Lake Martin Topics: FOX IS WATCHING THE HEN HOUSE

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	Name:	redleg6 -
	Subject:	FOX IS WATCHING THE HEN HOUSE
	Date:	12/4/2007 9:13:16 AM

Kizma, some might say you suffer from a mild case of cranial rectal defilade, but in any event, here is a one-time response from Lake Watch.

The only conspiracy I know of comes from citizens from all around the lake who want the Dadeville wastewater treatment plant brought into compliance with their current discharge permit. The plant has been in and out of compliance since 1992, and is still failing monthly tests...with or without droughts. There is reasonable doubt based on our preliminary testing whether Chattasofka Creek can assimilate the current waste load from Dadeville. There is even more doubt whether the creek will be able to handle more waste when the city implements its plan to increase the plant's capacity from 420,000 gal per day to 750,000 gal per day in order to accomodate future industrial development.

This issue didn't suddenly spring onto our radar screen. For the past seven years the Middle Tallapoosa Clean Water Partnership, of which Lake Watch is a member, has met every two months to develop a Watershed Management Plan that includes a list of concerns about point-source discharges. We repeatedly invited the City of Dadeville to participate in the meetings to no avail. The plan lists the Dadeville wastewater treatment plant as a high priority concern because of their past record of non-compliance.

Currently the city is pursuing funding to meet the requirements of a Consent Decree between them and ADEM, and they still face resolution of a lawsuit by the Alabama Attorney General for numerous water quality violations. Regarding the funding, Lake Watch wrote a letter of support on behalf of the city to successfully obtain a sizable grant to do needed repair work on their sewer lines. We regularly attend their city council meetings and have assured the mayor and council that our only interest is to ensure that water quality standards for any new permit will provide adequate protection of the receiving waters.

The city is current looking at two or three options. It appears the primary one is to upgrade the existing plant. However, some forward-looking councilmen are considering a package plant option and have even considered an option to pipe the wastewater to the Sugar Creek treatment plant in Alex City. My personal choice would be the Sugar Creek option. Since most of the wastewater generated in the watershed ends up in the lake anyway, it seems prudent to send as much of it as possible through a facility that has high treatment standards and does an excellent job of protecting Lake Martin.

There is much more to the issue that I won't debate with you. So I'd suggest that instead of depending on newspapers for your facts, you attend city council meetings and learn about the issue first-hand. They meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesday every month, 5:00 PM, City Hall.