BOTKINS — The Botkins Village Council is debating what to do about their water treatment plant. It’s in poor shape and needs a lot of work to be up to the standards set by nearby villages.
According to Village Administrator Ryan Piche, the council can proceed in two ways. They can stick with the replacement plan they currently have in place including doing electrical this year, and an item or two each year in the coming years, or they can pay a little more money up front and put together a plan to get everything done sooner.
This second option would include paying a company $16,000 to do a study of all the issues out at the plant to make sure they attack each of the items in a way the first item is compatible with the fourth.
The four main areas of concern are the electrical, the need for a separate chemical room, an HVAC system to control the temperature and humidity, and replacement of the water softeners.
The problem with the first option is, for example, if they do the electrical this year and an HVAC system next year, it would be harder to insure compatibility, Piche said. The environment the upgrades are going into need to be suitable for each other.
“There is a need to push things a long a little quicker, so chunking things out may not be the best way to do it,” he said.
The other plus side of doing it all at once is that the village could apply for loans and such to help finance the project. Splitting the projects up wouldn’t be feasible for applying for loans, Piche said.
“I agree $16,000 is a lot of money to spend, but it we’re looking at almost a million dollars in upgrades, then it’s not a lot in the scheme of the project,” he said.
Nothing was decided at the meeting as far as how they wish to proceed, but decisions will be made in the near future.
Also at the meeting, Piche presented a plan to purchase new water meters for the village in the next few years. They currently have at least 36 that do not work at all. Piche is going to get more information for the council. He said, as long as they have something for the new homes that are being built, by around August, they should be good.
