Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

The Tyler Westside Wastewater Treatment plant and the current and planned administration buildings are seen in this schematic.

The Tyler Westside Wastewater Treatment plant and the current and planned administration buildings are seen in this schematic.

The Tyler City Council on Wednesday approved the construction of a new administration building at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The city entered into an engineering services agreement with KSA Engineers for the design, bidding, construction and inspection at a cost of $467,700.

Kate Dietz, city of Tyler director of utilities, said the existing administration building was built in 1966 and includes an influent lift station (where wastewater enters the waste water plant) in the basement, electrical control room, laboratory and locker room. A two-story addition was added in 1990.

“There have been high levels of hydrogen sulfide introduced in this admin building ... basically due to the proximity of the influent lift station being in the basement,” Dietz said.

The levels of hydrogen sulfide are closely monitored and within federal safety parameters, but there still could be cause for concern in the future, she said. The presence of hydrogen sulfide also decreases the lifespan of computers in the building to about 6 to 12 months and impacts other electrical equipment.

“We have been monitoring the levels to ensure worker safety, staff safety, but there’s always the potential for long-term exposure concerns and ... the issue with the computers as well,” Dietz said.

The plan is to relocate the administration building to the northwest side of the plant. The new building will have office space, a laboratory, locker room, admin area and a meeting room.

“This location eliminates the previously stated issues and corrosion problems and provides the additional office space needed for staff and essential updates to an aging wastewater treatment plant,” Dietz said.

This project is being paid for through Tyler Water Utilities Capital Improvements fund.

The council on Wednesday also approved about a $3.6 million contract with Lone Star Land Enhancement to clear sanitary sewer right of ways.

Dietz said there is ongoing right of way clearing and maintenance for Tyler Water Utilities to maintain access to sanitary sewer systems and assets such as manholes and gravity lines.

The project is prioritized by the current condition of easements and determining the urgency of access to the sanitary sewer assets within an easement.

“Clearing these easements allows us to access and locate our sanitary sewer assets and helps protect them from damage caused by trees, limbs and vegetation overgrowth,” said project engineer Tiffany Currie.

There are 394,486 linear feet of easements that need to be cleared, according to the city.

The project is funded through water utility bonds.

The Tyler City Council on Wednesday also recognized employees for their years of service:

I cover local government in East Texas for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. I’m from East Texas and love getting to report on the area I grew up in. Texas A&M University former student. If you have story ideas email me at mmcham@tylerpaper.com

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