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Improvement Projects Moving Forward at Wastewater Treatment Plant

With aerator replacement underway, other key projects will begin soon

It’s been a busy year at the Ernest E. Jones Wastewater Treatment Plant, where the $8.9 million aerator rehab project is well underway and other major upgrades are set to begin soon.

Construction crews started working on the aerator rehab on June 2, and the design phase of the headworks and clarifier improvement project is about 80% complete. In November, crews will start rehabbing the influent lift station.

“We’re making progress to modernize the treatment plant and increase its capacity to serve a growing Starkville,” said Mary Williams, Starkville Utilities’ capital projects manager. “We’re also working closely with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to ensure that all plant processes remain in compliance with state and federal requirements.”

The $22 million project is part of a long-term plan based on evaluations of Starkville’s water and wastewater systems. The project qualified for funding assistance from the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure grant program and the American Rescue Plan Act.

The project includes improvements to all major phases of the wastewater treatment process:

• The influent lift station receives all wastewater from the city of Starkville, Mississippi State University and East Oktibbeha Wastewater District and pumps it to the treatment plant.
• As the initial intake structure, the headworks includes screens, filters and similar components that remove large debris and grit from water entering the plant.
• Water then flows to oxidation ditches where aerators evenly distribute oxygen, which fosters microbial growth to break down organic material and help remove solids.
• Next in the process are clarifiers, which are large settling tanks where suspended solids in the water sink to the bottom as sludge.

Starkville Utilities also upgraded the plant’s electrical infrastructure to improve operator safety and ensure backup power is available for essential processes.

All improvements are scheduled for completion by 2027. In the meantime, the plant is equipped to effectively treat the city’s wastewater, which is sampled regularly to ensure compliance with MDEQ guidelines.

“For nearly 50 years, the wastewater treatment plant has been a critical part of the city’s infrastructure,” said Edward Kemp, general manager, Starkville Utilities. “These improvements will ensure that it operates reliably for the next 50 years, providing a valuable service for our customers while benefiting the environment.”

Starkville Utilities is a municipally owned and operated electric and water utility, serving more than 14,000 residences, businesses and industries in Starkville as well as the state’s largest institution of higher learning, Mississippi State University.