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Mount Angel staff estimate $2.6M for wastewater lagoon dredging; landfill disposal recommended
Summary
City staff told the council an initial estimate to dredge Mount Angel's wastewater lagoons is about $2.6 million and recommended landfilling the sludge, with a 20% contingency advised; councilors questioned solids percentages, potential for land application and funding timing.
City staff updated the Mount Angel City Council on May 10 about options and cost estimates for dredging the city's wastewater lagoons, saying the planning-level price is roughly $2,600,000 and recommending landfilling as the currently most suitable disposal method.
The presentation noted the estimate excludes contingencies, and staff recommended the council budget an additional 20% for contingencies to cover unknowns at this early stage, which would bring the planning-level budget to about $3.2 million. "It is estimated that the project will cost approximately $2,600,000," a staff speaker said during the meeting. Councilors and staff discussed how contingency levels typically decrease as specifications and testing are completed; one official described 20% as a reasonable early-stage allowance that can be reduced as scope is refined.
Councilors pressed staff on the solids percentages used to compute hauling and disposal costs. Staff and consultants cited sample results showing variable solids by weight across sites; one council member noted that laboratory and dewatering methods affect the percentage and thus the projected tonnage and hauling expense. An elected official who identified himself during the meeting said, "20% is what I carry on projects of this size when I'm not sure what the final method's going to be," explaining that contingency assumptions are standard practice until bids and final specifications are available.
The council also discussed whether land application (spreading biosolids on farmland) might be cheaper than landfilling. Staff noted the report references the EPA's general preference for land application for environmental benefits but flagged two constraints: the availability of nearby farmland willing to accept biosolids and uncertainty about sludge quality (including the potential presence of plastic particles from macerators). "Concern has been raised about the availability of farmland in the area given that many landowners in the area are under contract with the city of Salem for their biosolids management program," a staff speaker said. That passage in the staff report also warned that foreign objects in the sludge could make land application infeasible.
On funding, staff said the sewer fund holds about $2,750,000 now but does not yet include a contingency allocation; the plan discussed at the meeting was to use current-year funds and next fiscal-year sewer revenue as needed. No formal project contract or bid was approved at the meeting; staff characterized the materials as a research document and said detailed specifications and testing results would be prepared before going to bid.
Next steps: staff will complete testing and final scope/specifications, refine the quantity and method assumptions, and return to council with a project package and recommended procurement approach before soliciting bids.
