2020-04-13-minutes-public-works-study-session

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PROJECT NARRATIVE 1. Project description: Describe the scope of work. Indicate the major work involved, including a brief comparison of existing and proposed conditions. Commercial and residential, domestic water and sewer services are provided in the Snoqualmie Pass area by a Special Purpose District (SPD) named Snoqualmie Pass Utility District (SPUD or Utility District). Currently, the Utility District uses a two -lagoon treatment plant and land -applies treated water on a spray field owned by the United States Forest Service (USFS). Department of Ecology (ECOLOGY) and the USFS no longer support the spray field treatment of the area's wastewater as a sustainable and desirable treatment solution. The Utility District plans to construct the first phase of a new Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) in 2020 on its current property and will upgrade the existing treatment facility completely by 2025 in subsequent phases. Phase 1 of the new W WTF includes constructing a Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) to treat 20,000 to 30,000 gallons per day (gpd) which is about 10% of the current plant capacity. The MBR includes an influent screen, anoxic tank with mixer, pre -aeration tank with aerators and blower equipment, a membrane tank in which two banks of membranes filter the water, followed by an ultraviolet light disinfection system, prior to being discharged to Coal Creek. The Phase 1 project also includes the development of a new well in Kittitas County. There are economic and environmental benefits of increasing water flow in Coal Creek provided the treatment of the wastewater can be done to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) standards. Economically, the Utility District can gain additional water rights equivalent to five times the amount of water discharged to Coal Creek using foreign water credits. The increase in domestic water rights immediately provides the necessary capacity to allow development since Snoqualmie Pass's existing water rights are very limited. In fact, the Utility District self-imposed a building water moratorium until September 2019 while they repaired water system leaks, installed new water meters with remote read out capabilities and implemented conservation measures. Increased housing development in Kittitas County increases tax base and stimulates residential and commercial vitality in this recreation and tourist -based area. Environmental benefits include reducing the amount of effluent being sprayed onto forest land and producing an effluent of sufficient quality to discharge to Coal Creek, augmenting the stream flow. The following project phases will provide the capability to store up to 13 million gallons of water to boost water flow when fish need Coal Creek to supply viable passage and spawning areas. Design and estimates are being developed by the Utility District for Phase 1 and are being incorporated in the District's Water System Plan, General Sewer Plan, and Facility Plan. The Phase I treatment facility will provide operational data to optimize the sizing of the full capacity WWTF, planned to be in service in 2025. The new facility will produce an effluent of sufficient quality to augment water flow in Coal Creek without adversely affecting the Creek's water characteristics. The existing lagoons will be repurposed; one lagoon will be used as an equalization basin prior to the MBR, and the other lagoon will act as a treated water storage reservoir to maximize stream augmentation during the spawning season, 2. Explain the specific Infrastructure issues the project addresses and how they are linked to economic development improvements. The Utility District manages and operates a two -lagoon treatment plant and spray field for land application on a portion of forest owned by USFS.