By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Okarche Mayor Jeff Sadler has responded to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality regarding plans for future water treatment.
Okarche water has been cited for having high levels of nitrates. Maximum levels of nitrates have been reported in the water for about 20 years. A DEQ consent order requires Okarche to notify residents of high levels of nitrates.
Plans have been discussed to make improvements with the water treatment system in Okarche.
In February, town trustees voted to raise the water rates.
Citing the need to generate enough revenue to cover the costs of the water system, and the need to build a plant to treat water, trustees increased the minimum monthly water bill to $30 a month from what had been a minimum of $21.34 a month for residents.
The increase should generate about $50,000 a year, Mayor Jeff Sadler said at the time.
The Okarche Town Trustees met on Monday, Nov. 15, a week earlier than the normal monthly meeting due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Town trustees on Nov. 15 considered authorization of the mayor to execute response letter to ODEQ letter concerning water treatment plant deadlines, according to an agenda.
Trustees approved the item at the meeting to authorize the mayor’s response.
In a letter to the Department of Environmental Quality, Mayor Jeff Sadler reported a deadline in a consent order was not met due to the long negotiation time for acquiring land suitable for a new water treatment facility.
“In addition, for many years, the ODEQ has been interested in finding solutions to the nitrate problems for rural water customers in the area of Okarche’s water rights, including but not limited to those customers using water from Okarche Rural Water District, Inc. This interest has been discussed in meetings with the ODEQ that our attorney and engineer have attended,” Sadler wrote in a letter to DEQ.
“After entering into the Amended Consent Order, the Town devoted its efforts to forge an agreement with this district, and even negotiated a water purchase agreement, which was ultimately deleted in large part due to the need of the Town to timely finalize the site acquisition,” Sadler continued.
“Due to the partnership with the district created by locating the water plant site on their property pursuant to a long-term lease, it is my opinion that other agreements can be reached to solve the ODEQ’s concern. It is quite difficult and a long-term process for municipalities to reach agreements with rural water districts, or so says our attorney. This process resulted in delay of all subsequent activities for planning and design. We should also note that COVID-19, in its Delta form, made a major comeback and delayed the process. Since acquiring the land, survey and geotechnical sampling have been completed and preliminary design is nearing completion.”
The letter states a new schedule was submitted to DEQ to meet the deadlines of a consent order.
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