Bad news flows quickly as city tries to satisfy EPA

 SHEPHERDSVILLE - It was the kind of talk city officials didn’t want to hear. But they had to know.

Engineer Angi Johnston laid it all on the line concerning Shepherdsville’s statue with meeting EPA requirements on its sewer system.

The good news is that bids should be soon completed and sent out for quotes to complete the Salt River interceptor line.

The city recently completed a bond issue that would secure $3 million to complete a project that originally started as one to be completed by Shepherdsville capital team workers.

When Johnston has to file her Jan. 28 quarterly report to the EPA, she said it should help that the bids would be out and accepted for that project.

The city is currently under a mandate from the EPA to improve its sewer system, which includes decreasing the amount of infiltration into its system.

Part of the management plan required by the EPA is proof that there would be a formal maintenance program for the system and how the city would fund that function.

Also, the city must have a person designated as the inspector of the lines.

At this point, the city has not done inspections or repairs to help decrease the infiltration.

Councilman Larry Hatfield said the Blue Lick Road area would be a great place to start with the system improvements.

It appeared that the lines will need camera work done. He suggested the city get a cost on what the camera inspections would cost.

The repairs could be most effective is slip-lining is done. She would get a cost estimate on that project.

The council unanimously voted to have Johnston get a inspection cost for Blue Lick Road lines from Buckman Street to Saltwell Drive.

Although the city has a camera truck, Hatfield said the city has no personnel who is qualified to do it. That is the reason an outside contractor is needed.

Also, with only five employees of the sewer department, Johnston said there isn’t any extra manpower available.

“I have some very deep concerns,” Johnston said of the quarterly report due in late January.

In terms of generating revenue for the sewer system, on top of the recent rate increases of over 65 percent, Johnston said there are system development fees.

The city has an interceptor line fee already in place for that project. However, she said there needed to be something for those joining the south line that runs to Jim Beam.

Some fee is needed to help recoup the costs of the line, as well as help with the expansion of the sewer treatment plant.

The engineer from QK4 said she needed some direction on the fees.

One suggestion Johnston had was the re-establish the drainage and sewer committees.

“I need to have a little more direction,” said Johnston.

Faith Portman, Alan Wetzel and Don Cundiff volunteered to serve on the drainage committee. Corky Miller, Bernard Brown and Hatfield would be on the sewer committee.

Miller said this is the number issue now facing the city and everyone must work together to take care of the EPA concerns.

Johnston said some existing ordinances are being re-written but she again needed some council direction.

Portman said the city had a list of drainage projects in the past but the former administration did not follow the recommendations and the committee no longer met.

In other sewer business, Johnston said the city is moving forward with the Shawnee Acres project. The city is attempting to solve issues left when the drainage plan was left uncompleted.

She said it is difficult to retrofit a detention basin into a system that has already been placed into operation.

The next meeting of the Shepherdsville City Council will be on Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.