Council hears report on wastewater surveys, possible Plum Run sewer project

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Engineer Jennifer Filiatreau discusses the wastewater surveys the city utility is working to complete in order to get a better picture on the wastes entering the system.

Wednesday, August 03, 2011, 1 a.m. – The City of Bardstown engineering staff is moving forward with a survey of the liquid wastes generated by businesses that utilize the city sewer system with a particularly look at FOG – fat, oil and grease.

High quantities of fats, oil and grease entering a sewer system can clog lines, cause sewer lift stations to fail, and create problems at the sewer treatment plant. City engineer Jennifer Filiatreau, told the council at its Tuesday working session that the survey’s goal is to help identify problems before they happen..

The survey will also help city engineers better understand the types of wastes that are discharged and the quantities they discharge. How waste generators are classified determines the permit required and the testing the city is required to perform in order to monitor those industries. Some businesses that do not generate much waste may not need as frequently monitored, Public Works Director Larry Hamilton told the council.

Right now the survey is simply an information-gathering phase, Filiatreau said. “I’m just hoping to get a picture of what we’re looking at.”

Once the survey is complete, she said she might bring forward some wording changes to the existing wastewater ordinances.

PLUM RUN ROAD PROJECT. Mayor Bill Sheckles told the council that the city – with the encouragement of U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie’s office – is looking a possible project that would extend city sewer service to an area of Plum Run Road just off US31E.

From left, Councilmen Francis Lydian, Fred Hagan and Joe Buckman listen to details regarding a possible sewer project on Plum Run Road.

The goal of the project would extend sewer lines to the homes on Plum Run Road from US31E to the area of the Hunter’s Ridge subdivision. City sewers already serve the subdivision, and Hamilton told the council that the lift station that serves the subdivision has enough capacity to handle the additional homes that the project might include.

Grant money may be available for the project if it meets the qualifications. The initial step will be to have the Lincoln Trail Area Development District to determine if the project would qualify. This process would involve interviews with property owners in the project area.

Sheckles said some homeowners in that stretch of Plum Run Road have had septic tank failures and have approached both City Hall and Guthrie’s office about a project to extend the city’s sewer service.

In other business:

• Hamilton told the council that the R.J. Corman group is replacing the railroad cross at Withrow Court. Through traffic will be shut down while the crossing is replaced; the city would need to provide asphalt to smooth the approach to each side of the crossing.
• Councilman Fred Hagan told fellow council members he hoped the council would take the recommendations of the long-range planning committee and adopt them as a council. The long-dormant committee is now active, and Hagan said any list of recommendations the committee creates should be things the council will follow-through with, and not simply a wish list. He also asked the standing committees to assist the long-range planning committee by working with it.
• Viewed the new Bardstown Police badge presented by Chief Rick McCubbin. The design uses an image of the Federal Hill mansion at My Old Kentucky Home State Park.

The next full session of the Bardstown City Council is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2011, in the City Hall Annex building on Xavier Drive behind Spalding Hall.

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