This water quality project represents the Authority’s initial step toward providing wholesale regional wastewater service in the Angelina & Neches River Basin. The North Angelina County Regional Wastewater Facility “the Facility”, was originally conceived in the early 1990s in an effort to address water quality issues in the Angelina River. Originally, the concept was to combine wastewater discharges from Central ISD and Idlewood Subdivision. The concept was shelved because of a lack of economies of scale and its effect on rates as well as other local factors.
In 1995, Central ISD was cited by the TCEQ for higher-than-normal wastewater flows and water quality violations as a result of a sharp increase in student population. The School District began work on upgrades to satisfy TCEQ. In the fall of 1998, the School District initiated a study to identify alternatives for wastewater treatment. The study identified three alternatives; upgrade of the existing wastewater facility, construct a new wastewater facility, or participate in a regional wastewater system.
At the request of Central ISD, the Authority revised its original plan and began to develop the project as a regional system. In December 2000, Central ISD, Idlewood W.C.I.D., and MHMR Lufkin State School were invited to participate in the North Angelina County Regional Wastewater Facility. The meeting eventually led to contract development and subsequently an agreement for cost effective wholesale wastewater service signed by all three participants.
In October 2001, The Authority’s Board of Directors approved a $3,100,000 loan agreement with the Texas Water Development Board for the purchase and upgrade of the newly constructed Idlewood W.C.I.D. treatment plant, and installation of a transmission line linking Central ISD and MHMR Lufkin State School back to the treatment facility located behind the Idlewood Subdivision. Following construction completion, Central ISD and MHMR closed their older & less effective treatment facilities.
The Facility combined the effluent discharges from the three existing facilities into one discharge with significantly higher water quality. The treatment facility is currently permitted to treat and discharge 370,000 gallons per day.
General Information
The Facility lies in the middle of a fifteen-acre site that includes a 150′ buffer zone, and an access road from the subdivision and a farm to market road. This treatment plant consists of two oxidation ditches, two clarifiers, one triplex variable speed RAS station, one twin basin chlorine contact chamber, two drying beds, and a housed 1.5-meter belt press.
Untreated sewage is collected and transmitted to the facility via a series of gravity flow transmission lines and lift stations. In total, there are over 5 miles of sewer lines collecting wastewater from points of entry from each participant.
The Wastewater Facility is currently permitted to discharge 370,000 gallons per day, with effluent limits for Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (CBOD) at 10mg/L, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) at 15mg/L, and Ammonia Nitrogen at 3.0mg/L. The discharge from this facility is consistently less than 5.0mg/L, 5.0mg/L, and 1.0mg/L, respectively.
The facility treats wastewater for an estimated 3,000 people on a full-time basis, and 2,000 more on a part-time basis. The community served by the facility is primarily residential with light commercial establishments scattered throughout the Idlewood W.C.I.D. service area. The Authority estimates having to implement phase III upgrades within 5 to 10 years.
Retail Customer Service Information
All retail sewer service is provided by Idlewood W.C.I.D. (the District). The District provides both residential and commercial services. All applications for service, monthly payments, and miscellaneous fees should be made to the District’s office at the following address:
Idlewood W.C.I.D.
732 Edgewood
Lufkin, Texas 75904
Phone: 936-637-6832
Participants
Central ISD
The District traces its origins to five small schools in the Pollok-Central area. A new building, housing the five schools that form the Central Consolidated School District, was opened in 1929. Additional schools merged with Central Consolidated in 1939-1940. In 1955, Central converted from a common to an Independent School District.
Central ISD, the geographic summit of Angelina County, is a school that envisions educational excellence for East Texas. It strives to prepare productive citizens who can think critically, have the marketable skills necessary to function successfully and have a strong sense of self-worth by providing a comprehensive, quality curriculum in an environment conducive to learning, delivered by caring, competent, dedicated, professional staff.
Providing a strong educational foundation and extra-curricular activities for students in the Northwestern part of Angelina County, Central ISD has played a significant role in the County’s educational history.
For more information about Central ISD, please visit their website at www.centralisd.com.
Idlewood Water Control & Improvement District
Idlewood Subdivision was created by a local developer in the early 1970s, as a residential development with 500 lots. The subdivision was served by a small package sewer plant initially capable of serving approximately 200 homes. The Idlewood Property Owners Association (the Association) was created in 1980, in an effort to protect and maintain the characteristics of the subdivision.
In the early 1990s, the developer was under pressure by the then Texas Water Commission because of operational deficiencies associated with the wastewater treatment plant to make upgrades to the treatment plant. In the mid 1990s, the Association began negotiations with the developer to purchase the antiquated wastewater system. In 1992, the Association purchased the system for $ 150,000.00. Plans to upgrade the facility began immediately.
The Association was instrumental in the creation of Idlewood Water Control & Improvement District (the District). The District’s service area included the Idlewood and Briar Village subdivisions. The District obtained a loan from the Texas Water Development Board in the amount of 1.6 million dollars. The proceeds from the loan were used to construct a new wastewater facility and to perform collection system improvements, both of which were completed in 1998.
For more information about Idlewood W.C.I.D., please visit their website at www.idlewoodwcid.com.
Lufkin State Supported Living Center
Established in 1962, Lufkin State Supported Living Center is a 24-hour residential facility for approximately 430 people who have mental retardation with varying degrees of abilities and disabilities. Approximately one-half of the consumers require mobility assistance. Some consumers require 24-hour nursing care due to medical conditions, while others require intensive intervention to address behavioral challenges. Many live semi-independently by working on-campus or in the local community, and by enjoying quality of life activities of their choice. The people who live at Lufkin State School range in age from 14 to 90 years old. Lufkin State School is truly their home. Every effort is made to provide services with as few restrictions as possible.
For more information about Lufkin State Supported Living Center, please visit their website at Lufkin State Supported Living Center.