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City advances reclaimed-water reservoir project after nesting birds slow early work
Summary
City staff updated the Parks and Public Works Committee on construction of a 470,000-gallon reclaimed-water reservoir at Ridge Street and Eagle Lake Drive, reporting secured state funding and a delayed schedule and anticipated change order tied to protected bird nests discovered on site.
City engineers said construction of a 470,000-gallon reservoir and associated reclaimed-water distribution improvements at Ridge Street and Eagle Lake Drive is underway and remains on track for completion before June 30, 2026, despite recent delays caused by protected bird nests.
The project, presented to the Parks and Public Works Committee by Andrew Vining, will store Class A reclaimed water for irrigation and connect to a new pump station and an extended Class A transmission main, conserving potable supplies. Vining said the city has received $8,600,000 in state Ecology funding that has been informally increased to $9,100,000 and that a contractor, Prospect Construction, mobilized at the site in early June.
Committee members were told the project advanced from a 2023 draft engineering report and siting study that evaluated six potential sites; the final report has been approved by the state Department of Ecology, and plans, specifications and land acquisition for the Eagle Lake Drive/Ridge Street site are complete.
Work on the reservoir has included site clearing and initial grading; Vining described the reservoir as a cast-in-place concrete tank whose construction will involve a concrete foundation, on-site panel erection, rebar and concrete spray work. He also said crews have started extending the Class A main in the BPA (Bonneville Power Administration) easement and that low power lines have made trenching more challenging.
In May, pre-mobilization surveys identified two on-site nests — a crow nest and a northern flicker nest. Because state funding requires environmental compliance, staff followed a migratory-bird compliance plan and consulted with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Ecology’s environmental reviewers. Vining said an initial 150-foot buffer was narrowed to a 50-foot buffer around the nests after consultation; crews monitored the nests weekly until the birds fledged and resumed work adjacent to the buffered area.
Vining told the committee the bird-related work interruptions are expected to have a material cost impact; contractors have proposed six-figure claims for delay costs, and staff anticipate bringing a change order to council in September related to the bird impacts. He said the city is working with contractors and consultants to reduce that cost and that Fish and Wildlife has provided documentation and offered to brief the council if needed.
Vining listed other ongoing issues: long-lead electrical gear (including a transformer) and the constraints of working near BPA power lines. He said Prospect Construction has processed more than 60 submittals and remains confident they can meet the June 2026 completion target. He also said construction will pause for one week for the Boeing Classic event at the adjacent golf course, during which crews will not operate on-site.
The city has posted a QR code at the project site that links to a project page with quarterly updates, Vining said. He encouraged stakeholders to use that page for questions and said the reservoir and distribution improvements will allow continued use of Class A reclaimed irrigation water once commissioned.
No formal council action was taken during the committee briefing; Vining said the next formal step will likely be the September change-order request to council tied to bird-related costs.
