News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Monterey Wastewater Treatment Plant purchasing new equipment for the plant with leftover grant funding from the plant construction.
Engineer Nathaniel Green said the town is using $266,125 of leftover funding to purchase ancillary equipment. Green said the town will purchase office furniture, appliances, laboratory testing equipment, a sludge handling system, and a sludge dumpster.
“Typically there are items that are not paid for as a part of plant construction,” Green said. “We were able to contact USDA and they let us know that we could provide change order work to be able to add some of those items.”
The wastewater plant project completed under budget leaving a sum of $300,000 leftover. Green said completing the plant project under budget is unheard of.
“It was very crucial and unheard of nowadays,” Green said. “Typically most projects are going well over budget at least ever since 2020. Now it seems like this was a pretty big win for the utility here in Monterey being able to provide not only the treatment plant that they need but also equipment that might of had to be purchased with the community funds otherwise.”
Green said he left some room in the leftover funds in case some unforeseen issues arise at the plant.
“I am still going to work with Duane (Jarrett) and the guys down to make sure that there is not anything else that they run into that they need,” Green said. “Because we do still have the money for a while I just don’t want to give away that much money if I don’t have to.”
Duane Jarrett is the Monterey Water Treatment Plant Supervisor.
Green said the purchase also included an equipment hoist as they are heavy. green said the crew feared that moving the hoist around the plant could lead to the crew potentially dropping it in the basin. The new wastewater treatment plant has been operating for less than a month.
