Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—Once a “notice to proceed” is issued, construction work to improve the Edgar Springs wastewater treatment plant will start.

Smith and Edwards Construction, Inc., of Mountain Grove, Mo., was awarded the general contractor bid on Dec. 10, 2015, in the amount of $475,578 to complete the system updates.

“The city’s wastewater treatment plant, which has been in operation since 1987, no longer meets Missouri DNR standards for ammonia,” said Jeff Kormann, grant administrator with Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC). “They are currently out of compliance with the state operating permit. This work will get the city in compliance.”

Residents shouldn’t have any changes in service during the construction updates. Edgar Springs City Council Member Carol Dunham said the city is happy that the project is underway.

“We had a lot of hard work getting everything started,” Dunham said. “We are excited it is finally happening.”

The contractor will install nitrification equipment, a UV disinfection unit, new lift station, generator and clarifier, process piping, a new equalization basin and make various modifications to the existing effluent filter structure to upgrade the city’s existing wastewater treatment plant.

The construction timeline indicates work will begin on or around March 1. MRPC prepared the grant applications and is administering the grants. The engineer for the project is Archer-Elgin Engineering, Surveying and Architecture of Rolla.

Edgar Springs, with a population of about 200 in southern Phelps County, began applying for grants to update the city’s wastewater treatment plant in 2011. The project has since been awarded $315,869 from the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), of which $297,130 will be used for construction; a $130,250 Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grant, of which $124,950 will be used for construction; and a $180,000 Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) loan, of which $53,500 will be used for construction-related activities, $64,000 forengineering and design, $40,000 for construction inspection and $22,500 for other professional services.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 24, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion.