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Utilities staff warn water and wastewater capacity will constrain growth without capital projects
Summary
Utilities staff told council Wenatchee relies on a single East Bank Aquifer source with pumps that recently failed, warned the aquifer will reach capacity by 2036, and said the wastewater plant is approaching 85% capacity; they outlined prioritized projects, grant wins and proposed digester and treatment upgrades.
Utilities staff summarized aging systems and capacity pressures across water, sewer, stormwater and wastewater treatment and tied those constraints to the comprehensive-plan growth forecast.
Water: Staff said the regional water service is currently fed by one source — the East Bank Aquifer — and reported multiple pump failures in recent years. "By 2036 we'll essentially be at capacity, at our East Bank Aquifer," staff said, and listed plans to develop a new Douglas County well field and a surface water treatment plant as potential solutions.
Sewer and wastewater: Collections crews are conducting trenchless pipelining and targeted repairs but staff noted system vulnerability in the older commercial core. At the wastewater treatment plant staff reported the digesters and solids-handling systems recently reached higher utilization and the plant is approximately "85% capacity," requiring solids-handling and secondary-treatment upgrades.
Stormwater and projects: Staff highlighted award-winning infiltration work on 9th Street (largely grant-funded) and said other one‑dig projects (Persian water main, Roosevelt) bundle water, sewer and stormwater work to improve efficiency. Staff also said some projects (Euclid sewer main) are tied to CHIP grants to extend sewer service to underserved areas.
Funding and constraints: Staff explained that many capital needs exceed grant eligibility and that construction costs have risen, shrinking the purchasing power of traditional grant programs. They noted that some fee waivers for affordable projects must be backfilled by CHIP or general fund dollars under state law.
Council response and next steps: Councilors praised staff coordination, emphasized unfunded mandates from state agencies and asked staff to consolidate council questions for a coordinated response. Staff said they will return with options on treatment-plant alternatives and continue to integrate utility projects into the draft comp plan and EIS.
