Wasilla public works director updates commission on water interconnect, sludge upgrades and airport taxiway

Eric Shaw, Wasilla Public Works director, updated the Planning Commission on Oct. 14 about several major infrastructure projects that the city is advancing to increase system resiliency and support development. Shaw said the broad objective of the Wasilla–Palmer interconnect is to provide redundancy and resiliency for both cities’ water systems and to support higher-density development along connection corridors.

Shaw reported that design work for a Herman Road water main and a planned Herman Road water tower is underway and that pipe procurement and installation are planned for next spring. He said the city has digitized as-built drawings into a GIS and imported that data into a hydraulic model (KY Pipe) to forecast flows and support fire-flow planning for the fire marshal and development reviews.

Shaw described a coordinated hydrant flushing operation in downtown Wasilla that used model guidance. The model predicted target velocities and a flow of about 1,400 gallons per minute; crews achieved about 1,680 gpm and produced sustained brown-water flow for roughly 40 minutes, directing sediment-laden water to storm ponds without roadway flooding. "I was very happy to see that the model was living up to what we'd hoped for," Shaw said.

On sewer work, Shaw said the sludge-management project (identified in the meeting as roughly $5,600,000, per staff funding references) is about 65% complete; it includes larger digesters, screw presses for dewatering and a new control building. He said the city is designing the new system while keeping the existing system operational and plans to bring cost estimates and timelines to the council.

Shaw also described permitting progress for a proposed discharge into wetlands the city owns. He said the Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit was secured for the wetlands and that the next step is state DEC review and a 401 permit. The city’s consultants and staff are working to convince DEC to accept monitoring locations and to account for the natural peat-bog conditions (low dissolved oxygen) and wildlife-related fecal coliform; Shaw said the state’s standard testing framework has posed challenges for the proposed plan.

Shaw said staff will offer a well-testing program for neighbors near the plant and is pursuing additional property acquisitions or larger easements so the city can manage the discharge area without imposing ongoing burdens on private landowners.

On airport work, Shaw described negotiations to acquire parcels on the airport’s southwest edge to protect runway safety areas and prevent future subdivision that would conflict with glide-slope and obstacle-clearance requirements. He said the taxiway Kilo project has strong federal support: the FAA indicated up to $12 million in funding, and the city provided a roughly $4.1 million match per staff discussion; the contract low bid resulted in an ~$8.2 million construction cost and the city expects on-site work within months. The project will add apron/hangar/tie-down areas and support a later runway-extension case to the FAA, Shaw said.

Commissioners asked about capacity limits and growth. Shaw said water storage (the Herman Road tank and Richmond Hills booster) and planned water/sewer master plans, supported in part by state revolving funds, are intended to position the city for further growth; he said staff will pursue grant and loan funding and prepare ranked project lists for council consideration.

Shaw asked for council support for procurement and property work and said staff will bring detailed cost and timeline information to the council. He invited commissioners to upcoming public meetings (including a neighborhood sewer meeting) and emphasized coordination with the fire department, DEC and the Army Corps.