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Wastewater Upgrades Important for Growth

Ross Road treatment facility helps county keep peace, officials say.
A major upgrade to DeSoto County's Ross Road wastewater treatment facility is helping the county keep pace with rapid growth, officials say.

"In a fast-growing county like DeSoto County, people just take for granted that things can grow and grow and grow," said Jim Ditto, a wastewater engineer with Pickering, the firm overseeing the $1.2 million upgrade. "But without these water projects in place, no development can occur. That's why these projects are so important."

The current upgrade involves converting the oxidation ditch -- a 15-foot-high concrete tank that can treat 2 million gallons of wastewater a day -- from a surface-aerated system to a bottom-aerated, or diffuser, system.

"Mechanically, the old system was very limited," Ditto said. "We could only put about a million gallons through the system before. Now, we'll be able to use the full 2 million."

The project also is removing an 18-inch layer of sludge from the bottom of the oxidation ditch, a byproduct of the treatment process.

Ditto said 800 tons of sludge were removed from the ditch and hauled to the Tunica landfill.

The sludge had to be mixed with 150 tons of lime before it could be placed in the landfill, which was done inside the oxidation ditch.

With the explosive growth of DeSoto County and the constant tightening of standards by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, expensive upgrades to treatment facilities are just the reality of the situation, officials said.

"The utility authority is doing everything right to make it last and make it durable," said Randy Dias, project manager for United Water Services, the company that operates the utility authority's facilities on the county's east side. "There is no frivolous spending of money. Everything is being done to make it efficient and make sure it lasts for a long time."

Only 25 percent of the $1.2 million price tag is coming from local dollars, thanks to grants through the Corp of Engineers. The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Until the project is completed, the wastewater that usually flows into the Ross Road facility is being diverted to the utility authority's Shortfork Wastewater Treatment Plant, east of Hernando.

Eventually, plans call for all wastewater from the county's eastside to be treated at the Shortfork plant.

The Ross Road facility would then be converted into a facility that pre-treats the wastewater before it is sent to the Shortfork plant.