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Sedro-Woolley approves first-phase wastewater plant design amendment; full rebuild estimated at $60 million
Summary
Council authorized a $559,938 contract amendment (bringing the consultant—ontract to $1,241,638) to proceed with the first design phase for a wastewater treatment plant upgrade. Staff said the full project is currently estimated at about $60 million and that preliminary grant funding of roughly $1.25 million is in hand.
Sedro-Woolley council members voted to authorize a contract amendment with the engineering consultant to begin the first design phase of a planned wastewater treatment plant upgrade.
Public Works staff said the overall upgrade is a multi-phased project with a current estimated construction cost of about $60 million. The facility planning and initial design are estimated at roughly $2.2 million to $2.5 million. At the meeting staff said the city has secured approximately $1.25 million in grant funding to support design work and that staff will apply for further funding through the Public Works Board; part of that program includes partial loan forgiveness in some allocations.
Bill (public works staff) outlined the amendment that authorizes up to $559,938 for the immediate design phase, increasing the consultant's total contract amount to $1,241,638. "The overall design of the wastewater treatment plant is estimated to be about 2.2 to $2.3 million," the city's representative said. He also described the full project cost: "the estimated cost right now is $60 million." Staff said the $1.25 million currently in hand will fund work through 2026, and an additional $1 million request to the Public Works Board is planned for the next funding cycle.
Council members pressed on schedule and resiliency. Staff explained the design will include measures to raise mechanical equipment and clarify compartmentalization so components are individually flood-redundant; a separate flood protection/revetment application will be pursued through targeted grant programs. The upgrade is intended to roughly double the facility—apacity (from about 2 million to 4 million gallons per day) and to extend the useful life of the treatment system by decades.
Action and funding context: Council authorized the contract amendment by voice vote and directed staff to continue pursuing grant funding and to return with subsequent contract amendments as additional design phases are funded. Staff said the city's preliminary funding model currently assumes a mix of grants and loans and that maximizing grant dollars will reduce the cost pressure on ratepayers.
Next steps: the consultant will complete the facility plan (feasibility study and alternatives analysis), refine cost estimates and a funding plan, and the city will pursue the next tranche of funding in October (Public Works Board) to continue design into 2027.
