Centerton council, water commission outline wastewater options as Decatur upgrade nears

Centerton officials and the Water and Sewer Commission on Aug. 26 discussed multiple long-term options for handling the city's wastewater as Decatur prepares a scheduled upgrade later this year. The commission and city described four paths under consideration: expand Decatur's plant and remain a subuser; connect part or all Centerton flow to NACA (a regional entity discussed in the meeting); form a new regional wastewater authority with other municipalities; or build decentralized local treatment systems (which the state later blocked). The commission recommended hiring an outside consultant to produce a preliminary engineering and 30-year operations-and-maintenance analysis to compare the financial impacts of each option. Why it matters: Centerton is relying on outside treatment capacity as it grows. Officials said a short-term solution is in place but emphasized the need for a financial plan so ratepayers are not surprised by future costs. Commission and council members said the Decatur contract has provided low rates so far, but that existing language leaves gaps the commission wants to strengthen. Commission members said the current Decatur rate has been comparatively cheap and that moving to NACA could involve large connection fees that would meaningfully raise costs for Centerton ratepayers. The commission repeatedly emphasized the need for more detailed cost estimates before choosing a course. At the meeting, the commission outlined next steps. "Step 1 in my opinion is a preliminary engineering report that we hire as Centerton Utilities, an outside consultant, to look at those options financially so that we know which way to put our efforts and energies," a commission member said, estimating that work could take four to six months after a professional services agreement is executed. The commission also said it would review the Decatur contract to identify places to add limits, baseline allocations and clearer capital-planning obligations. Council members pressed for clarity on who would carry major costs. A discussion participant noted that NACA's connection fees were large in earlier estimates'$10 million for an initial 500,000 gallons per day allocation, with additional fees for larger allocations'and that NACA could not say upfront what rates Centerton customers would pay because rates depend on future, systemwide capital decisions by NACA members. Several speakers urged caution on rate effects. "The ratepayers are going to pay for this," one council member said, adding that recent state law requires sewer rate studies on a defined schedule and will force rate adjustments when capital projects are adopted. Discussion-only vs. decisions: The commission and council did not adopt a new contract or a financing plan at the meeting. They approved only procedural next steps: pursue a consultant-led engineering and financial study and continue monthly coordination with Decatur. The meeting record shows no binding decision to connect to any particular facility. Ending: Officials said they expect to have a formal report and financing options to present after the consultant work. The commission urged that Centerton and Decatur coordinate so finance, timing and rate impacts are fully considered before any formal contract changes.