City of Muskogee

PROJECT PURPOSE

The City of Muskogee sewer plant headworks system was constructed in 1998 and provides preliminary treatment including screening and de-gritting of the influent wastewater. It does not currently have a sludge dewatering system to process and eliminate sludge on site. The dewatering system will dewater and dry the sludge to a class A biosolid which is designated for land application. This will have the following benefits to the City. 1. It will eliminate the need for permitted sites for disposal of sludge as a hazardous waste and enable disposal of the sludge in the Muskogee County landfill. 2. It will reduce the weight and volume of the end product therefore reducing disposal costs and maximizing available options for sludge disposal. 3. Class A biosolids can be used as fertilizer, a salable product with potential to generate revenue for the City of Muskogee. Revenue impact: The project has the potential to generate revenue for the City of Muskogee. Specifically, dewatered sludge is a salable product for land application as fertilizer. Additionally, the project will increase the city?s wastewater treatment capacity. This will provide for greater industrial and residential sewer expansion and thus higher future sewer revenue for the City.

EVIDENCE

Dewatered sludge has the properties of a solid, even though it is still mostly water. It can be transported in a dump truck instead of a tank truck. Options for disposal or use of municipal wastewater sludges are disposal on the land e.g., landfilling, or land-application for beneficial uses. Beneficial uses include agriculture uses; application to parks, golf courses, and public lands; use in reclaiming low quality or spoiled lands; and use as landfill cover or fill material. (National Research Council Water Science and Technology Board. (1996) Use of Reclaimed water and Sludge in Food Crop Production.)

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Muskogee is home to 36,878 residents (2020 Census). Vulnerable populations include 15.5% of residents over age 65 and 25.1% of residents under age 18. Further, 24.6% are in poverty. Muskogee County has a high percentage of minority residents with 53.2% of its residents White; 15.3% Black; 15.9% American Indian; 0.8% Asian; 10.1% two or more races; and 8.3% Hispanic. Minority populations in general have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic due to limited access to health services. In 2020 COVID-19 resulted in the closure of several major retailers and numerous small businesses, which continues to negatively impact sales tax revenues in the long term. What?s more, the City of Muskogee suspended cutoff of water utilities on past due accounts and waived fees for late payments and for terminating and restoring service from March 23 to May 21, 2020, resulting in an estimated $100,000 in lost revenue.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Performance measurement will be monitoring of the project and success will be determined by completion of the project on schedule and within budget.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

One-time project will not need continued funding