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When it comes to a new county wastewater treatment plant, the time for waiting may be over.
Even though it could be next year before they receive a permit from the state Department of Ecology to place treated wastewater into the Spokane River, county officials plan to break ground on a new sewage plant early next month.
Bruce Rawls, director of Spokane County utilities, told the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that both the permit and a new threshold for effluent discharge levels into the river should be determined by spring of 2010.
If that should happen, little should get in the way of having the wastewater treatment facility go online near Trent and Freya in the fall of 2013, Rawls said.
“If there are no major hiccups, we’ll be moving ahead,” he said.
Rawls said he expected
The tentative date for the groundbreaking is June 4.
Also next month, the commissioners are planning on holding a public hearing on planned sewer rate increases that will reflect the cost of the $148 million treatment plant along with another $105 million in upgrades to the existing sewage system.
Much of that cost will depend on how the county will be allowed to discharge the treated wastewater. While the preferred method is send the effluent to the river, it’s possible that 2 million gallons per day could be used for recharging the aquifer. Other options include Inland Empire Paper using water from the plant for industrial uses or piping it to Saltese Flats for wetlands creation.
Rawls said the price tag for the last option, however, is steep: at least another $30 million on top of the other costs.
In other news Tuesday, the commissioners voted to offer payments up to $20,000 over 42 months to longtime county employees who decided to opt for early retirement. The move is intended to help cut down on payroll costs by giving an incentive for those eligible for retirement.
Employees who are thinking of taking the deal only have until June 30 to decide, however. They also must retire by July 31 of this year.
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By
Mike Huffman
