“This puts Middlesboro in a tremendously good condition,” said Safety Director James Pursifull, adding, “there will be no rate increase for service.”
The only customers that will see a raise in rates are those that produce phosphorus. The wastewater treatment plant will have to install new equipment to remove phosphorus from the system. Total cost for these improvements that include engineering and equipment necessary for phosphorus removal was less than $50,000.
“The gain in capacity is equivalent to approximately 10,000 people. This may be the most cost-effective increase in wastewater treatment capacity in the history of Kentucky and the City of Middlesboro,” stated Pursifull. “The wastewater plant staff should be commended for their efforts.”
The engineering was conducted by DLR Consultants, LLC, a water/wastewater engineering firm specializing in the design and operation of treatment plants, collection systems and water distribution systems in the Midwest. Paul Danheiser, construction manager for DLR, stated that the construction cost to achieve this significant increase in capacity had been estimated to cost approximately $2.5 million to increase capacity at the plant to 3.6 million gallons per day, or 800,000 gallons a day.
“Middlesboro now has the room to grow,” Pursifull said.
C.J. Harte is a Correspondent for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at charte@middlesborodailynews.com.
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