week of  2/6/02
 
 
 
Highlands proposes sewer expansion
By Don Hendershot
There was no déja vu at last Wednesday’s public meeting at the Highland’s Civic Center regarding permit renewal and proposed expansion to Highland’s wastewater treatment plant. The town council and about 20 citizens listened to Kurt Wright of WK Dickson engineering and environmental consultant Robert Goldstein of Robert J. Goldstein and Associates discuss the process, need and design for tripling Highland’s .5 MGD (million gallons per day) plant.

The meeting was in stark contrast to those stormy days 10 years ago when Highlands first applied for permits to install a new wastewater treatment plant that would discharge into the Cullasaja River.

Peg Jones, president of Save Our Rivers Inc., which was in the vanguard of opposition to the original plan spoke to the mayor and town council at last Wednesday’s meeting.

“I can’t thank you enough for going through this process. I wish it had been done this way 10 years ago,” Jones said.

Members of other conservation organizations including the Upper Cullasaja Watershed Association, the Little Tennessee Watershed Association, the Chattooga Conservancy and the Jackson Macon Conservation Association gave the project their guarded support.

One of the main reasons for the qualified support of these local organizations is the town’s plan for tertiary treatment to be included in the expansion. Highland’s current wastewater plant provides secondary treatment. This means the water goes through two stages of treatment. In secondary treatment the wastewater separated from sludge goes through further treatment to decompose bacteria before it is discharged.

In tertiary treatment wastewater goes through a third stage, following secondary treatment. Tertiary treatment is similar to the process used to treat potable water.

Bill McClarney a consulting fisheries biologist who regularly monitors the Cullasaja said, “I don’t see any impacts specifically attributable to Highlands in the stretch of river beyond Dry Falls. I’m impressed by what I’ve heard, I think it’s a good start in the right direction.”

Wright said the need for expansion was based on calculations from population growth projections and plant flow records. The planning period was projected to the year 2025. According to the study the population model, which suggests a peak seasonal population of more than 14,000 by 2025 would require a peak flow of 1.62 MGD. The plant flow analysis showed a peak flow of 1.36 MGD by 2025. Wright said the plan is based on an average of those two figures: 1.5 MGD.

The plan considered four alternatives: 1) expand the present plant with 100 percent surface water discharge of effluent; 2) spray irrigation of effluent on Forest Service property; 3) connect to Franklin or Cashiers system or 4) reuse effluent on area golf courses.

The study concluded option 1 was the most cost efficient and preferred method. Capital costs for the project are estimated at $4.2 million with a total cost over 20 years of $6.8 million.

One red flag raised during the meeting was a map showing annexation boundaries for Highlands. Mayor Buck Trott said the map came from a North Carolina Department of Commerce study done when he first became mayor. “I don’t anticipate growing that quickly,” Trott said, “but it is more cost effective to plan for expansion now than to do it in stages.” He said the town would concentrate on meeting current needs before planning any expansion and that the state Department of Energy and Natural Resources would determine the amount of discharge Highlands’ would be permitted for.

Highlands current permit expires October 31 of this year. The new application must be filed 180 days prior to that date. Trott said this plan will go to the state for review by Feb. 15, and after receiving input from state agencies, WK Dickson and Goldstein and Associates would prepare an environmental assessment for DENR’s review.