JPB looks for wastewater grant approval

The Saratoga/Carbon County Joint Powers Board should hear this week if the Mineral Royalty Grant has been recommended for approval. The official approval will be decided on Jan. 16. If approved, the design portion of the Wastewater Outfall Transmission Line and Pump Station Project would begin in April or May, town of Saratoga engineer Chuck Bartlett said.

The proposed project is the construction of a wastewater effluent station and transmission line from the Saratoga wastewater lagoons to the North Platte River. In November, the Impact Joint Powers Board looked at several options including a wastewater treatment plant, storage reservoirs and use of hyacinth cattails, Bartlett said. “At the present time, I feel this is the best solution,” Bartlett said. The project will cost more than $1 million to implement.

The Impact Joints Powers Board has already received word that the loan in the amount of $716,900 has been recommended for approval. To pay back the loan, the town of Saratoga would have to raise sewer rates, Bartlett said.

“At the present time, effluent from the lagoons flow though a ditch to the Hot Slough Creek then discharges to the North Platte River,” Bartlett said. “In lieu of discharge to Hot Slough Creek, the proposed improvements would consist of piping from the lagoon directly to the river.” Bartlett said the Impact Joint Powers Board had questioned why the flow could not be discharged into an earthen ditch. Bartlett said Bill DiRienzo, with the Department of Quality (DEQ), told the board in order to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the effluent needed to be piped.

Bartlett said the effluent has been discharged to the North Platte River since the lagoons were built. “What is being discharged has to meet the WYPDES (Wyoming Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit for numerous constituents. At present time, the flow from the hot Slough Creek discharges to the North Platte River on the east bank of the river,” Bartlett said. “Mixing of this flow and the river flow occurs downstream. Under the proposed improvements, the effluent from the lagoon will be dispersed to the North Platte River through a perforated pipe across the river.”

Bartlett said this allows an almost instantaneous mixing to occur.