| Show Sewer System To Pose Problems in on Ephraim's Future Editors Editor's note This Is the third In a series of articles relating to problems facing the City of Ephraim In 1964 the City City of of Ephraim constructed a small sewerage system to serve Snow College and a few local citizens A mechanical treatment plant was built to treat the waste for fora a population equivalent to 1200 people The outfall and collection collection collection tion system now consists of 1520 ft ft of 10 inch sewer pipe and ft of 8 inch pipe with the necessary man holes and laterals Presently there are connections connections connections con con- and Snow students contributing to the sewer bewer A Anew Anew Anew new dorm Is under construction construction construction tion to house an additional students Until early 1968 the system performed as designed At that point several items contributed to upsetting the plant and the effluent no longer meets State Standards PURPOSE AND SCOPE The City of Ephraim recognized recognized recognized the sewage problem in early earty 1969 They contacted the Utah State Board of for help in finding the cause of the problem In May of 1969 a study was undertaken by the Health Department of the existing existing existing exist exist- ing conditions This report set forth the efficiency of the plant the design and existing hydraulic loadings the organic loadings and minor mechanical problems It did not go into detail of how the rising population population population lation was to be taken care of nor was it Intended to In September of 1969 the city council employed Call En Engineering Engineering Engineering En- En Inc of Salt Lake City to study the total sewage problem of Ephraim City The purpose of this study is to define any and all sewage problems problems problems lems and provide a useable solution to them To accomplish the purpose of this report it was necessary to collect the following information information tion hon and study the following ite items 1 Study the Board of Health report 2 Conduct 24 hour flow testing testing testing test test- ing and sampling of sewage to obtain composite sewage sample This was done twice both when the college was in session and when It was not 3 Have a commercial laboratory laboratory laboratory lab lab- oratory test and evaluate the sewage samples 4 Study population trends for forI I w III I Ephraim City and Snow College 5 To go over the existing plant carefully with the idea of enlarging It to meet new flows 6 To tie up land suitable for a sewage lagoon 7 To fo study financing of previous pre pre- pr previous sewage improvement projects 8 To determine feasibility of adding more sewage collection collection tion lines 9 To To determine alternate locations of a future outfall line 10 To consult the recently completed Sanpete CO County nty Water Water Water Wa Wa- ter and Sewer Report 11 Study financial aspects of improving the sewerage tem FINDINGS 1 Ephraim City now serves connections Including a a. slaughter house college students a grade school a junior high school and approxImately approximately approximately citizens 2 Low flow at the plant Is near 30 or Allowable should be 3 The existing sewage collection collection collection col col- lection system passes about 80 potential residences which could be connected to the system system system tem with little expense 4 The existing treatment facility fa facility facility fa- fa is removing an average of 77 of the day 5 BOD DOD with 43 mg 1 being the amount left leftin leftin leftin in the plant effluent 5 The slaughter house Is contributing wastes equivalent to people 6 The average daily dally flows at the plant are near which is the plant design flow 7 The total population to be served by 1990 will be persons 8 The existing outfall line has hasa a capacity of and will need to carry by 1990 9 9 The area north of Third North cannot now drain into the main system by extension of collection lines and will re require require require re- re quire an additional outfall at ata ata ata a later date 10 The existing plant is in need of minor repairs in an amount of 11 The city has a per month residential service charge and a each connection connection connection con con- charge for new connections connections connections con con- and an increasing charge for connection to an existing sewer The charge was as of November 1 1969 12 The city does not have an ordinance requiring all citizens citizens citizens cit cit- to connect to the sewer If it passes their house 13 The city has a loan from the Cemetery Perpetual Perpetual Perpetual Per Per- Care Trust Fund and of Revenue Bonds outstanding outstanding outstanding out out- standing against the system 14 The city could revamp the existing plant into a two stage rate high-rate trickling filter plant for to serve a population equivalent of 15 The city could build a lagoon system and new outfall for that would serve persons RECOMMENDATIONS 1 That the city pass an ordinance or ordinance ordinance or- or requiring everyone within ft of a sewer line to connect to it 2 2 That the city require the slaughter house to screen and skim off most pollutants and reduce the P E E. E of the wastes Then to charge them near 50 per month as a basis for their initial monthly service charge with future monitoring to de determine determine determine de- de termine more exactly If the charge is equitable 3 That an Immediate program program program pro pro- gram be undertaken to find where any infiltration Is occurring occurring occurring occur occur- ring and then to take corrective corrective corrective tive measures 4 That the city renovate the plant so It will operate better State Board of Health and the engineering firm have made recommendations to help In this Some of these have been done others are to be done doneas as soon as possible 5 That an additional per month be charged all sewer connections 