Saving Bethel Heights
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special section sewer & collection systems Effluent sewer Saving installation helps Arkansas city grow Bethel Heights By Tyler Molatore is no need for manholes or lift stations. The pipe is routinely handle all on-lot maintenance for effluent installed in shallow trenches that follow the contour sewer systems, but, according to Williams, “There of the land, so it was relatively inexpensive to install are some of our original houses, going back to 2003, n the early 1990s, Bethel Heights, Ark., was throughout Bethel Heights, despite the town’s hilly sur- that we’ve never had any service calls on at all.” a community of only about 700 people. roundings and the long distances between the treat- Low O&M expenses also allow cities to keep their With corporate giants such as Wal-Mart and ment system and the city’s far-flung developments. monthly sewer rates low. Bethel Heights charges its Tyson Foods headquartered nearby, how- Next, on-lot interceptor tanks are installed at residents $35 per month. ever, the city had the potential for tremen- each home and business on a “just-in-time” basis, Steve Hesse, P.E., of Earthplan Design Alterna- dous growth. A major factor limiting such deferring upfront costs until the time that new con- tives PA in Springdale, Ark., said the Bethel Heights Igrowth was the city’s reliance on individual septic struction actually takes place. These tanks typically system was the first one he designed using Orenco tanks for wastewater treatment, plus a required run eight to 12 years between pump-outs. They also equipment. Since that time, he has recommended minimum lot size of ¾ acre. provide primary treatment of sewage, which trans- the technologies for projects in the nearby towns of Then, in 1999, the state of Arkansas passed a lates into lower biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) Lowell and Rose Bud as well. law allowing property owners to de-annex from one and hydraulic loads and, in turn, allows for smaller, “I would still recommend an effluent sewer and city and into another if the original city was unable less complex, less expensive treatment plants. Orenco’s AdvanTex treatment to other small com- to provide essential utilities, including wastewater In addition, each on-lot tank is equipped with an munities that need a wastewater system but don’t services. In a relatively short amount of time, Bethel Orenco Biotube pumping system that includes a light- have the funding for traditional, ‘big-pipe,’ grav- Heights was faced with a loss of tax revenue from weight, energy-efficient pump with an expected life of ity sewer,” Hesse said. “From a value standpoint, de-annexations that threatened its very existence. 20 to 30 years. The tank and the filters in the pump Bethel Heights made a wise investment in its future system reduce solids by up to two-thirds before efflu- by deciding to go with an effluent sewer.” Threatened by De-Annexations ent from the tank’s “clear zone” is pumped into the “After the first de-annexation, doing something 2-in.-diameter force main. The size and cost of this Accommodating Future Growth became a very high priority,” said Fred Jack, former pipe is minimized, because an effluent sewer’s water- As Bethel Heights grows, its effluent sewer sys- mayor of Bethel Heights. tight plumbing essentially is free of inflow and infiltra- tem will allow scattered future developments to be With so few residents, however, the city was limited tion (I&I), as well as the majority of solids. connected as needed. The city currently has 45 financially. If a centralized sewer system using gravity Little to no I&I means the treatment facilities in AX-100 units, which can handle up to 180,000 gal of collection and a standard activated sludge plant were Bethel Heights did not have to be oversized to han- total wastewater per day. Effluent test results show installed, the area’s hilly terrain would require numer- dle increased flows during wet weather. As a result, typical carbonaceous BOD levels of 6 to 12 mg/L ous expensive lift stations and deep excavations. The the city also saves money on wastewater staffing. and total suspended solids levels of less than 2 dispersed nature of new developments also would add Bethel Heights’ full-time wastewater operator, Zack mg/L, well below permit limits of 15 mg/L for each. to the upfront cost of a traditional gravity collection Williams, has one full-time employee who assists Since its installation in 2003, serving just a few system. But, with the threat of more de-annexations him at the city’s two treatment sites, as well as one dozen residences and small businesses, the Bethel looming, there was no time to begin the lengthy pro- part-time employee who handles service calls. Heights effluent sewer system has undergone the cess of applying for federal grants and loans. The ultimate system capacity at Bethel Heights completion of four phases and is approaching 500 Instead, Bethel Heights chose to install an Orenco is sufficient to serve 1,000 equivalent dwelling connections, including both homes and businesses. effluent sewer, along with an AdvanTex textile treatment units; however, should greater capacity be needed, “Bethel Heights’ city government realized growth system and subsurface dispersal via drip irrigation. additional treatment equipment can be installed would not occur for us unless we could provide “From a financial standpoint, we really didn’t unit by unit, as required. sewer service,” said Cynthia Black, mayor of Bethel have much of a choice,” said Jeff Hutcheson, mayor Heights and a long-time resident of the city. “Without of Bethel Heights from 2010 to 2014. “We had to Low Bond, Fast Payback Orenco’s system and assistance, we could not have do what was best for the city, and I think it was the To finance the effluent sewer system, the resi- continued to grow and maintain our small city.” right option in the end.” dents of Bethel Heights approved a $1.3 million Once a tiny town of just 700 people and at bond, which paid for two multi-pod AdvanTex treat- risk of disappearing from the map altogether, Reaping the Benefits ment plants, all effluent transport lines, the pur- Bethel Heights now boasts more than 2,300 resi- For small towns like Bethel Heights, an efflu- chase of acreage needed for effluent discharge and dents and is well positioned to handle its future ent sewer has many economic advantages, from an operations facility. That bond was paid off in wastewater needs. minimized initial capital investments to low overall 2013, some 20 years ahead of schedule. lifecycle costs. Low operations and maintenance (O&M) costs Tyler Molatore, P.E., is community systems program An effluent sewer begins with a wastewater collec- contributed to the city’s ability to pay off the bond manager for Orenco Systems Inc. Molatore can be reached tion system consisting of small-diameter pipe. There so quickly. Municipalities such as Bethel Heights at [email protected] or 800.348.9843 x416. 28 March 2016 | Water & Wastes Digest.