Published: November 01, 2008 04:10 pm      

Wastewater plant named tops in state

"Do you smell anything?”

McAlester Utility Director David Medley was at the city’s west wastewater treatment plant. And the absence of odor, he said, is a pretty good indicator of how well the plant is working.

The plant’s operations, and operators, were honored this week with an award naming it the Wastewater Plant of the Year. The award, given by the Oklahoma Water and Pollution Control Association of Woodward, recognizes the McAlester facility as the best in the state among plants serving cities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 residents.

“This is the biggest honor you can get in this business,” Medley said.

Gary Roe, wastewater superintendent for the city, and plant operator Wayne Russell beamed as they showed off the plant, where city wastewater is treated. Effluent water has to be treated to a certain level of sanitation before being released, in this case into Sandy Creek.

“They must have done pretty good, because McAlester ranks up there, as far as size,” OWPCA secretary Christie Hill said of competition for the award. “There’s quite a few in that category.”

Association president Rodger Gilchrest said a committee visits sites all over the state to determine the best. At McAlester, he said reviewers were pleased to see an orderly, well organized and clean facility. Starting at the bottom.

“The floors were clean,” Rodgers said. “It’s obvious the guys care about their workplace. That’s the kind of thing we look for.”

There are 13 people who work in the city’s wastewater division, including five operators at each of the two plants, two mechanics and Roe, the superintendent.

Rodgers said he found the laboratory at the plant was clean, and shipments of chemicals used to treat and test the water were properly labeled with the date received.

“Shelf life is often an issue when referring to laboratory chemicals,” he said.

In addition to cleanliness and organization, Rodgers said equipment was inspected to make sure it was properly calibrated and certified. The plant processes about 1.2 million gallons every day.

He noted the plant is not new, and in fact the last large improvement project was in 1985, when the city last won the award.

“We take that into consideration, when you have a plant doing a fine job and it is clean and well taken care of,” Rodgers said of the plant’s age. “The effluent quality of the water they put out is excellent.”

City Manager Mark Roath commended city workers who helped the plant capture the award.

“The city is honored to be recognized by the OWPCA and to receive this award,” he said. “It is a tribute to the hard work by David Medley, Gary Roe and the staff at that facility.”