Council approves $132,844 contract for water treatment plant intake pump station assessment

The Anacortes City Council authorized staff to execute a contract with HDR Engineering not to exceed $132,844 to perform a condition assessment of the water treatment plant intake pump station, a structure built in the early 1970s that staff said is a critical component of the plant.

Terry Nemeth, water system manager, said the intake station is the “lifeblood” of the water treatment plant. While pumps have been replaced in recent years, Nemeth said the structure itself has not been comprehensively assessed for deficiencies. The contract will fund inspection work, diagnostics and recommendations to identify structural issues and other single points of failure.

Councilmember Walters noted the city had previously increased redundancy by installing a raw water pipeline, but described the intake structure as a remaining single point of failure. Nemeth said crews are concerned about a developing crack at the ramp approach and that detailed civil and architectural information is limited; the assessment is intended to confirm whether the structure is moving and to identify needed repairs or redundancy measures.

Council approved the contract on a motion by Miss Moulton, seconded by Mister Young; the vote was unanimous. Nemeth and councilmembers said addressing identified single points of failure and planning for vehicle and equipment lead times would be priorities as staff advance recommended work.