By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Jemison City Council received a favorable score on its Municipal Water Pollution Prevention report for 2018.

The report was presented by Grady Parson of Living Water Services during the Feb. 4 meeting of the council.

A score of 24 was given to the wastewater system, based on the age of the system.

Parson said the lower the number on the report, the better.

All categories for the report not dealing with the age of the system were given zeros.

“The fact that there are zeros in all of the other columns means that the treatment facility for 2018 was outstanding,” Parson said.

The Jemison City Council approved the report to be submitted to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

ADEM requires this report to be completed on an annual basis.

Parson said the report requirements and format have remained the same for several years.

“Mr. Parson, … we want to thank you for the work that your firm did in maintaining such a fastidious and precise operation … that has kept this city out of harm’s way with ADEM,” Mayor Eddie Reed said.

During 2018, a filter was added to the treatment plant to address issues related to a settlement reached with ADEM based on regulatory action required of Jemison in 2009.

“One of the costly elements for the wastewater plant is the chemicals that we use, treating for phosphorus primarily,” Parson said.

The new filter is expected to save the city money on these chemicals.

“We are looking at reducing the chemicals purchase just for phosphorus by 50 percent,” Parson said.

Additional chemicals that are used to increase alkalinity are expected to be decreased by 30 to 40 percent.

Reed, city administrator Shannon Welch and Parson have met with State Sen. Cam Ward about applying for a debt forgiveness of $600,000. Whether or not the state will approve all or a portion of the request was unknown during the meeting.

The Council also passed a proclamation honoring the Jemison High School FFA and designating Feb. 18-23 as FFA week.

A proclamation in recognition of the Jemison Lions Club Blackberry Queens was also approved.