03/29/2024
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By Joy Warren

White Lake Board of Commissioners met for a special called meeting Monday evening to discuss the completed Asset Management Plan. Jean Klein and Jim Perry from Lumber River Council of Governments presented the overview of the completed plan.

The purpose of the plan is to provide an inventory of assets and mapping of the assets for the Wastewater System. The plan outlines maintenance, repairs and replacement decisions which need to be made. Included in the plan is financial practices to assist the Town in making decisions on how to finance the improvements.

The wastewater treatment plant has a capacity of .8 million gallons per day and was placed in service in 1962. The plant uses about half of the permitted capacity on an average day. The plant assets are in fair to good condition overall. The chlorine contact chamber walls and chlorine equipment are in need of replacement or rehab soon. The lagoon itself is aging and needs to be dredged and sludge disposed of if it stays in service.

Moving to the sewage system, 54% of the pipes are PVC which includes recently installed and lined pipes (33.98% in good shape) as well as older PVC installed in the 1970s in average to fair condition. Clay pipes comprise 39% of the pipes and are in very poor condition. The Town is currently in Phase II of sewer updates and these repairs/replacements are not included in the plan. Total costs for Sanitary Sewer capital improvements are estimated at $3,095,900.

The 12 Lift stations were also discussed. Priorities for capital improvements were for Lift station #1 (Hwy 701) and Lift Station #2 (H&D on White Lake Dr.). Estimated costs are at $320,000 to rehab the equipment.

The critical, priority needs in the system result from aged infrastructure and equipment. The biggest challenges unidentified through these reports are in the sewer collection system. Suggestions were made to continue to bundle several smaller projects together and seek low interest loans. Also mentioned was to consider regional opportunities for wastewater and sewage systems such as the project in Elizabethtown.

The Town has conducted investigations and diagnostic inspections of the systems and composed a list of priority projects for the Town to help establish a roadmap for future investments to maintain and advance the system. The Town is currently seeking grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for capital projects for the system. The Board adopted the resolution accepting the results of the Asset Management Plans.

In other action, the Board approved the Emergency Response Plan and the Risk & Resilience Plan as presented. The in-depth plan outlines what staff would do in the event of a national crisis or natural disaster. The plan is reviewed and revised every 5 years.

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