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Utilities outline multi‑year water and wastewater work; WPC Contract 2 awarded at $348 million
Summary
Utilities staff briefed the committee on wastewater plant Contract 2 (original award $348,000,000), PFAS sampling funded via an SRF forgivable loan, and plans to phase Northwest Water Treatment Plant capacity from current ~25 MGD to an ultimate 80 MGD.
Dave Wallace, speaking for the Utilities Department, updated the Infrastructure Committee on major water and wastewater capital projects.
Wallace described the Wastewater Plant Contract 2 improvements as a multi‑year construction program. "While the award cost was $348,000,000 we have been working hard on value engineering to remove about $35,000,000 from the project," he said, and added that a series of change orders will come to council in the coming months.
On emerging contaminants, Wallace said the city’s PFAS study is funded by a forgivable loan through the SRF program. "A first round of sampling and analysis is complete and a second round of sampling and analysis will begin soon," he said, adding the study’s goal is to identify potential treatment options if PFAS becomes regulated.
Wallace outlined water system planning as well: staff are designing a phased expansion of the Northwest Water Treatment Plant, from current capacity near 20–25 million gallons per day to a first phase of 40 MGD and an ultimate capacity of 80 MGD. He said design for the first phase is nearly 30% complete and construction of that phase is planned to begin in fiscal year 2028.
Other items noted included ongoing clarifier and dissolved air flotation improvements, replacement of limestone filter media at the Northwest plant, construction of additional collector wells with ongoing hydrogeological site investigation, and new pressure monitors and hydrants in the McLeod Run watershed to improve leak detection and response.
Wallace also reminded the committee of compliance work tied to newly issued lead and copper rules: completion of a service line replacement plan, expanded tap sampling, and inventory work to reduce the number of unknown service line materials ahead of the November 2027 deadlines. He said policy items will be brought back to the committee for consideration.
Committee members did not take additional formal action at the meeting; staff will return with change orders and policy recommendations as projects advance.
