By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Representatives from RK&K Civil Engineering firm discussed details surrounding the next steps in the Wastewater Treatment Project. Director John W. Cole and Project Manager Rhiannon A. Dodge attended the meeting to represent Civil Engineering firm RK&K in Keyser.
While no action was taken on the document at the meeting, RK&K representative John Cole addressed the Board on the contents of the Engineering Agreement for the project. “What we sent was the standard Engineering Agreement between the owner, the PSD, and the engineer,” Cole said.
According to Cole, the firm was preparing to start the Report and Study Phase of the project. “Right now we are getting ready to start the Report and Study Phase,” Cole said. “So, that’s preparing the documentation and determine the overall scope of the project.”
The Design Phase would be determined on the results of the studies conducted in the Report and Study Phase, according to Cole. “Now when it comes into the Design Phase,” Cole said, “what I noted here is to be determined based on results of the Report and Study Phase. So, study it, identify those proposed improvements, get all the concurrent from the regulatory agencies for the scope of the project and that is where you prepare the facility plan and preliminary engineering report. You’ve heard that from respective municipalities.”
The next phase, according to Cole, will be the engineering. “Once we get that determined, then we will do the engineering,” Cole said. “That is the way we have been structuring it. Once we have an idea of what we are doing and then take it to the design phase.”
Conversations RK&K held with the Department of Environmental Protection has warranted revisiting the feasibility study that was previously done, according to Cole. “What we are proposing, through conversations with…DEP, although a feasibility study was done, was performed through the Development Authority, we, the PSD and the Engineer, we have to take ownership of it,” Cole said. “And (the DEP) would like for everything to be re-looked at essentially as one regional facility or upgrade the two treatment facilities in Thomas and Davis.”
The new study will outline the options, as well all factors the options entail, according to Cole. “So that’s what we’ve structured in there,” Cole said. “Looking at different options like regional, centralized or two upgrades are there. Pros and Cons.”
Cole said the DEP is on board with the new PSD incorporating the State Park and its facilities in the project. “I did throw out,” Cole said, “because if you do recall, the feasibility of connecting the State Park with all their little treatment facilities, which are kind of remote, right? That is definitely a go for (the DEP).”
According to Cole, conversations with the DNR are a must with the project. “Whatever the options are, we should account for that,” Cole said. “We also need to look at having conversations with DNR because (the DEP) would like for them to be out of the sewer business.”
Cole also said the Landfill leachate would also be explored in the project as well. “That is all discussed in there, along with the Landfill,” Cole said. “We are going to look at how to convey the landfill.”
Dodge updated the Board on the estimated timeline for such details as information gathering, environmental reports and public participation. As a part of the project, RK&K are estimating a month for public input and participation. “We don’t want to present any options for environmental or public participation that we are not going to move forward on. So, we allowed a month for the public participation.” In total, the agreement’s timeline encompassed an eight-month period.
The next meeting of the Blackwater PSD will be held on Tuesday, December 12 at 10 a.m. at the Davis Town Hall in Davis.
