SPRINGDALE -- Lowell's wastewater treatment systems are nearing capacity for treatment, and officials have asked Springdale for help.
Lowell officials also are working voluntarily with the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality to close individual treatment systems at three residential subdivisions, Lowell Mayor Chris Moore said.
The division did not return an email Monday night.
The Springdale City Council, working as a committee of the whole, heard a proposal Monday that would grant Lowell 750 gallons per minute of capacity on Springdale's northwest sewer system for $747,855 or $1,000 per gallon. Springdale Chief of Staff Colby Fulfer made the presentation.
Lowell also asked the city for an additional 250 gallons per minute of capacity for an additional $249,285.
This would allow planned developments in Lowell to move forward, Moore said. These include several residential subdivisions and a local company's expansion that would bring 15,000 more employees to Lowell, he said.
"Springdale would stand to benefit from the expansion as well," said Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse. Officials from both cities declined to identify the company.
The Springdale wastewater lines in the northwest part of town have 2,600 gallons per minute of capacity not being used, said Heath Ward, executive director of Springdale Water Utilities.
Springdale Water Utilities is the city's municipal utility, providing water and sewer service to Springdale and parts of Lowell and other cities. The utility serves about 2,400 customers with sewer service in Lowell.
Lowell also will continue with its commitment to pay the utility $2.4 million -- about half the cost -- to upgrade Springdale's Benton Farm lift station on Wagon Wheel Road, Ward said.
The sale of the capacity will be put toward Springdale's costs for upgrades, Ward said.
Lowell last summer sold bonds to buy the capacity and make upgrades to its system. The city has just 18 months to get the infrastructure projects completed, Moore said.
The Springdale council moved the item forward to next week's meeting agenda with a voice vote. Council member Mike Overton voted against the measure.
Springdale Water Utilities has put a moratorium on new development in the southeastern part of the city -- Ward 2 -- that Overton represents.
He objected to giving sewer capacity away in the northwest part of the city, when the southeast needs it.
"Why should the citizens of Springdale be more concerned about the STEP system in Lowell than the east side of Springdale," he asked.
Ward explained those parts of the Springdale sewer system operate separately. The utility is working to upgrade the infrastructure in the southeast part of town, while the infrastructure in place in the northwest part of town can handle the load, he said.
The project in the southeast should be completed in December 2023, Ward said.
"If I could magically move around capacity, I would," Ward said. "But the areas are in different drainage basins. Yes, you could spend a cazillion dollars and build pump stations to pump it to the northwest system, but that wouldn't make any sense."
Moore told the council that Lowell has three septic tank effluent pumping systems to treat wastewater. Each customer has a small septic tank to hold sewage and pump it to a treatment plant. The plant should partially treat the water, then release it to an irrigation system. These systems are supposed to slowly release the water into the ground, letting the natural features of the ground continue the treatment.
Moore said these treatment systems operate efficiently for only 10 years.
The city of Bethel Heights relied on two of these wastewater treatment systems but operated them out of compliance with its state permit for 10 years.
Bethel Heights was annexed into Springdale in August 2020 after residents of both towns voted 64% in favor of it.
Lowell officials came to the city in May requesting 1,900 gallons per minute of sewer capacity, but the council did not take action on the measure.
Fulfer said Lowell officials determined exactly what the city would need and came back to the Springdale City Council with a new proposal.
"I believe this amount addresses Lowell's need, but it's not going to hurt us in the future," Sprouse said.
"We are very comfortable giving this capacity," Ward said. "We were comfortable at 1,900."