Marion eyeing sewer pump upgrades

Marion eyeing sewer pump upgrades

Leftover funds could be put to use

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion may use leftover loan money to upgrade several sewer pumps.

The water and sewer committee will recommend the city council use the remaining $192,293 left over from a loan to build the sewer pipeline to the Mississippi River to replace the existing pumps in Bayou Vista, and to move those pumps to upgrade the Sartini Station.

“At the next council meeting we will ask the council to go ahead,” said Councilman Jim Spence, who chairs the water and sewer committee. The city borrowed $5.1 million from Arkansas Natural Resources Council to build a pipeline to the Mississippi River.

Mayor Frank Fogleman said they knew they would have some money left over because at the time they did not know how much it would cost to build that line. “When the bids came in they were far better than we anticipated,” Fogleman said. “So I knew we would have some money left over.”

The city has the option to return the leftover money or use it for other sewer projects.

“They (ANRC) are encouraging us to tidy this up,” Fogleman said. “So we can either apply it to the loan, or use it up.”

The city has already used some of the remainder to replace the Oak Street sewer line, for pipe bursting, and to expand the sewer pond.

“We got a lot of bang for our buck,” Fogleman said.

The city will use the money to replace the existing pumps at Bayou Vista with new 60 horse power motors. The new pumps will increase pumping capacity from 500 gallons per minute to 1,040 gallons per minute. The existing pumps from that station will then be moved and replace the pumps at Sartini. This will increase pump capacity there from 550 gallons per minute to 800 gallons per minute.

Bond Engineering estimates it will cost $150,000 for the new pumps and to move the existing ones to Sartini.

The city will also use $35,000 to replace the pumps at Neely Station with new 15 horse power motors. Councilman Kelley O’Neal asked whether the city could save money by doing the work to move the pumps to Sartini in-house.

“I know we have re-done some of our own stations when we re-did the one at Carter ourselves,” O’Neal said. “Could we do this and stretch our money farther?’ Water Department Manager Jim Shempert said the job is too big and beyond the scope of the city’s expertise. “I don’t think this is a case where I would want to tackle moving Bayou Vista to Sartini and then putting the new pumps in at Bayou Vista,” Shempert said. “I think that would be more than my crew could get done.”

Fogleman said the city will start preparing to advertise bids for the job and expects the money will be enough to cover the scope of the project.

“When the bids come in they could be somewhat lower or higher,” Fogleman said. “But we would pretty much use up the money.”

By Mark Randall