The Utility Service Board, along with the Frankfort City Council and Board of Works, met Wednesday night in the Frankfort Education and Administration Office to hear a report on the possibility of a Wastewater Expansion Project.
The three city entities heard a report from Wessler Engineering on a possible expansion that would cost $25.6 million and would include both the current wastewater treatment plant plus an capacity increase to the lift station located at County Road 200 West. The goal of the expansion is to nearly double the capacity the city would handle from 4.6 million gallons a day to nine million gallons per day.
“Our engineers have helped us determine that we’re very close to capacity at the wastewater plant in terms of gallonage,” said Wastewater Services Director Mike Beck. “But, when the community grows and we add customers, we’re getting very close to capacity.”
A potential design and construction schedule was released. Activity would begin with preparation and submission July through September of 2018, a survey would be done in October and November, design would start in September and run though June 2019, bidding would occur in July through September 2019 with actual construction starting in November 2019 and running to October 2021 when the operational start would begin.
If all four phases would be implemented, the potential rate increase for customers would be $16.54 for both sewer and water use rate making a customer’s combined billing of $56.49 per month. Even with this increase, Frankfort would still have the third cheapest bill in the area.
The project financing would be based on assumptions, preliminary cost estimates and timelines (notices, USB and City Council approvals), a $2 million Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) is expected to be issued in August of 2018 to cover initial engineering fees followed by a $25.6 million SRF Bond closing on July 1, 2019.
USB General Manager Todd Corrie said, “1980 was the last time they did an expansion and in 2010, they did some upgrades to some equipment and buildings. Currently we’re at 4.6 million gallons right now and we could be able to go up to nine million gallons. We would then have the ability to handle nine million gallons of wastewater a day.”