By John Howell

Batesville moved a step closer to bringing its wastewater treatment plant into compliance with increasingly stringent Environmental Protection Agency requirements in the August 5 bid award to Hemphill Construction for a $1.5 million rehabilitation project.

The project will follow a recently-completely $450,000  project that replaced the facility’s aged ultraviolet treatment system. Ultraviolet light is considered an environmentally-friendly alternative to wastewater treatment with chemicals, according to internet sources.

The bid awarded August 5 will allow the city to use almost $800,000 in federal funds set aside as a special appropriation or “earmark” in 2010, Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent David Karr said. Further delay in utilizing the available funds would result in their loss, he said.

The bid was about $200,000 under engineering estimates, Mendrop Engineering spokesman Keith Quick told city officials.

Aldermen approved the bid unanimously.

Since 2011 Karr has been preparing Batesville’s mayor and aldermen for pending EPA requirements that nitrogen and phosphorus be removed from effluent in the treatment process. The wastewater treatment plant superintendent said that he expects the new EPA rules to be in effect within four years. 

Karr and city engineer Blake Mendrop have visited wastewater treatment plants in other cities to help plan for the Batesville plant rehab.

“To get the plant ready, we’re spending that money now,” Karr said, while it is still available. The present rehabilitation work should reduce the overall cost of bringing the facility up to new standards. In early 2012, Karr warned the mayor and aldermen that a bond $10 to $20 million bond issue would probably be required to pay for the required improvements.

Little Church

The local Episcopal congregation will resume worship at the historic St. Stephens Episcopal Church building on Panola Avenue following a 5-0 vote of aldermen approving the use. The Episcopal Church discontinued its use in the 1940s when local numbers dwindled. The structure, built by architect/builder Andrew “Swede” Johnson in 1898, was subsequently deeded to the City of Batesville in 1970 with the stipulation that it could be used for worship by Episcopalians whenever they wanted to hold services. 

Local congregants have used the building occasionally since the 1980s and have announced their intention to hold services there monthly, Mayor Jerry Autrey said. The “Little Church” once served as the Batesville Library and holds a collection of Bavarian-style, furniture, hand-carved by German prisoners of war held at Camp Como during World War II and donated to the American Legion. The building is also available for use by other groups.

BCC fence

Aldermen also voted unanimously to approve construction of a two-rail vinyl fence to separate the Batesville Civic Center parking lot from the RV lot nearing completion. BCC Director Roy Hyde said that Lowe’s had submitted the lowest quote at $6,827.45.

City officials agreed to consider a reduction in the Performance Food Group (PFG) water bill to credit for water evaporated in the facility’s large-scale cooling process. The water does not enter the city’s wastewater treatment system. City water superintendent Mike Ross said that PFG had formerly requested the credit based on a water meter inside the facility. During a change in personnel at PFG, the meter went unread for over a year, Ross said.

Aldermen instructed Ross and City Clerk Susan Berryhill to determine the amount to be credited to PFG.

$750 water bill

Aldermen voted unanimously to adjust a water bill for a Central Street home where two different leaks had plagued the occupant for two consecutive months. Water superintendent Ross told the mayor and aldermen that the 112 Central Street meter had calculated water/sewer use at $89 in May, $400 in June and over $750 in July. Ross said that after the first leak was repaired, a second leak developed that initially eluded plumbers’ attempts to locate and repair it.