$2.8 million seen for Roachdale wastewater fix

Roachdale will begin planning for the revamping of its wastewater treatment plant and collection systems, costing the town approximately $2.8 million over the next 20 years.

To cover the cost of this massive project, the town will be applying for a loan from the State Revolving Fund Loan Program (SRF Loan), which provides communities with low-interest loans for improvements to drinking and wastewater systems.

An application for approximately $700,000 in grant money will also be submitted to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), though receipt of funding from this particular program is a little more difficult to ascertain as funding is awarded in more of a lotteryesque manner.

Consultants from Midwest Engineers Inc. have combed through the wastewater treatment plant and provided the town with a preliminary engineering report at a special meeting held Wednesday, March 30.

Consultants have identified the problems within the sewer and wastewater collection systems and proposed what they think are the best areas upon which to improve over the course of this very extensive project.

It is assumed that the collection system and treatment site were originally constructed around 1970. Many, if not all of these pieces of infrastructure have not been replaced since they were installed. Thousands of feet of clay and PVC piping are original at more than 50 years old.

Proposed improvements include:

-- Manhole rehabilitation, including 113 prevention lid liners, eight bolt-down lids, 57 complete liners, 19 seal joint or point repair, and raising/lowering or replacing casting and seals on 101 covers

-- Sewer line point repair

-- Cleanout installation

-- Ultraviolet disinfection in place of chlorine

-- Replacing the structural steel support beams at the treatment plant

-- Sewer line point repair

-- Cured In Place Pipe (CIPP) sewer lining (at approximately 36,000 linear feet of pipe)

-- 7,500 linear feet of service laterals and 428 cleanout installations

-- Equalization basin

Midwestern Engineers Inc. have estimated the total probable cost of entire project at $5,228,000, most of which is coming directly from the cost of construction. Only $975,000 of the overall project can be attributed to non-constructions costs.

The engineering consultants have prioritized the replacement or repair of what they consider to be the four items requiring immediate attention.

The equalization basin, 35.5-percent of the piping, structural steel, and manhole rehab will take precedence for this upcoming project, bringing the total cost to the town to $2,800,000.

An extensive rate study and cost analysis spanning 11 different scenarios was also provided to the council. These data include things like project costs, taxes, rate increases, working capital, and debt service, to name a few.

Options for interest rate buydowns using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and town reserves were discussed, but the council eventually agreed that lower rates were not significant enough to warrant draining its accounts.

Ultimately, the town council approved a motion to tentatively proceed with Scenario J, which includes the $2,100,000 SRF Loan, $700,000 from OCRA, no money down, and a $28.05 rate increase, bringing its current rate from $42.45 to $70.50.

Speaking at the end of the public hearing for this project was Mike Kleinpeter, a consulting grant administrator who has worked on OCRA applications in the past. Kleinpeter will be sending surveys to residents of Roachdale to be filled out and mailed to the OCRA office to better improved the town’s chances of receiving an OCRA grant.

In other business, Roachdale will soon be hiring for a position in the utility department. Pay and job duties have not yet been determined.