The initial steps in providing assistance to the Village of Eagle Nest involved meeting with Village staff to identify the needs of the wastewater system. Subsequent assistance included applications for funding to address the needs of the Village.
With funding from NMED and DFA/CDBG secured, the next step was the preparation of the Design Summary Report. The purpose of this document is to provide an evaluation of the existing wastewater collection and treatment system and to identify necessary upgrades and improvements required to comply with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Discharge Permit regulations while providing reliable wastewater service for a twenty years period.
The proposed improvements for the collection and treatment system mainly included the expansion of the centralized collection system and the addition of facilities to provide adequate storage and/or disposal at the treatment plant.
The first phase of improvements utilizing the appropriation from NMED, as well as federal funding from DFA/CDBG, involved the reconstruction of one lift station and the construction of a second new lift station. During construction the flow from the entire Village was diverted to an abandoned lagoon site while the primary lift station was removed from service and reconstructed. Due to the limited capacity of this facility, the project required careful monitoring by the Village, Contractor, and our project representative to assure that the facilities did not overflow into Eagle Nest Lake.
Utilizing several NMED appropriations, and funding from CDBG a second phase, entailing the construction of gravity sanitary sewer lines at the lagoon treatment site, installation of new aerators, construction of a simplex pump station and controls for a disinfection/recirculation system, installation of aerators, and mass grading and leveling of a 5-acre land application disposal site.
The third phase of the wastewater system
improvements was funded with $600,000 representing 100% federal monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to include the expansion of lagoon #4, final preparations of a land application area, new monitoring wells and construction of the new lagoon cell #6. Both lagoons were lined utilizing approximately 120,000 square feet of Geomembrane liner.
Additionally we assisted the Village with the funding applications for the installation of two 80KW emergency backup generators at the two lift station sites. They were awarded CDBG funding and we assisted with design and construction observation to complete the installation of the emergency generators.