Wastewater project continues


CREEDE— The City of Creede is currently working with RG and Associates (RGA) on the wastewater treatment project and continues to seek funding through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to aid with the cost. During the meeting held on Oct. 2, board members were presented with an overview of the project and funding options the town may consider.
At the beginning of August, the City of Creede received a water infiltration violation from CDPHE and were asked to begin testing wastewater lines in order to determine whether or not there were any infiltration issues. According to the report submitted during the meeting on Oct. 2, testing of the lines has been completed and RGA is currently reviewing the videos taken of the lines to determine if there are any infiltration issues to be addressed.
In the report it states, “RG and Associates, in partnership with the City of Creede, will work collaboratively to finish the remaining manhole inspections. RGA has begun reviewing the videos and will complete a sanitary sewer line condition report and cost-estimate to address the collection system inflow and possible infiltrations issues.”
A pre-application meeting for the State Revolving Fund (SRF) process was held on Aug. 29. Representatives of the City of Creede, CDPHE, the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRPDA), the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and RGA were in attendance. Representatives from CDPHE’s engineering unit and a compliance specialist took part by phone. Items discussed at this meeting included disadvantaged community (DAC) status, project financing options, available grants, project technical details and status, CDPHE requirements for an environmental review, a public meeting and SRF requirements. Erick Worker, CDPHE’s Grants and Loans representative for the City of Creede, indicated CDPHE would recommend a planning grant be offered to the City of Creede, with a start date of Aug. 15, 2018 to cover costs that were being accumulated.
The $12,500 planning grant will require a 20 percent match from the town which breaks down to a $10,000 grant and $2,500 from the town for $12,500 in total funding. The 20 percent match will be reimbursed to the town once the loan application for project construction is approved. The planning grant will cover expenses toward developing the Project Needs Assessment (PNA) required by CDPHE. The PNA development will include sanitary collection system video review, evaluation of the condition of the existing sanitary collection system and development of alternatives with cost estimates to address inflow and infiltration issues.
Based on preliminary assessment of the sanitary sewer videos, it appears that the worst-case scenario of needing to replace or line the entire collection system piping will be unnecessary and associated project costs are expected to be much lower than previously anticipated.
The report further stated that the town has received a CDPHE prequalification review letter as of Sept. 25 and was approved for the planning, design and engineering grants. An award letter for the design and engineering grant will be sent from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority once the Project Needs Assessment is approved by CDPHE.


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