Kelly Top, Superintendent of Utilities for the City of Paullina reports the activity of outside staff regularly to the City Council. He is also responsible to keep council informed of utility and vehicle needs. At the July 5 regular council meeting Top explained that he would like to hire two different engineers and obtain estimated costs for necessary work at both the electric plant and the water treatment tanks near Highway 10.
Paullina’s municipally owned electric service was tested by Electrical Power Systems or EPS. According to Top the results of the tests range from functional to needs replacement. According to Top the substation does not need immediate attention.
Top was granted permission on July 5 to hire DGR Engineering to assist with estimating the needs of the electric service. There are six circuits that power Paullina. The testing determined that the Paullina should replace the six breakers and the relays associated with each breaker. The battery bank that keeps the breakers powered in the event of a major blackout also are included in the estimate. The battery backup keeps the breakers running to prevent damage from a surge or other damaging anomaly. Top added the six circuits are “about at transformer capacity.”
Dennis Haselhoff provided an estimate to Top for the necessary replacements. The estimate includes the cost of enclosing the switchgear, batteries and accessories to be replaced in a 16’x24’ metal clad enclosure, 1 main breaker, 6 feeder breakers and a generator tie breaker. Some additional feeder exits from the substation and substation expansion are included as part of the planning.
The total cost of the replacement, improvements and modest expansion is $1,350,000 and includes contingencies and engineering.
The council had once placed a 5% rate increase on the agenda as recommended by Missouri River Energy Services (MRES). MRES is Paullina’s primary electric supplier. At the time the rate increase was recommended a bond issue for up to $1 million was also asserted.
The estimate was presented to council at the August 15 meeting. Council directed Top to seek funding sources in addition to bonds and a rate increase for the repairs and upgrades.
The water storage tanks on Highway 10 serve as a water treatment facility in addition to a holding area. Fluoride and chlorine are injected into the water in one of the two tanks, transferred to the other tank for about 60 hours and then refill the water tower. Top is considering the installation of a filter before water gets to the tower. Beck Engineering has been asked to provide preliminary suggestions and estimates for this project and to improve the efficiency of moving water from the well east of Mill Creek to the final user.
It’s not just moving good water from source to user that is getting addressed in Paullina. It is also properly managing the water that exits a point of use to the sewer ponds.
Covid funds available to the city can be used for water or sewer utilities. Estimates to replace the current aerators in the city’s sewage ponds came in more than double the expected cost and available funds. The project was put on hold. But Top admits that aerators are needed. The do work, but they are “high maintenance” to keep the pond water oxygenated and moving to dissolve solids. He said the current system requires 2-day repairs anywhere from 2 to 4 times a year. He said a standard for a high performing sewage system is way less then 4 times per year. Top noted, “Oxygen and bugs work well together.” At press time no bids for the tanks had been submitted nor a second bid for the aeration system.