Crowley officials outline $17.8M phased plan to meet new DEQ wastewater limits

City of Crowley engineers and wastewater staff told council committees Sept. 9 that a draft LPDES discharge permit and an amended DEQ compliance order require major upgrades to the city’s wastewater collection and treatment systems.

City Engineer Tim Mader said the draft permit imposes stricter discharge limits that the city’s 20‑ to 25‑year‑old treatment components were not designed to meet. "Ammonia nitrogen used to be in our permit at the level of ... 5 parts per million. That's been reduced to 0.8 parts per million," Mader said, noting the plant’s ammonia‑removal components are aged and less reliable.

Mader described a corrective plan of action the city submitted after DEQ issued Compliance Order WEC2400685. The order and its amended version require the city to deliver a plan that shows what will be done, a timetable, cost estimates and identified funding sources, and to report progress to DEQ every quarter. "They're saying every 3 months, you gotta tell me what effort have you made to get funding," Mader said.

The staff outlined a phased approach to avoid immediate, full‑system replacement. Phase 1 includes renovation of an existing duckweed pond with a modular insulated cover (estimated $1.8 million, using $1 million in ARPA funds and $800,000 in city funds) and smoke testing to locate inflow sources. Later phases would deepen and reconfigure marsh treatment cells, add ammonia reactors, and install additional covers; treatment‑side improvements were estimated near $10 million and total needs were presented at about $17.8 million.

Mader said the city has applied for multiple grants — including an LCDBG application (estimated $2.28 million project, city match ~$850,000) and a Delta Regional Authority submission — and that federal and state grant processes could take a year or more to clear environmental reviews. He warned that some required work has "funding source TBD" status and that the city has only identified roughly a third of needed funds so far.

Officials discussed collection‑system overflows (SSOs) linked to inflow from private connections. Mader said smoke testing has identified both public‑side leaks (which operations staff can repair) and private‑side defects (which will require code enforcement and, if property owners refuse, possible enforcement mechanisms). He described one enforcement option discussed with staff: capping service after a set period. "If someone after ... 30 days, 60 days ... is still refusing to fix the leak ... I would suggest ... that you go and you cap the service," Mader said, adding the approach is under consideration but not decided.

Council members pressed staff on financing options, including whether the city should pursue the full program at once or proceed by DEQ‑approved phases. One council member asked for a full cost estimate; staff said the $17.8 million figure reflects the cumulative cost if all phases prove necessary. Mader urged members to review the permit and compliance‑order links in his report and to prepare for a rate study to evaluate user fees. He said DEQ has given the city three to five years to become compliant with the new discharge limitations.

Next steps: staff will continue smoke testing and repair of public‑side defects, pursue grant and loan opportunities, complete a rate‑study scope for user fees, and return with grant outcomes and design options for the council and public.