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Anacortes hires Brown and Caldwell for $299,000 study of wastewater incinerator and biosolids options
Summary
The council authorized a $299,000 contract with Brown and Caldwell to inspect the city's aging sewage sludge incinerator, analyze costs under federal rules and, if needed, evaluate alternatives to incineration in a second phase.
The Anacortes City Council on Feb. 10 approved a $299,000 contract with Brown and Caldwell to evaluate the city's wastewater treatment plant incinerator and to plan biosolids alternatives if rehabilitation is not the best path.
The vote to authorize the mayor to sign the contract carried (Moulton, Hubig, Fantini, Young, Walters voting yes; motion by Fantini, second by Walters; roll call indicated passage).
Public works staff said the city operates a sewage sludge incinerator (brought online in 1992) and currently incinerates 100% of the city's biosolids. The plant produces roughly 2 dry tons of biosolids per day, staff said. The incinerator is aging; staff estimates the capital rebuild could cost several million dollars and noted age-related shutdowns have occurred.
The Brown and Caldwell engagement is structured in two stages with distinct notices to proceed:
- Stage 1 ($113,600): physical and operational inspection of the incinerator, a financial analysis that considers the "50%" repair/replace threshold in federal emissions rules, a technical memorandum on rehabilitation options, and an incinerator bypass plan in case the unit must be taken offline.
- Stage 2 ($185,400): if stage 1 does not produce a clear case to rehabilitate, Brown and Caldwell will perform alternatives planning for biosolids management (assessing technologies and approaches, eliminating infeasible options, and running a multi‑criteria decision analysis). The full engagement is expected to take about one year if both stages proceed.
Staff said the "50%" threshold they referenced relates to federal air rules (discussed in the meeting as 40 CFR part 60 and the SSI rule promulgated in 2017) and to potential Title V permitting implications: if capital expenses exceed the regulatory threshold, the facility could be considered a new source and face stricter standards.
Council discussed the likely paths forward and the importance of stakeholder input; staff said they expected Brown and Caldwell to consult with industry experts and referenced consultants who have worked on similar projects for other Washington cities (Vancouver and Bellingham were mentioned as other utilities that have faced similar choices). The study will be used to guide a capital decision that could appear in a future budget.
The motion approved: “Authorize the mayor to sign contract 25-052-SEW-001 with Brown and Caldwell in the amount of $299,000 to perform the wastewater treatment plant incinerator evaluation and solids system planning.”
