By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
Some communities know the debilitating effects of a building moratorium.
Thanks to a recent upgrade to Cheney's wastewater treatment plant, that threat is far from city officials' minds.
Though most people don't like to think about where the unmentionables go when they flush the toilet, plant operator Dan Ferguson understands just how important it is for a city to have ample wastewater capacity.
He said the construction of the plant in 1994 spurred growth in the city.
“We put our (plant) in, Cheney started growing because all of a sudden developers could put in 100-home developments because we had the wastewater capacity,” he said, adding that the recent upgrade is expected to support predicted growth for the next 20 years.
The expansion, which included new wastewater conditioning tanks, new aerators, an expanded composting facility and modernized technology, increased the plant's capacity from 1.5 million gallons to 1.9 million gallons a day.
The city began looking at a water reuse project in 2003.
“At that time we looked at the facility, what our loading was, what our capacity was, what our permit limits were, and realized at that point that we were well over 85 percent of our capacity,” Ferguson said. That realization triggered the drawing up of plans to expand the facility to avoid exceeding limits imposed by the Department of Ecology.
When the city applied for a public works trust fund, which includes state-funded low-interest loans, and grants to pay for the upgrades, they just missed the funding cutoff. Facilities that were closer to exceeding their limits, or had already violated, were higher on the list.
Ferguson expressed frustration about the system.
“Sometimes it feels like the only way to get ahead is to become a problem,” he said.
Public works director Todd Ableman admitted that the state's tendancy to fund cities that weren't in compliance was unfortunate, but he said that it worked out fine for Cheney.
They secured an $11.5 million, no-interest loan from the Department of Ecology that will be paid back with sewer fees over the next 20 years. Ableman noted that they were able to complete the project for a little over $10 million, so the debt was reduced.
Now that the project is complete—the ribbon cutting was done Oct. 9—the city will look into procuring funding for a water reuse system that would pump treated water back into Cheney for use in irrigation.
Ferguson said the system would require an extra round of filtration and an ultra-violet disinfecting system that would supply enough water to irrigate the lawns and gardens of Cheney while reducing demand on the potable water system.
“The initial cost of the water reuse compared to the benefits is truly minimal when you look at it from the long term,” Ferguson said. He noted that the city's aquifer is substantial, but if Cheney continues to grow, water may not be able to recharge the aquifer—which is buried beneath layers of basalt—as quickly as it's taken out.
Ferguson said the water reuse system would contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of the city as it grows.
“The more water reuse we're putting up in the city the more potable water we free up for growth,” he explained. “The more potable water we use with growth, that's more water coming in to the treatment plant and we have more water for reuse to send back to the city, allowing more growth.”
Though Ferguson said he'd like to put in the system within five years, it all depends on what kind of funding options the city has.
Becky Thomas can be reached at [email protected].
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