Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wastewater Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City hires Black & Veatch to study wastewater plant replacement; staff may defer some equipment replacements pending results
Summary
Leavenworth staff hired Black & Veatch to evaluate a potential new wastewater treatment facility on the existing site and to identify which plant components could be avoided or deferred if a new plant is built; staff warned commissioners that project timing affects capital decisions already shown in the CIP.
City staff told commissioners they have hired engineering firm Black & Veatch to study design, cost and scope for building a new wastewater treatment facility on the existing site and to identify which scheduled replacements at the existing plant could be deferred or avoided.
The study matters because the city’s five‑year CIP currently lists numerous replacements and upgrades at the wastewater plant (trickling filters, switchgear, pumps, lift-station equipment). Staff said Black & Veatch’s report—expected in early fall—will indicate which assets must be maintained and which could be excluded if the city decides to build a new treatment facility, potentially reducing near‑term capital spending and borrowing needs.
Roberta (staff member) and wastewater staff reviewed the current CIP items: staff said some systems (for example, trickling-filter number 1) may be obsolete under modern nutrient‑based treatment approaches and that the HDR assessment recommended extensive replacement of aging equipment. Roberta said that if the city decides to build a new plant, funds currently earmarked for replacing existing components could be redirected to new‑plant costs, lowering the amount the city would have to borrow.
Staff emphasized timing: the Black & Veatch study was described as delivering near-term guidance that will affect 2026 decisions. Commissioners were told that many of the plant’s components are aged and that continuing to replace them without a firm decision on a new plant risks spending money on infrastructure the city might not use.
Staff also presented several specific line items in the sewer fund CIP—manhole and sewer-line rehabilitation, pump replacements, backup generators for lift stations, CCTV camera truck, and replacement jetter/flush truck—while noting that the overall sewer capital reserves include ARPA funds set aside for projects that have not been completed.
Staff said they will return with Black & Veatch findings and suggested the commission consider the study outcomes before committing to large plant-replacement expenditures.
