Dayton regional wastewater plant stalls

DAYTON - Work on a new sewer treatment facility is stalled while Lyon County officials work out differences with developers.

Concerned with the quality of proposed process tanks, on April 26 Lyon County issued a stop order to Stanton Park Development to cease work on the Rolling A sewer treatment project.

County officials met with representatives from Stanton Park and Rolling A on May 24. Following the meeting, County Engineer Dan O'Brien said all sides appear to be working together to resolve concerns and that modifications to existing plans will be submitted to the state.

"We have agreed to work with Rolling A and Stanton Park's engineers in doing a modification to the plant to get a little more time to look at the total regional design and get a more permanent type plant constructed there," O'Brien said.

"It was a good meeting. Everyone hashed out their problems and we were able to come up with a direction we are going with this. The important thing is, we are all working together."

Commenting earlier on the red tagging of the project, O'Brien said the proposed tanks are of thin, galvanized steel.

"We would like to see them constructed of cement. We want this to be a permanent facility with expansion capabilities. We don't want to have to tear it down in a few years."

In October 1999, an agreement was reached between the county, Stanton Park development and owners of the Rolling A Ranch to build a regional wastewater treatment facility on a 12-acre site owned by the Rolling A.

On approval of the agreement, the Rolling A donated the necessary easements and the site to the county. Stanton Park agreed to build two phases of the treatment plant, with a capacity of 100 residential units.

The sewer line from Stanton's property on the north side of Highway 50 to the Rolling A site along river road has been completed. Earthwork on the holding ponds had just begun when the stop work order was issued.

In addition to Stanton Park homes and other development along Highway 50 east of Dayton, the plant will eventually serve up to 850 new homes on Rolling A property.