Amanda Crane
acrane@bossierpress.com
Construction is steadily underway on the multi-million dollar Red Water Waste Water Treatment Plant in south Bossier.
The $59.9 million project, located on the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, is scheduled to be completed in the year 2015. Jeffery Anderson, Utilities Director for the City of Bossier City, said the facility will upgrade the existing services to south Bossier residents.
The advantages of the new plant are a more efficient running facility and a higher treatment capacity. The new plant will increase the current 8 million gallon per day capacity to 12 million gallons per day.
“That treatment facility handles the majority of the waste generation below I-20 and a little bit above I-20,” Anderson said. “Efficiency also means more economical too.”
One of the goals in the design was to decrease the amount of odor from the plant in order to better the quality of life for the residents and those who travel nearby. Anderson said it’s unknown whether or not that will be the case or not.
“I’m not going to promise that because at the end of the day it is waste water and it does stink,” he said.
Some of the large structures are taking shape along the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, but there’s more to come as the work progresses.
“As they move below ground to work, it will require more stabilization from above,” Anderson explained. “Once in place, they will begin the process of connecting the different structures with piping and installing controls for the treatment plant.”
The $59.9 million price tag also includes work at the northeast plant, located where Shed Road and Stockwell Road meet. Anderson said work there includes cosmetic upgrades, such as protective coatings on the existing structure, and will begin later in the construction schedule.
“The coating prevents corrosion by the sewer gases,” he said. “Sewers are one of the most corrosive things that you can expose concrete and metals to.”
The capacity rate of 6 million gallons per day will remain the same at the northeast structure, Anderson said.
“We only use about 2 to 2.5 million gallons of capacity out there so we have quite a bit of excess to work with,” he said.
To date, construction is right on schedule despite the unusual weather forecast.
“They continue to be at or ahead of schedule on just about every item so far,” he said. “Construction is moving really well despite the times we have had very bad weather. They manage to work through it and have done an excellent job staying on schedule.”
The new Red River Waste Water Treatment Plant should wrap up with electrical and pumping buildings before its opening in two years.
“They have poured about 10,000 yards of concrete and the job takes around 16,000 yards total,” he said. “They still have a little ways to go, but they are getting it done.”
Once the facility is completed and operating, the existing treatment facility will be demolished.
