Dirt may not be turned until 2009, but Bowling Green Municipal Utilities is moving forward with securing funding for a wastewater treatment plant expansion.

The project, which could cost up to $40 million, will provide service for BGMU and allow the Warren County Water District to expand sewer service to its customers.

“We don’t have any real firm numbers on the project yet, but we wanted to at least get the process started to apply to (the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority),” said Mark Iverson, BGMU’s general manager.

The Barren River Area Development District earlier in the week gave its OK for the project to move forward in seeking the funding.

The utility will apply for a loan from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, the debt service for which would be shared on a cost-benefit basis by each utility.

Iverson said sewer rates would probably need to be increased, but that won’t happen until repayment on the loan begins once the project is complete.

“So that is many years away,” he said.

Warren County Water District Manager Alan Vilines said the plans for the sewer plant expansion were based on a facilities plan recommendation of a joint committee of the utilities.

“That was just approved by the state in the spring,” he said.

With the wastewater plant already treating about 80 percent of its 10 million gallon a day capacity, the utilities looked at several options, including building a new plant across the county. After a public outcry, the decision was made to expand the existing plant on Preston Avenue.

Gresham, Smith and Partners of Nashville will deliver a report in February on alternatives for the plant – whether it will be best to expand the plant’s treatment capacity from 10 million gallons a day to 12 million, with the potential for further expansion to 15 million, or do it all at once, Iverson said.

“One of the things we are faced with right now is changing treatment standards,” Iverson said.

Tighter standards on certain aspects of the effluent from the plant could force changes in the treatment process.

Iverson said the architect engineers will suggest treatment alternatives and have the project “about 30 percent engineered” in February.

“The next part of the work would be to engage someone … to finish the design to the point of construction drawings and take the project out to bid. It would take another nine months to finish out drawings,” he said. “It would probably be ’09 before bids and construction.”

Iverson said major utility projects such as this one take a long time to come to fruition.

It would likely take about 18 months for construction.

Vilines said the project will allow the water district to expand service to areas already densely populated and those expected to grow.

“We will put interceptor sewers in those areas and allow developers to (install sewer lines) and connect to it,” Vilines said.

Vilines said it’s not practical to expect that sewer service, even eventually, would be available to the entire county.

One previously unserved area – Plano – will have sewer service available in January.

The interceptor sewer runs from Basil Griffin Park, parallel to the Natcher Parkway and under Interstate 65 and continues across Plano Road, Vilines said.

The $2 million project allowed the water district to install a 20-inch sewer main and large pumping station and an 8-inch forced main.

A small part of the expansion is already serving the new Plano Elementary School and a couple of new developments, but the rest of the project is not yet online.

Vilines said with the plans to expand the sewer plant, the Natcher Parkway system could serve thousands.

“That is just one example of the types of projects we would like to do,” Vilines said.

The Warren County Water District has identified 17 growth areas to which it could eventually provide sewer service for.

Those areas are:

1. Lovers Lane-Cemetery Road area

2. North Kentucky Trimodal Transpark and environs

3. South Kentucky Trimodal Transpark and environs

4. Olde Stone development area

5. Plano corridor

6. South side of Natcher Parkway area

7. Morgantown Road area

8. Oakland area

9. North side of Natcher Parkway area

10. Rich Pond and environs

11. Russellville Road corridor

12. Smiths Grove South area

13. Mt. Olivet Road area

14. Veterans Memorial Boulevard area

15. Matlock Road area

16. Smallhouse Road area

17. Brookwood Drive area