Construction of the new wastewater treatment facility is well underway in Newcastle, but an added expense has cropped up. The City included money for labor to install influent and effluent lines, but did not include money for materials.
During the June City Council meeting, City Manager Kevin Self explained that it was planned for the Newcastle Public Works Authority crew to install the lines, but because of the depth of the influent lines at up to 25-feet deep, NPWA crews have a lack of experience. Self said they also have a lack of manpower.
The City Manager added that the NPWA will be laying the effluent lines, which are not set as deep.
Newcastle has a loan which is paying expenses on the new facility, and Self said the City has set aside $900,000 for labor. He added that no money was set aside for the materials for the lines.
Mayor Karl Nail said, “It’s going to cost us more to get this done than we thought.”
He said the safety factor and the timeline for the work to be completed, makes it important for the City to spend the extra money and complete the project.
Self said the wastewater treatment plant is projected to be finished in about 8-10 months.
“If that is the case, we are pushing up very close to when the plant may be ready to be operational,” Self said.
He suggested the City utilize the wastewater treatment plant fund, go out to bid, and the the City pay for it with the money it has.
Nail said the City doesn’t really have a choice because it has to be done.