6 That the city abandon the existing plant In favor of a lagoon system 7 That the city file a grant application with the and EDA for grant and loan funds to help finance the pro pro- gram 8 That construction of new collection lines be undertaken when money Is available 9 That the commercial connection connection connection con con- monthly rate be raised to reflect the amount of sewage being discharged to the sewer Tests taken at the treatment plant on Sept 22 1969 and Oct 8 1969 show the plant to be operating at an efficiency of 77 plus pius The plant if properly proper proper- ly maintained and operated should have an overall efficiency efficiency effi effi- of 90 FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS The population equivalent that must be served in the next 20 years is as follows EPHRAIM CITY CITY 1969 1969 1974 1400 1979 1900 1989 2500 SNOW COLLEGE COLLEGE 1974 1979 1000 1989 1500 INDUSTRY 1969 1969 1974 1979 1989 1000 TOTALS 1969 1140 1974 2500 1979 1989 Even though the population may reach It probably will not be to serve all residences at any time The he enrollment of Snow College may reach 2000 but only 1500 will live In Ephraim City Before any revamping of the treatment facility is undertaken undertaken undertaken under under- taken two items might be in investigated investigated investigated in- in to lower the P. P E. E population equivalent of the organic loading and hydraulic loading of the treatment plant These are A The slaughter house could be required to settle and skim off all blood and solids before their waste enters the sewer This would mean a reduction re reduction reduction re- re of some PE inorganic inorganic in inorganic organic loading B A program of locating the points of excessive infiltration infiltration could be undertaken The steps to find this could be visual inspection flow measures meas meas- ures ments at various manholes in the system and Interior in In- In by TV cameras Places to look Immediately are creek crossings and outfall sections The cost of this would be contingent contingent contingent con con- upon what method was used and the cost of repairing the faulty section If the program program program pro pro- gram was moderately successful success success- ful additional capacity of some people would then be available available available avail avail- able in the existing plant It must be remembered that the new college dorm will add students as of Sept 1970 Th The treatment for the existing existIng existing exist exist- ing and future populations can be adequately accomplished by three methods A Rehabilitation of existing mechanical plant Existing P PE E only B Additions and revisions to existing mechanical plant C New treatment facility lagoon The advantages to the lagoon system are low first cost low operation and maintenance cost and reliable treatment regardless regardless regardless regard regard- less of operation and no additional additional additional addi addi- capital investment willbe will willbe willbe be necessary as It will not wear out The disadvantages could be 1 To move the site will mean additional outfall lines and 2 the point of discharge of the effluent would be changed The total cost of lagoons will be near capita exclusive ex exclusive exclusive ex- ex of outfall lines In this section on future sewage sewage sewage sew sew- age treatment it is assumed that the city will not undertake undertake undertake under under- take any of these projects without without without with with- out first finding a way for a majority of the city residents to become connected to the sewer Any new construction will be hard pressed to pay for itself until more people are on the sewer TREATMENT COMPARISONS The city must within the next two years decide how and where the sewage will be treated To help decide this the following annual cost comparisons have been presented Case I I. I Two stage trickling filter plant for PE First cost First cost Annual repayment of 5 2 for 30 years Operation and maintenance Reserve Total annual cost Case H. H Sewage lagoons for PE First Cost lagoons Outfall Total Annual repayment of 5 2 for 30 years Operation and maintenance Reserve Total cost Operation and maintenance figure Includes the total sewerage sewerage sewer sewer- age system It is evident that the sewage system is not paying for itself as yet Some increase in sewer charges would appear to be necessary The more users the system serves the more money is generated Unfortunately the rise in the number of connections creates a problem In the sewage plant which must be taken care of also Then too the debt repayment repayment repay repay- ment mont for the outstanding F. F O. O Bonds increase per year each two or three years making a constant out of there- there payment fund The present sewerage system was financed as follows Ephraim City Snow College Housing and home finance Revenue bonds Total Any financial plan that is arrived at now must take into account obligation of the present present present pres pres- ent sewerage system There are several methods to pay for any city improvements and these are A. A Sale of general obligation bonds repayment by mill levy repayment from revenue of tem B. B S Sale le of revenue bonds repayment by revenue from system C. C Government grant programs programs programs pro pro- grams Federal Water Pollution Pollution Pollution tion Control Adm Economic Development Administration and Farmers Home Adminis Adminis- Studies by our engineering consultants show costs of each proposal and method of finan finan- cing These are being studied by the city mayor and city councilmen councilman to try what should be done and how If anyone Is Interested in more detailed information itcan It Itcan itcan can be found in the city office where a copy of the preliminary report on sewerage system Im Improvements improvements improvements im- im may be studied |
