Presently, the sewage is disinfected by the addition of chlorine. When the new system is completed, waste will be treated with ultraviolet light. City Manager Russell W. Blake said that this system will not only be less expensive for the town but will be safer, too.
The state is urging towns to use a method of disinfectant other than chlorine so that the chemical can be eliminated from the Chesapeake Bay, Blake said.
Once the new plant upgrade is completed, Pocomoke City will have a "state-of-the-art plant, as good as or better than any on the bay," Blake said. He said that the Pocomoke City system is one of 33 plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed governed by a stricter set of regulations. The costs of the upgrade should be almost 100 percent covered by state and federal grants, he said.
An additional bandstand at Cypress Park is another town project expected to be covered by state funding. The addition is planned to include restrooms and a concession stand for use during functions on the bandstand.
Blake said plans include a sound system on the bandstand that would require the town to purchase an amplifier, microphones and speakers as well as other equipment. B&B Sound Design proposed to supply the system at a cost of $8,633. The expenditure was approved by the council and is also expected to be covered by state funding.
Another project in the pipeline is an addition to the ambulance garage. The town has three ambulances but only has space for two in the headquarters building. The addition would make room for the third ambulance as well as extra room for storage. The cost of this building would be about $100,000, of which $50,000 will be covered by a grant.
