Dear Editor,
The primary sewer plant conflict between the Grand Water and Sewer Service Agency (GWSSA) and Moab City concerns the costs of pretreatment of sewage by future industry or future large-volume hookups prior to discharging the sewage into the sewage processing plant.
Pretreatment before discharge by many industries is required by almost all sewage systems in the state of Utah. Pretreatment is currently required by Moab City for local car washes for all discharge prior to dumping the water into the sewer system. Oils and fuel in sewage influents could destroy the bacterial process in the current plant.
Moab City believes pretreatment should be a cost to the entity producing the sewage and not to ratepayers in Spanish Valley and Moab City. Some on the GWSSA boards have expressed concern that the costs due to pretreatment may affect the ability of the county to grow. The pretreatment requirements would not prevent growth, but would increase the cost to the entity producing the pollution. The ratepayers in both Moab City and GWSSA should have no liability for pretreatment at the sewage plant.
The contract for the new sewer plant is not between GWSSA and Moab City, but is between the city and the Spanish Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District. The district is one of three entities under GWSSA. The improvement district has an elected board while the other two entities have appointed boards. The improvement district’s board should be primarily concerned about the future liabilities of the ratepayers and not concerned that future developers may be responsible for pretreatment costs.
