WINNSBORO – With a directors and officers’ insurance policy in place through the S.C. Municipal Association, members of the Fairfield County Joint Water Sewer System Commission moved forward last week to put other housekeeping measures in place for the eventual construction of a wastewater treatment plant to serve the county.
Russell Wright, Director for Wastewater for the Town of Winnsboro, and Assistant Town Administrator Chris Clausen presented what Winnsboro Town Administrator Jason Taylor called a realistic, rational preliminary partial-year operating budget for the commission.
The budget outlook was investigated for two kinds of plants to start construction or be under construction, Wright and Clausen explained. One plant would be an MBR (membrane filter plant) and the other an oxidation ditch – the two plants under consideration by the commission.
Wright and Clausen gave conservative estimates on when each plant could be constructed given the constraints involved.
“An MBR plant,” Wright explained, “is basically a top-of-the-line treatment process with the oxidation ditch basically being a carousel plant that is shaped like a racetrack. Both,” he said, “are activated sludge plants, but the oxidation ditch provides less treatment than the MBR system. The MBR plant is a higher quality treatment and less susceptible to industrial upsets.”
Following the discussion in the open meeting, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss a “contractual/legal matter; discussion incident to the negotiation of contractual arrangements… concerning engineering services.”
After commissioners exited executive session, a motion was made and seconded for the Joint Water Authority to direct American Engineering to complete a wastewater plant alternatives analysis [of the MPR and the oxidation ditch systems] provided by the commission’s attorney C. D. Rhodes.
In addition, Rhodes asked American Engineering to include in the outline he (Rhodes) provided, and the time it would take to construct and make each plant operational. The amended motion was approved 7-0.
The next meeting of the commission is set for 6 p.m., April 25, 2023, at the Midlands Technical College Fairfield Campus.
