Janesville could spend $32 million to expand, improve wastewater plant
JANESVILLE — A proposed $32.1 million improvement project at the Janesville Wastewater Utility could boost residents’ wastewater fees 30 percent in 2010.
The project would expand and upgrade the facility at 3300 Tripp Road, said Dan Lynch, utility director. New technology could reduce the amount of chemicals used in the treatment process, improve the efficiency of generators and let workers spread waste on farm fields rather than putting it in the city landfill, he added.
“It’s a big project, but it’s also a necessary project,” Lynch said.
The city council will study the project in a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers of the Municipal Building, 18 N. Jackson St.
If approved, the project’s design phase would start in January. Construction would start in fall of 2009 and end in December 2011, according to a memo written by Jack Messer, public works director.
In order to fund the project, officials propose a 29.7 percent user fee increase starting in January 2010. That’s an increase of $18.35 dollars to $82.44, according to Messer’s memo.
One third of the $32.1 million will go to expanding the plant’s capacity, Lynch said.
The treatment plant has a design capacity of 17.75 million gallons per day, according to the city’s Web site. The plant treats sewage collected from 300 miles of sanitary sewer, according to the site.
The rest of the money will go toward replacing equipment that is “worn out or wearing out,” Lynch said.
“If you don’t repair, the facility won’t perform when it needs to perform,” he said.
One change will be a return to the practice of spreading biosolids to farm fields, he said. When the plant was built in 1970, 100 percent of the sludge was spread on fields. That lasted through the 80s, Lynch said.
In the 1990s, workers started putting sludge in the landfill. Today, about 75 percent of the waste from the plant goes to the landfill, mostly for economic reasons, Lynch said.
A renovation will reverse that trend, Lynch said.
That will be a benefit to farmers, who can use the biosolids from the plant instead of buying commercial fertilizer. It will also reduce waste hauled to the landfill, Lynch said.
Another change will be eliminating the use of chlorine to sanitize treated water. Today, the water is chlorinated and then dechlorinated before it goes into the Rock River, Lynch said.
If the treatment plant is upgraded, the process will use ultraviolet light to sanitize the water, he said.
Upgrades also will replace internal combustion engines with microturbines. The modern turbines have 1 percent of the moving parts the combustion engines have, Lynch said.
That will make them easier to maintain, he said.
The treatment plant is a complicated machine that combines 100 pumps and other mechanical systems with the work of living organisms to separate solid waste from water, Lynch said.
“It’s the single most costly facility the city has,” Lynch said. “And, well, I’m a little prejudiced, but I think it’s the most complicated machine to operate the city has. It has a control system that is as high tech as anything any other department has.”
Aug 17, 2008 at 9:05 p.m.
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I don't think there will be alot of expanding in Janesville for many years. People are foreclosing, leaving and losing jobs left and right.
Aug 13, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
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With GM and their suppliers closeing, is Janesville really going to expand over the next two years?
Aug 11, 2008 at 9:34 a.m.
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That's called a clear water meter. I know some houses in Janesville have them. I don't know what extra costs may be involved, besides the plumbing stuff.
Aug 11, 2008 at 9:31 a.m.
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If Janesville does go with the upgrading of the wastewater plant, look into whether the city will allow deduct meters. We were allowed to have a licensed plumber install a deduct meter on our outside faucets. During the months of May-Oct. we can have the amount of water we use outside deducted from our sewer bill.
Aug 11, 2008 at 9:29 a.m.
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Ugh. Horrible timing on this one. Maintaining infrastructure is important, but what's the drop dead date for this project? Isn't the Janesville population and industrial base going to stay the same or drop a little over the next few years, which means equal or less wastewater treatment?
Aug 11, 2008 at 9:22 a.m.
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Good Luck Janesville.. When my community upgraded the wastewater plant-which really did need to be done-our sewer rates doubled. For every dollar of water coming into the house, we pay two dollars in sewer fees. We went from quarterly bills to monthly billing as the bills were so big when they were quarterly. All communities need to do their share to keep the water clean but its a hit to your pocket.
Aug 11, 2008 at 8:50 a.m.
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I don't know about you, but a 30% user fee increase is not something I can afford. I know my salary didn't increase 30%. And with everything else going up, where do I cut? Very frustrating.
Aug 10, 2008 at 3:26 p.m.
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I am truly getting sick and tired of living in Janesville. I have never seen a bunch of spoiled brats ( adults, no less) that need to spend money like it's going out of style. They just need to create more projects that the citizens of Janesville have to pay for in increased taxes, increased utilities, etc. Can you please tell me where I can find a tree that grows money?! Or maybe a treehouse that would fit my whole family!
Aug 9, 2008 at 11:37 p.m.
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Janesville City Council. Please sharpen your pencil's on this one. The citizens of this community cannot continue to sustain massive amounts of spending. Yes we need to keep services working and even improve them at times. But not a week or it seems even a day goes by that we don't hear of or read in the paper of some other "need" to spend money. The citizens that make up this wonderful community are pretty well having their backs to the wall with high taxes. In closing would it help if each household cut their flushes by one flush per day to help the situation. This I can do. More taxes I'm tapped out. How about you???
Aug 9, 2008 at 11:12 p.m.
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The DNR does not allow the dumping of untreated sewage into a river.
Aug 9, 2008 at 11:10 p.m.
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The Public Service Commission would not allow money from the sewer utility to be used for street repairs. The money for the treatment plant upgrades will come from increased sewer rates, not the general tax funds. All sewer funds are used for building, maintaining, and operating the treatment plant. It is illegal to use them for other purposes.
Aug 9, 2008 at 8:53 p.m.
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I have a question. Why aren't we spending more money on downtown trying to fix the roads and buildings that were severly damaged by the flood?? No lets fix something thats been just fine for so many years!!! I mean come on Main street still isn't fixed completely yet and what about the crater in the United Way parking lot, are we going to do something about that or just let it sit there? There are so many other things that we could fix that wouldn't cost 32 million dollars. Why don't we save our money and concentrate on something that needs fixing now before its too late??
Aug 9, 2008 at 6:27 p.m.
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Wow I feel the love in here. we really do need this to be done. but there are alot of other "projects" this city needs to get rid of. when the times get tough you need to stop spending on things you "want" and save up for the things you "need". Now just think winter is just around the corner and I'll bet it is going to make the city go over budget once again. all those mild winters why didn't they save the surplus? oh wait....lets spend this cause it is burning a hole in our pockets! and I'll bet once again we as taxpayers in this city are still paying for last winter's expenses. I love Wisconsin! So get the waste water plant fixed or we all will be knee high in **** STAY SAFE!!!!
Aug 9, 2008 at 5:26 p.m.
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Sure why not? Everything else has gone up why not our utility bill?I`m really sick and tired of all the rising costs. I really feel sorry for the young people just starting out and the elderly.I would use a few choice words but the Gazette would remove my comment.
Aug 9, 2008 at 4:27 p.m.
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I guess you can't satirize cheapness.
Aug 9, 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
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Ahh yes. Spend spend spend. The city must have a counterfeit operation going on.
Aug 9, 2008 at 2:59 a.m.
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For $32 million, maybe they could make the wastewater go half a block east and wait at the light like everyone else.
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Also, criminals could lurk somewhere in those 300 miles of sanitary sewer, and has anyone counted the number of registered sex offenders who live within one block of a public sanitary sewer? I'm sure if you did you would be shocked!
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And when I was a kid, we didn't have these "fancy" treatment facilities. We just dumped it all in the river, and we turned out OK. (Downstream, I don't know about.)
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