The city of Yuma is faced with the challenge of reducing the total amount of dissolved solids in the wastewater from the treatment plant.
City officials briefed Yuma City Council during its regular meeting, practically last week.
The issue was brought up when the council was asked to approve a grant of $ 48,603 from the Water Quality Improvement Fund. City Administrator Scott Moore announced to the city council that it will be the first of several grants the city is seeking for the mitigation project. (TDS are salts, sugar, and anything else that dissolves in water.)
Utility manager Claude Strait said the city’s permit allows 400 milligrams of TDS in the water diverted from the treatment plant. He said the city has been out of compliance since 2008 and received an infringement letter from the state last year.
Strait said the state believes Yuma’s increased TDS levels came from people who use water softeners.
As a result, the city submitted a plan to the state to launch a public information campaign, which was rejected. The state has told the city that a treatment process must be added to remove the TDS from the water.
The total cost to design the process is $ 475,000. According to Strait, the city is working on total grants totaling $ 658,603 over the next two years, including just over $ 500,000 in grants this year to cover the design process.
The city’s corresponding funds will be 30 percent.
Strait said the end result will be another wastewater treatment plant in the wastewater treatment plant. Options to remove the TDS include using a limescale softening method that creates a biosolid or using electrical currents to remove the TDS. There are three to four options. Strait said the state is looking into which process is best for Yuma.
The street also explained that some of the wastewater drained from the sewage treatment plant flows into the aquifer, so a high TDS makes it difficult to provide groundwater.
The council unanimously approved the grant.
More meetings
• The renewal of the liquor license for Paper Moon Entertainment was approved unanimously.
• The approval of the orphanage’s art gallery was also approved 7-0. The permit contains a total of 11 dates on which the orphanage can serve beer and wine. Councilor Dan Baucke asked if there was an easier way for the establishment. Owner Rich Birnie, who participated virtually, said permission to the art gallery seems to suit his needs.
• A resolution on changes to the personnel manual was adopted. Prosecutor Kathryn Sellars said the changes were updates to comply with new state laws. She explained changes in sick leave that increase those hours for part-time and seasonal workers. Full-time employees are not affected as they already have more sick leave. There is also a section on identifying the reasons for the sick leave. There are other sections that address public health emergencies and whistleblower protection.
• The purchase of a transformer for the new Cobblestone Suites location on the west end of town has been approved. Western United’s cost is $ 20,806.56 and will be reimbursed by Cobblestone. Speaking of the Cobblestone Project: The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on March 30th.
• Moore announced to the city council that work on the fuel farm at Yuma Municipal Airport would begin. He said the city is saving $ 14,000 by doing some of the electrical work. The gas station is on a meadow between the taxiway and the runway.
• All seven council members attended – Mayor Ron Swehla and council members Marc Shay, Tim McClung, Marylu Smith-Dischner, Daniel Ebersole, Dan Baucke and Steve Hoch.
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