Clarkton: Out With the Old; In With the New

Residents in Clarkton will soon get a much needed new wastewater treatment facility to keep their sewer system running smoothly.  With a customer base of 520 people, the City’s existing wastewater treatment facility was well past its life expectancy.  Under enforcement action, the plant was literally crumbling apart.  In addition, many of the old lines in town needed replacement.  SSE has designed a new extended air wastewater treatment plant with disinfection and a new lift station.  SSE owner Stan Schultz said, “The problems Clarkton’s older system was experiencing are similar to what we have seen in other communities in Missouri.  We enjoy designing projects that keep sewer rates low for the residents and keep communities in compliance with all DNR and EPA rules and regulations.”

The treatment plant for the City of Clarkton is an extended aeration type wastewater treatment system that features the patented SEQUOX Biological Nutrient Removal Process.  This is achieved by sequencing the aeration with continuous clarification.  The treatment plant was designed for an average flow of 200,000 gallons per day.  It consists of two treatment trains, each containing an aeration basin, clarifier, and an aerobic digester.  “The project was funded for a total of $3,005,000 of which $1,505,000 was a USDA-Rural Development loan and $1,500,000 was a USDA-Rural Development grant,” said Marvin Nesbit, SSE Director of Business Development.  “Our goal is to be on time and under budget, and we are headed in that direction.”

In addition to the new water treatment facility, SSE is rehabilitating two existing lift stations, adding a new lift station, and installing several thousand feet of new gravity collection lines.  After careful review of each problem with the old treatment plant, SSE put together a design that addressed all of the deficiencies.  They also developed preliminary designs and cost estimates for the project that were made available to the public.  Mayor Greg Reynolds added, “The plan Schultz Surveying & Engineering developed was a cost effective way to solve our sewer problems.  We appreciate their hard work and dedication to making rates lower for our customers and providing a quality service for our City.”