The City of Meridian is getting ready for another round of water and sewer projects as it looks to meet the requirements of a federal consent decree over sewer overflows and ensure city residents have clean water in the future.

In a meeting Tuesday, City Council members approved a number of projects and steps to keep moving forward toward the goal.

Site and Wetlands Assessment

One projects the council signed off on is a site assessment of land neighboring the city’s South Wastewater Plant, which is located near Meridian Airport on Highway 11. The $5,700 assessment, which will be done by Engineering Plus, will investigate whether or not the land just south of the plant is suitable for future expansion.

Public Works Director David Hodge said the city is already occupying all of its current property at its south plant and needs to start looking at options for future expansion.

“Down the road, we’re going to need to expand,” he said.

The city is limited in its options for expansion, as the plant is bordered by Sowashee Creek on one side and Highway 11 on the other. Expansion south, he said, is really the only option.

Hodge said the city is serious about the need to expand, and barring an assessment showing the land is unsuitable, the council will likely be asked to consider purchasing the property in the near future.

Lead and Copper Assessment

Council members authorized a $100,552 task order for Kimley-Horn and Associates, which has a professional service contract with the city, to assist with a new regulation requiring a citywide assessment of lead and copper pipes in the freshwater system.

Jimmy Eckman, who oversees the city’s freshwater system, said the Environmental Protection Agency, which instituted the new rule, is requiring cities to map out where lead and copper pipes may exist and formulate a plan to replace them by October 2024.

Bringing in outside help to develop the assessment is needed, Eckman said, as the city does not have the capacity to complete the job before the set deadline.

The assessment also comes was the EPA sharply increases the volume of testing water systems must do to detect lead and copper contamination, Eckman said. Lead levels are commonly highest in the first samples of water drawn in the morning, which is water that has been sitting in the pipes all night, he said. Residents concerned about potential lead exposure can significantly reduce the risk by running the tap for 10-15 seconds before collecting water for consumption.

There are still several unknowns with the program, such as who will be responsible for replacing lead and copper lines between the water meter and customers’ homes. The city is responsible for infrastructure up to residents’ water meters, but past that is usually considered the homeowner’s responsibility.

Water Supply Improvements

Kimley-Horn will also be assisting the city with improvements to its water supply system after the council on Tuesday approved a task order for $86,400.

Eckman said the work will involve planning two additional wells at the city’s north freshwater treatment plant as well as a new distribution line. The planning stage of the project is critical, he said, as the city hopes to match projects with available grant dollars.

If planned properly, Eckman said the city could end up saving as much as $1.5 million over the next three years.

Sewer Annual Contract

An annual contract for sanitary and storm sewer rehabilitation was also put to the council for consideration on Tuesday, with three bids received. Hemphill Construction Company came in as the low bidder at $6.9 million.

David Ruhl of Waggoner Engineering, which is helping the city oversee its work related to the federal consent decree, said the projects planned for Hemphill to complete over the next 12 months will be paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Remote Monitoring

In another consent decree project, the City Council accepted a $258,000 bid from Luckette Pump & Well Services to install wireless remote monitoring systems on the city’s sewer lift stations. There are approximately 67 lift stations throughout the city that will be outfitted with the devices.

Lift stations are a critical component of a sewer system as they pump sewage from a low elevation to a high elevation, allowing gravity to pull the waste through the network of pipes leading to the wastewater treatment plants. If broken or malfunctioning, lift stations cannot move the sewage along, leading to sewer overflows.

The remote monitoring system will allow city workers to know when things go wrong before they cause sewage overflows. The contract gives the company six months to get the equipment up and running.