Town project manager and engineers say wastewater plant costs could drop; revised estimate due early September

The Waterville Valley Select Board received a detailed update Aug. 5 on the wastewater treatment plant design, projected costs and funding plan.

Project manager Chuck Pike and the design team at Black & Veatch said ongoing value-engineering could materially lower both capital and operating costs. Options under study include eliminating on-site sludge dewatering (instead hauling liquid sludge to Plymouth), deferring installation of carbon filters but reserving space for future addition, and adjusting equipment and layout to reduced flows now that a wastewater line to the resort is not assumed. Pike said these changes "could reduce the capital cost" and that the earlier construction estimate of about $76.8 million (and a total project cost near $117 million) "should be going down by at least $15,000,000 and potentially more than that."

The design team plans to deliver a revised cost opinion in early September (the team cited Sept. 4 as the date for a preliminary revised number). Black & Veatch is also actively pursuing funding through state aid grants, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), Community Development Block Grants, federal WIFIA, and USDA water/waste programs; the team reported pre-applications and priority-listing work is underway. The board asked for conservative public communications so preliminary numbers do not create undue alarm while the design and cost-review work continues.

The board agreed to schedule public outreach and a fall briefing for residents once revised numbers and 60% design details are available.