US city of LaGrange gets loan to upgrade sewer system

LaGrange, Georgia has received two loans from the Georgia Environmental Facility Authority totalling $14m to upgrade its sewer system.

The city’s public works department will use the first loan of over $6m to replace the existing Yellow Jacket Creek pump station, install five new submersible pumps and create space for a sixth one.

The department will also use part of the fund to build two influent collection junction boxes, construct a new electrical building for the pump station and purchase new equipment.

In addition, the department will install nearly 16,000ft of 14in force main, upsize two sections of 24in sanitary sewer and build a 900ft sewer line. It will also decommission and demolish the Cherokee Road pump station.

Public Works director David Brown said that the department will refurbish and purchase emergency generators to supply uninterrupted power for sewage treatment.

"All of the above is rapidly approaching its useful lifespan," he added.

The department has plans to use a portion of the loan to replace 20-year old natural gas engines with new electric motors and upgrade existing electric motors at the effluent pump station to feed treated effluent to the Chattahoochee River.

The Georgia Environmental Facility Authority’s second loan of more than $7m will be used to upgrade the Long Cane Creek water pollution control plant.

The work involves replacing equipment at the existing effluent pump station and rehabilitating two existing emergency generators.

As part of the improvement work, the department will also install a new emergency generator, construct a new pump control room, a new electrical building and a new shutoff valve on the effluent force main.

LaGrange city manager Tom Hall said: "This is work we absolutely have to get done."

The city of LaGrange will pay interest of 1.4% on the 20-year loans.

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Image: The US city of LaGrange has received loans to upgrade its sewer system. Photo: courtesy of Nigel Wylie.