META —  Meta aldermen addressed a pressing matter at the board’s Feb. 12 meeting, approving the purchase of a septic tank at City Hall.

City Clerk Deidra Buechter told the board the toilet backed up several times over the previous two weeks, and on the day of the meeting, it was even worse. “Today, I flushed the toilet, and the septic came through the floor,” she said.

Buechter called Advanced Septic and Pumping (ASAP) of Jefferson City for a quote to install a 1,500-gallon holding-tank system.

The estimate for installation was $9,800, which would include excavation, tank placement, backfill, and soil compaction. Buechter said there is no way for ASAP to replace the tank in its current location. “They suggested putting in a 1500-gallon tank,” she explained. “There’s no room on the property for laterals, so this tank would have to be pumped each time it gets full. It would have an alarm system on it to let us know when it’s getting full.”

The proposed tank from ASAP will not have laterals — perforated pipes buried in a leach field (also called a drainfield or absorption field) that distribute treated wastewater (effluent) from a septic tank into the soil for natural filtration and disposal.

The tank would be placed at the edge of City Hall. “Nobody can drive on it, so I would suggest getting some of those big concrete blocks from Wieberg’s Red-E-Mix and just putting them around the perimeter,” said Buechter.

Helton asked why the existing tank could not be swapped with a new tank. Buechter explained that the location would require too much work on the hillside, and there’s no way to get machinery back there to initiate a replacement. Even a smaller excavation unit may run into trouble navigating the AC unit. Ironically, to securely reach the area, ASAP would need permission from the adjacent homeowner — Mayor Helton — to gain access through the property.

“We knew there wasn’t a whole lot of room between it and the property line,” Helton noted. “Any particular reason they want that big of a tank?”

“He asked about how much we ran through the tank, and I told him we were here two days a week, and that we had one meeting a month,” said Buechter. “He said that’s a good size to prevent us from having to have it pumped out every two to three months.”

Alderman Austin Buechter suggested the 1,500-gallon tank would only need to be emptied twice a year, which was an estimate the city clerk confirmed.

“He said the main concern would be when we have to take a water sample from here,” said Clerk Buechter. “That would be the largest amount going into it because you’re using about five gallons every time you flush the toilet. So, yeah, probably twice a year.”

“Unless we get a ton of water or something, but it shouldn’t leak into the septic tank,” Alderman Ott Wankum offered.

Alderman Buechter noted that a unit of that size was installed at his place of work. “They had to pour concrete piers and then pin it to them,” he added.

Similarly, ASAP would install two stainless steel straps to go across the tank and hold it down in concrete.

“When I had the one put up there at my house, I had a 1,500-gallon tank put in, and, knock on wood, I ain’t had an ounce of trouble with it, and only had to have it pumped twice since I’ve had it,” said Wankum. “My water escapes, though, too, and that makes a hell of a difference.”

“I think if it’s something we need, we might as well do it,” said Alderman Buechter. “We don’t have much of an option.”

Helton agreed. “We have to be able to use the facilities down here,” she said.

The mayor’s only real concern is whether the tank would be hit and damaged. “I worry about a semi running into it,” Helton said. “I think we all know that anything in town is subject to getting hit by something with a lot of wheels on it.”

Clerk Buechter acknowledged the concern but said the tank would only stick out about 4-5 feet from the building. “He’s going to get us as close to the building as he can, which will save us on pipe,” she said.

“Does he have to saw-cut the floor and put a whole new line in?” Alderman Buechter asked.

“No, he’s going to try to use the line that’s there,” Clerk Buechter replied.

Because the quote came in below $10,000, aldermen are not required to solicit bids for the project. The estimate noted that pumping costs would not be included in the installation price. Each pump-out of the tank would cost $475, and the contractor recommended establishing a hauling agreement for regular service. ASAP offers all tanks with a two-year pumping contract to guarantee the company’s work.

Aldermen voted to approve the estimate to replace the tank, plus the concrete blocks. The bathroom may need replacement tiles to mitigate mold, and perhaps either repairing the toilet or replacing it.

In related news, Clerk Buechter noted the aging chlorometer, used to test chlorine levels daily, needs replacement.

“Otto brought it to the office and said it wasn’t working,” she explained. “We replaced the batteries that did zilch for it. He cleaned out some of the corrosion from the battery. That made a little bit of a difference. We had a flashing light. He babied it. I think he talked to it, said a few prayers and held a seance over it, and got it to work for a little bit.”

It’s believed the instrument was purchased in 2012, but it could be a little older than that.

“This one is not reliable anymore,” Buechter said. “Otto says he takes the sample three or four times each day to make sure that it’s within just a tenth of a number from each of them. I’m afraid this sucker is going to quit, and we’re going to have a surprise inspection.”

“Let’s order it,” Wankum interjected.

Buechter added that to remain in compliance, a new chlorometer is a necessary purchase. “I’m not in any fear that we’re out of compliance because we’ve been doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing,” she noted. “We’ve gotten it to work, taking the sample every day as required. I just don’t want the day to come when it doesn’t work at all.”

“I envision that happening because even the numbers that come up aren’t as readable as they used to be,” Wankum said. “I mean, you can read them, but it’s losing something in it, and I have no idea what the hell it is.”

“Well, if you’re using it every day,” Mayor Ivie Helton noted. “It’s worked for 14 years, but I’m sure that life is at the end.”

Buechter told aldermen the city used another one for a while. “It’s much smaller, and was a lot cheaper,” she said, noting the unit was $90. “It was a lot more of a pain in the rump to use, but it lasted maybe a year and a half to two years before it shot craps.”

Aldermen agreed with the importance of the device and approved the purchase of a chlorometer at a sale price of $604.

FINANCIAL NEWS

• In her regular monthly financial report, Treasurer Karla Buechter noted income/deposits of $28,009.84 and debits of $17,255.19 for a balance on hand as of Feb. 27 totaling $637,919.29; the money market balance was $143.735.43, the CDBG balance was $98,808.58, and two certificates of deposit totaled $177,310.84, giving the city a total of $1,057,774.14 in all accounts.

• Aldermen opted to renew both CDs for seven months at an APR of 3.5%. A $50,000 instrument will be renewed, and the interest surplus of $1,036.22 will be deposited into the general account, along with $1,274.62 in interest from the $125,000 CD.

Other business will be presented next week.