Josephine staff race to document wastewater upgrades after TCEQ notice; belt‑press proposed to cut dewatering time

City public works staff reported Feb. 28 that both Josephine wastewater treatment facilities have reached capacity thresholds that trigger planning, permit amendments and potential enforcement by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (referred to in the meeting as "TCQ").

Kirk and Jacob, operations and engineering staff, told council they have received a proposed agreed order that could include monetary penalties tied to out‑of‑permit discharges reported during construction and wet weather. They said the city has already begun construction to upsize both plants and will document contracts, invoices and supplemental environmental project paperwork to ask TCEQ to offset or waive fines because the required capital work is already in progress.

"We're in construction to improve the plant; we will show what we're spending," Jacob said, describing a typical dollar‑for‑dollar buy‑down process the agency sometimes allows when a locality demonstrates the expenditure addresses the same issue.

Separately, operations recommended changing the planned north‑plant dewatering device: staff said the originally specified screw press requires long continuous run times (they described effective processing stretches measured in many hours) and operator time that creates overtime exposure. A belt press would allow much faster dewatering — staff estimated the belt press could do in roughly four hours what the screw press takes far longer to accomplish — but installation would require building modifications, conveyors, and additional electrical work and carries an estimated incremental capital cost of about $500,000 beyond the current contract.

City engineers said they will provide a formal business case that quantifies operating‑cost savings (reduced overtime, power use, and haul‑away frequency) and a lead time estimate for procurement and installation. Staff also said TCEQ's internal coordination issues — different divisions reviewing construction plans vs. enforcement teams — have prolonged approvals and complicated the paperwork process.

What the city plans next: engineers will prepare documentation to submit to TCEQ explaining the ongoing upgrades, assemble a supplemental environmental project application to negotiate penalties, and return to council with a cost‑benefit analysis and timeline for the belt‑press option.

Why it matters: Formal enforcement or penalties could affect the city's wastewater budget; equipment choices also affect recurring operating costs and staff workloads. Council members asked for receipts and contracts to support the mitigation request to TCEQ and asked staff to return with a clear payback analysis for the belt press.