about six feet to the 4,212.5 level. The lake is now at the six-mil- le 4,208.1 feet level according to sources at the Department of Natural Resources. The construction engineer said traffic will not be diverted. "We will raise one lane at a time on both Summerish Weekend On Tap the eastbound and westbound sides. Traffic will travel on the elevated lanes while the last two lanes are being completed," he said. Mr. Chamberlain said this project was originally estimated at nearly $8 million. Lays Rock was awarded the bid for $7.2 million. The first major reconstruction project along began In January Find the oil and slip on the shades for this weekend promises to be the first "summerish respite of the year with high temperatures and clear skies. Local weather forecaster Steve Hatch says that all storminess will remain north of Utah for the next several days, giving when W. W. Clyde & Co. of Spring-vill- e began to dike a 3.7 mile section of highway between LakePoint and Burmester. The contract stipulated that the dikes be built to the 4,209.24 level. The lake at that time was 4,205 feet, the project cost UDOT $1.5 million. Mr. Chamberlain said he doubts that these first two projects the diking and the elevation of the highway will be covered by additional federal funds. "The money for the first two projects will come out of our normal budget used for resurfacing and re- habilitation of federal highways. We will most likely receive additional money for projects from now on. Projects that are currently under contract will not be paid by federal emergency funds, Mr. Chamberlain said. Gov. Scott Matheson signed a state of emergency declaration on March 28 for sections of along the south shore being threatened us cloudless skies and gradually rising temperatures. long-waited-f- Through tonight and Friday, just high clouds will cross over the skies with no precipitation expected. Saturday and Sunday will be "picture perfect with only an occasional cloud and no rain predited. Lake Point Swamp Water from the Great Salt Lake has Inundated the Lake Point interchange on The Utah Department of Transportation will advertise bids next week to raise the ramp. Lays Rock Co. of Richfield has been diking the area. by the expanding lake. Federal officials visited the area Wednesday to determine the extent of the damage. They indicated that they could not supply money for projects currently under con tract but that money would be available for further projects. Union Pacific Railroad continues to spend money to keep a section of track on dry ground. 13-mi- They plan to stay ahead of the invading waters by continuing to haul fill dirt via spur line from Bates Canyon south of Tooele. The company has spent about $ 1 0 million on the project since last June. Settlement Flood System Will Be Tested Saturday I The project to control excess overflow from Settlement Canyon has been completed and Saturday the system will be tested for leaks and obstructions, says an irrigation company official. The system, which consists of diameter cul2,000 feet of four-fovert and a number of concrete headwalls, costs over $100,000 and is designed to keep water below city streets. "Well open a main valve Saturday morning below the reservoir and send water through the system, said Howard Clegg, president ot of Settlement Canyon Irrigation Company. "With the test, well find out if there are any leaks and the water will remove the debris." Mr. Clegg added the water will be turned into the system gradually, but by Saturday night a valve will be opened completely. It is hoped that the systems testing, which will continue Into next week, will drain the reservoir down in time before the flooding hits. The purpose of draining the reservoir to only a few feet of water is to create a buffer for possible continuous hot weather. Such temper- h Natural Treatment the wastewater goes? Or how it is treated? The Tooele City Water Treatment Plant takes care of millions of gallons of effluent yearly by a natural process using bacteria. Pictured above is a biological oxidation bed where bacteria consumes dissolved solids in wastewater. Do you know where Wastewater Treatment Plant Opens For Public Touring by David Bern On the far side of town in a distant field, a biological balance is being kept to take care of what we all would rather just forget. That balance, which eliminates something not so near and dear to anyones heart, is vitally important to the health standards of a community. More unpleasant to smell than to talk about, the Tooele City Water Treatment Plant is a unique facility that yearly rehabilitates countless millions of gallons of wastewater produced by city residents. For the dirty job it undertakes, it is one of the cleanest and orderly places operated by the city. Keith Dymock, Tooeles public utilities director, says that the treatment plant Is basically taken for granted by the taxpayer, and few if any really know what goes on there. But given the subject matter, perhaps that attitude is to be expected. "When you think about it, how many people give a second thought to where their wastewater goes, said Mr. Dymock. . . . But the treatment plant is important be- cause the effluent (wastewater) that comes in here carries about 27 diseases and the plant removes about 98 percent of them. Throughout city limits, over 70 miles of sewer collection lines carry household, business, hospital and other effluent to the treatment plant. Interspersed over those 70 miles are some 700 manhole covers that require yearly maintenance. During a regular 24 hour period, about one million gallons of effluent passes through the system. "The amount of effluent that reaches the treatment plant depends on the time of day, said Mr. Dymock. "We usually see a million gallons in a 24 hour period, but the plant is designed to handle twice that much. The effluent reaches the treatment plant via three large pipes of the that each carry citys wastewater, explains Mr. one-thir- d Dymock. From there the effluent enters a grit chamber where solids are separated out by three screens. Any remaining solids are chopped up by a communiator. From the first phase the effluent then goes to a control building, where It is split and channeled into two primary clarifiers where solids settle to the bottom and grease floats to the top and Is skimmed off. After that, the e ews otes Water Invades Lake Point Interchange by Mark Watson An expanding Great Salt Lake continues to gnaw away at several sections of along the south shore causing havoc for the Utah Department of Transportation. Next