Sewage Pump Problems | Video

Chris Williams | 8/30/2012

Williston`s wastewater treatment plant brings in almost two million gallons of water every day, which is 25 percent over capacity. A temporary plant is being built right now, and it will discharge sewage over the levee and eventually to the backwaters of the Missouri River.

But the problem of getting the sewage over the levee is creating some questions. In the past, the Army Corps of Engineers has pumped the city`s sewage over the levee. When the new facility is built that will no longer be the case.

"The Corps indicated they had no authority to do that. With some Congressional help, we worked through that. With the idea that we`re going to have to pump it across the levee," said Williston Public Works Director Monte Meiers.

Getting the sewage across the levee is now in the city`s hands.

"The Corps telling us they have no authority to pump it. That means the city is going to have to come up with, or the residents who utilize sewage, is going to have to come up with the cost of installing pumps," Meiers added.

The current wastewater treatment facility has water that is treated in ponds, sent to lagoons and discharged a few times a year. The temporary plant will have a continuous discharge, that`s why the Corps is not going to pump the sewage over the levee.

"Additional costs by the government, by the federal government, if we had to expand our operations to accommodate the waste water treatment facility," said Jeremy Szynskie with District Environmental Compliance for the Corps of Engineers.

Although the Corps isn`t pumping the sewage, that doesn`t mean they aren`t involved with the new plant.

"We`ve been working real closely with the city of Williston, and their engineering consulting firm to find an acceptable solution for both the city of Williston and the Corps of Engineers," added Szynskie

As for people in Williston, they might notice a change in their sewage bill.

"Rates, right now it will be the rates. Whoever uses sewage will have to pay extra for that pumping cost," Meiers added.

The new plant is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

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