Buckley council approves engineering proposal to update water system plan
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Summary
Council approved an engineering services proposal to update Buckley’s water system plan, including studies on slow-sand filter expansion, a second reservoir siting, and treatment for manganese in the Natchez well.
The Buckley City Council on a voice vote approved an engineering services proposal to update the city’s water system plan and conduct three related studies.
The item covers a required water system plan update — the Department of Health changed its requirement so the update is needed every six years for this cycle and then every 10 years thereafter — and includes separate studies on expanding the slow-sand filter at the surface-water treatment plant, a reservoir siting study to identify locations for a second storage tank, and a pilot study to treat elevated manganese at the Natchez well.
The water-system consultant, Dom, described the slow-sand filter as “very low energy and very simple,” and said the proposal seeks to “maximize the surface area of that sand,” which could require a retaining wall to expand the filter footprint. He said the reservoir study will look for higher-elevation sites outside the city limits because the city has limited high ground; he cited a 2,300,000-gallon existing reservoir that leaves the system without storage when it is taken offline for cleaning. Dom also said the Natchez well is a “good producer” whose water quality (high manganese) requires a pilot treatment study.
Council members asked questions about site access and safety on visits to the treatment plant and reservoir locations. Building and Planning Director Banks was referenced by council members when recounting a prior field visit to the treatment facility; council members described narrow roadway and difficult turning at the reservoir access road.
The proposal’s presentation stated the studies were budgeted in the new two-year budget; the transcript records the budget line as “$20.25,” which is likely an incomplete or transcribed-inaccurate figure and is noted in the clarifying details below. After discussion, the council voted to approve the engineering services proposal.
The vote was taken by voice; no roll-call vote totals were recorded in the meeting transcript.