week the department is expected to advertise for bids to elevate the on and off ramps at both the Great Salt Lake State Park and the Lake Point interchanges. It will be the third time in six months that UDOT has had to establish major Forty-nin- effluent goes back to the control building. Mr. Dymock says that at this point the effluent begins its confrontation with the actual heart of the treatment plant. Instead of using harsh chemicals or other unnatural means to treat the water, all effluent is sprayed over two biological oxidation beds. The beds, composed of multi- layered rocks placed seven feet deep, are home to billions of tiny bacteria that consume dissolved solids. Water collected at the bottom of the beds is returned to the control building and passed for a second time over the biological beds. From there, the effluent is passed through final clarifiers where chlorine is added to kill remaining fecal coliforms. "The water leaving the plant is not drinkable by any means, but is safe to use for Irrigation purposes, said Mr. Dymock. "Right now, the water that leaves this plant exceeds state health requirements. "But next year the standards are going to be more strict and the treatment plant will have to undergo some engineering and treatment (Continued on page four) atures would send abnormally high runoff racing down the canyon and the drained reservoir would provide further flood control protec- tion. An added benefit is that the process will rid of having to send water down city curbsides, Mr. Clegg says. For the past two weeks, irrigation water has been running the curbs to help maintain the reservoirs level so that the systems construction could be completed. "Were advising all stockholders to shut off their hoses and connections by Saturday night," said Mr. Clegg. "Sending water through the system will take over the draining of the reservoir. Mr. Clegg also advised that parents should keep an eye on their children before Saturdays testing begins. Throughout the systems construction, children have been found playing inside the assembled culverts. With water due in the culverts and headwalls by Saturday, children should not be permitted to play near or around the flood control system. f Vernon Hanging On As Spring Runoff Nears The reservoir is full, the mountains are loaded with water and everyone is just "hanging on to see what happens when the warm weather hits, says the Vernon Irri- gation Company. Vernon, located 35 miles south of Tooele In Rush Valley, suffered minor damage last year from excess mountain runoff and rising water tables. "Last year, about the only damage we felt was from surface water covering about 30 to 40 acres of ground" said Doug Larson, president of the Vernon Irrigation Company. "Because of the surface water, those acres could not be farmed," he added. "Right now, the only from rising ground a few homes here have Is problem water water In their basements." But for this year, a perhaps worse outcome may be expected for the small community nestled east of the Onaqul and Sheeprock ... Mountains. Soil conservation snow depth studies Indicate that Vernon's watershed will experience nearly 18 inches (409 percent above normal, one of the highest In the state) of water this spring. Vernon Creek Is running at 306 percent above normal, with heavy mountain runoff yet to come. "Throughout the winter, we drained the reservoir right down, in anticipation of the flood, said Mr. Larson. "But already the dam is full . . . no one is Irrigating and it would help if they did. Mr. Larson added that last year little help was needed in Vernon to control flood waters and even with runoff due within days, it is still questioned as to whether or not Vernon will need volunteer help. "Were just hanging on and waiting to see what happens, said Mr. Larson. "Theres really not a whole lot we can do but just wait and see what Mother Nature does." Mr. Larson added that already Vernon Creek is running high water from lower elevation snowmelt and springs. Excess mountain runoff is expected next week if warm weather hits and holds. Meanwhile, at nearby Clover and St. John, runoff has already caused numerous problems. Earlier this spring, a comnblna-tio- n of surface water and rising ground water destroyed a several hundred foot sections of highway 199 through Clover. UDOT crews worked for several days covering and raising the road with gravel to keep the thoroughfare open to traffic. Tonights low should remain in the upper 40s, with Fridays high lingering in the low 70s. But on Satuday the mercury may top 80 degrees, with Sundays high a likely 85. Evening lows through the weekend should remain in the 50s. This warm weather pattern began Tuesday reports local weather observer Burdette Bevan, with a high of 70 degrees. Wednesday, the mercury hit 81 degrees for Tooeles hot test day of the year and the first taste of summer weather since last September. Fourth Booths Available Booth space for the annual Independence Day celebration in Tooele is available, says committee member Fran Thalman. She says spaces are available for $25 to church groups, civic fami- organizations, businesses, lies and individuals. Mrs. Thalman said that a booth may be reserved by sending $25 check to her at: 401 Valley View Drive, Tooele, Utah 84074. Checks should be made out to Tooele Fourth of July Committee. More information on the booths may be obtained by ing her at call- 882-418- Trench Collapses; Kills S. L. Man Michael W. Smith, 29, Holla-day- , died Wednesday when a salt trench he was working in collapsed at AMAX Magnesium. Mr. Smith was rushed from the site by an AMAX ambulance and then transferred to a Tooele County ambulance. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Tooele Valley Hospital. Mr. Smith was an employee of Weyher Construction Company and was welding at the time of the incident. Seniors Slale Mini-Conferen- ce Norma Matheson wil be the guest speaker at the annual for governors senior citizens. The conference will be held Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Tooele Senior Citizens Center, says Butch Dymock, supervisor of the division of aging. He says that workshops will be held to get the views of local senior citizens on three important issues. "We will discuss veterans benefits, housing problems and alternatives to owning a home and how to deal with property taxes, Mr. Dymock said. He explained that the comments of local seniors will be compiled and sent to the state conference where recommendations to the governor will be made. In Todays Transcript Reflections |