CMOM project continues on in Guthrie

Staff from the City of Guthrie met with the OWRB, Myers Engineering and Jordan Contractors last week for the monthly progress meeting on the Sanitary Sewer Project (CMOM).

The Guthrie city council approved a change order for reconciliation of the project by adding three additional sewer lines for rehabilitation.

“These lines were added because of their condition and the cost will be less if we make the repairs while the contractor is in the area,” City Manager Matt Mueller said.

Mueller went on to say, “the other factor impacting the decision was that the funding was available because of the conscientious handling of the budget. The reconciliation portion of the change order dealt with the original scope of the project. This included the timeline and the cost which was on tract in both areas.”

The city has completed the required reports to the DEQ and have submitted a copy of the Substantially Complete Certificate. The contractor will begin the pipe bursting portion of the added lines which will take place on Hill Drive.

In 2003, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) issued a consent order to the City of Guthrie. A consent order is a finding of violation of ODEQ rules and the steps that an entity is mandated to take in order to resolve the violation.

In Guthrie’s case, this consent order was issued due to the high number of sewer overflows that had occurred. Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO’s) occurred because Guthrie’s sewer line system was deteriorating due to age, or in many areas, became too small to handle the amount of wastewater that flowed through it due to growth of Guthrie and increased usage. When the wastewater was unable to flow properly due to the size restrictions or deterioration, it backs up and overflows out of manhole covers or other openings.

Many of the sewer lines that caused the overflows are more than 60 years old. The cost to clean up each overflow is between $500 to $700. Guthrie experienced around 70 SSQ’s each year, costing nearly $50,000 of taxpayer money annually.