WENATCHEE, Wash. — City of Wenatchee staff on Aug. 22 described plans for a Pershing Street stormwater retrofit that would add underground infiltration trenches, replace aging water main pipe and route treated runoff to a 42-inch storm main at Maple Street.

The project, identified as city project 2104, is funded primarily by a Washington Department of Ecology grant that will cover 85% of construction costs; the city will pay the remaining 15% from stormwater utility rates, Utility Project Manager Darcy Ronning said. "We're very grateful for those projects," she said of the Ecology funding.

City staff told neighborhood attendees the work will treat runoff from the roughly 55-acre Pershing Street basin before it reaches the Columbia River and the neighborhood's No. 1 canyon drain. Engineers plan about 2,000 linear feet of new pipe and a series of best-management practices, with infiltration trenches as the primary treatment method. Ronning said the city designs for a 10-year storm event, "which is approximately a 100 cubic feet per second at urban stormwater." The retrofit also includes replacing a 1956 cast-iron water main with new ductile iron pipe where crews will already be digging.

Ronning outlined the construction schedule and community impacts. The city anticipates bidding the job in late fall, with construction to begin in spring (as early as February if weather allows, or as late as April after heavy snow). Work is expected to take about 12–14 weeks; staff also said elsewhere in the meeting that some estimates put disruption at 14–16 weeks. During construction, streets will be closed in sections, contractors will use trench boxes and heavy equipment, and residents should expect noise, occasional dust and possible temporary water service interruptions. Ronning said the city usually provides 48–72 hours notice for planned shutdowns but noted emergency repairs may occur with shorter notice.

The project design favors infiltration trenches and below-grade catch basins and will regrade Pershing Street to slope west toward the new facilities so runoff will be captured and treated before rejoining the storm system at Maple. Ronning showed examples of infiltration trenches and said that when complete, "you will not actually know that these are in the streets below" though residents will see construction effects while crews are working.

City staff described environmental and regulatory precautions. Because the area is marked high risk for cultural resources by the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, an archaeologist will be on site for all ground-disturbing work and an inadvertent discovery plan will be followed if artifacts are found. Permits cited for the project include the Construction General Stormwater Permit from Ecology, a hydraulic permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for canyon-drain work, and a stormwater pollution prevention plan. Ronning said the Army Corps of Engineers owns parts of the canyon drain and that the city has limited authority — city crews can clear debris in the right-of-way but cannot dredge or change channels on that federal property.

Staff reiterated traffic- and safety-related mitigations; they encouraged residents with speeding or safety concerns to contact the city’s transportation department so those matters can be evaluated separately. Ronning also said the city coordinated the project with its water utility rate study adopted in 2023, which included a 6% annual stormwater rate increase that began Jan. 24 and supports the city match. She cited present monthly stormwater rates of $17.54 per residence and an anticipated 2026 rate of $18.56.

During the online meeting, several residents asked about specific locations, driveway access, schedule details and how the project would interact with private culverts and irrigation infrastructure. City staff said work on private-property culverts is limited; one neighborhood drainage feature discussed lies on private property and was not included in the public-right-of-way project scope. Staff offered further one-on-one site visits and said project plans and maps (a 90% design) are available online and by request.

No formal votes or council decisions were taken at the outreach meeting; staff said next steps include finalizing the design, completing permitting, advertising the bid package in the fall and coordinating a preconstruction outreach package and additional public notices once a contractor is awarded.

Residents seeking more information were directed to Ronning for contact details, to the city’s YouTube channel and to posted plans on the city website.