Smaller Cities Question NACA About Fees

— Mayors from three smaller cities are taking a look at what it would cost to tie into the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority wastewater plant.

“We looking at our options,” said Bill Edwards, Centerton mayor.

Larry Smith, Cave Springs mayor, and Eldon Long, Lowell mayor, also expressed interest Thursday about hooking onto the authority’s plant in Highfill.

“What it comes down to is cost,” Long said. “We need to plan for the future and we would like to work with authority officials over the next few years as we plan our future.”

Only two cities, Bentonville and Tontitown are using the regional wastewater plant.

Bob McCaslin, Bentonville mayor, and Mick Wagner, executive director of the Tontitown Water and Sewer Commission, said they would gladly work with other cities.

McCaslin noted the cost of wastewater treatment will decline as more cities use the plant.

Bentonville residents carry the heaviest financial burden for the wastewater facility because the size of the city.

The regional facility was built to meet stricter Environmental Protection Agency requirements on the amount of phosphorous a wastewater plant can discharge into the environment.

The authority operates the only plant in the area designed to meet the small amount of phosphorous discharge.

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality officials have indicated obtaining permits for expanding or building smaller wastewater treatment plants is unlikely because of the cost involved to meet the Protection Agency restrictions.

What the estimated cost to connect to the authority plant may be forthcoming.

The Authority’s board voted to give Wagner authority to begin negotiating with HDR Engineering for a connection fee analysis report.

The board also authorized Wagner to enter into a contract if the cost is less than $25,000.

The board didn’t set a deadline for Wagner to complete the negotiation or have a company produce the report.

“If the negotiation goes well I suspect we could have a report for the directors in about 90 days, but that’s just a guess,” Wagner said.

If Wagner can’t reach an agreement with HDR, he has the authority to contact Burns & McDonnell. If that fails, Raftelis Financial Consultants will have the opportunity to do the study.

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