By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“Finished early, under budget, and it exceeds performance expectations. That doesn’t happen every day, but it happens with good leadership.”

That was Hays Mayor Henry Schwaller’s summation of the newly renovated Hays wastewater treatment plant during Thursday night’s city commission meeting.

Commissioners, city department heads, KDHE representatives and project principals from Burns and McDonnell and CAS Constructors, the design/build team, and owner’s representative HDR toured the $30.272 million water reclamation and reuse facility earlier in the day.

The work began May 31, 2017, and was completed Sept. 15, two months ahead of schedule with no change orders and no injuries to workers or employees. It was also $400,000 under budget.

 

Tests of average nutrient discharge levels conducted since April are much improved compared to the old plant.

“The limit of 10 on nitrate and nitrite has been running at about 1.4, ammonia is less than half  and phosphorus is right at the limit,” reported Stan Christopher of HDR Engineers, the city’s owner-representative on the project. The phosphorus system was pushed hard during performance testing, dropping the level to 0.167 percent.

“That’s likely to be considerably below any future limit you’re going to see during the life of this plant,” he added. “That’s state-of-the-art numbers.

“I think you can be proud that this is going to give you a sustainable future for many years to come.”

KDHE issued a two-year permit Sept. 1 for the new plant. EPA will make no changes to the effluent discharge allowable levels during the life of the city’s 20-year loan for the project, according to City Manager Toby Dougherty.

The city was fined $18,000 in 2012 by the EPA for excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrate.

“We have fought for years to meet those regulations,” said Commissioner Ron Mellick, “and now we can kind of sit back and enjoy that we don’t have to worry about that from certificate to certificate.”

Energy consumption at the plant, which now uses ultraviolet disinfection rather than toxic gaseous chlorine, has decreased about 20 percent, according to  Jason Riegel,Water Reclamation and Reuse superintendent.

The plant, with a new entrance at 755 General Custer Road, also has a new name — Chetolah Creek Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility.

“We used to call them wastewater treatment plants or sewer plants,” said Jeff Keller of Burns and McDonnell engineers.

“I think this name is a nice statement, especially in an area of Kansas where water can be scarce,” Keller said to the commission. “Having that recognition you’re doing the right thing, that you’re recovering the water. You’re not just putting it back into the environment cleaner than it started but you’re making it available for all sorts of beneficial uses. It makes this whole project a green solution.”

Water reuse is expanded with an additional 750,000 gallons of reclaimed water storage basins. Treated effluent is reclaimed for irrigation at sports fields and the municipal golf course. Effluent water is also available to the community through an adjacent fill station.

“After touring the plant today — and I hope the community gets to see it at some point — seeing all the reuse, the recycling and reclamation that goes on there, that in itself ties in to our whole mission that we’ve had in this community for 20 some years now as far as our water conservation goes,” said Commissioner Eber Phelps.

“You’re getting dramatically cleaner water, dramatically improved environment, much safer plant for your employees and for your community, and 20 percent less in operating costs,” Keller pointed out. “A lot of that has to do with new technology that got implemented.”

This is the biggest public works project ever completed by the city of Hays and the first time it used the design/build process.

“No change orders is unbelievable on a project this size with that length of time,” commented Commissioner Sandy Jacobs, “and that’s really impressive.

“We know how good our staff is here, we know how good of a job they do. What they’ve done with you and you with them, this collaborative effort, has been something to really enjoy watching and seeing how well you all worked together,” Jacobs added. “I’m extremely proud of all of you and thank you very much for that.”

The Hays wastewater plant was originally constructed in 1953, expanded in 1967, and last improved in the early 1990s.  It remained open and operating normally during the recent 17-month renovation.

The plant had to be overhauled to meet future nitrogen and phosphorus limits mandated by KDHE and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In August 2015, the Hays City Commission approved tripling the sewer rate over a six-year period to help pay for the plant upgrade. The city has 20-year, $30.26 million loan agreement through the KDHE  Kansas Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund Loan to pay for the project.