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Wastewater chief outlines $181M capital program, methane-to-energy plans and pipe-lining strategy
Summary
Wastewater director described FY27's $181M capital slate — odor control, oxygen-generation replacement and pumping-station projects — and said pipe lining and generator siting are reducing overflow risk; methane capture could offset about 20% of plant electricity costs and enable public–private partnerships.
Eric Weiss, director of the wastewater department, presented a $181 million capital program and several resilience measures the city plans to advance in FY27.
Weiss summarized major projects including a $19 million odor-control system at the headworks, replacement of aging oxygen-generation equipment, and neighborhood pumping-station upgrades. He highlighted pipe lining and manhole rehabilitation as key tools to reduce inflow and infiltration that drive overflows during storms.
On energy, Weiss said the wastewater plant already uses methane capture and the department expects newer digesters to enable partnerships that could clean and sell gas to the commercial market. "We use that to produce about 20 offset about 20% of our electricity cost at the plant," he said, noting the plant's generators are being modernized before P3 talks proceed.
Weiss also described a program of elevating electrical equipment and installing backup generators in rehabilitated pumping stations to reduce overflow risk during major storms.
Next steps: detailed master-plan updates and design-bid activities will return to council with cost estimates and implementation timetables.
