Wastewater

Friday May 24, 2013 - Brightwater Facility Tour

As a follow up to the recent Brightwater Facility Project presentation and to celebrate national public works week, the Wastewater Committee is hosting a facility tour of Brightwater on Friday May 24th at 10:00 am to noon.  After his well received presentation at our recent committee meeting, Gunars Sreibers, with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Brightwater Project Manager, graciously offered to follow up his presentation with a tour.

King County is nearing completion of a new wastewater treatment and collection called Brightwater to serve the growing needs of north King County and south Snohomish County.  The Brightwater project entails the construction of a new 36 mgd membrane bioreactor treatment plant north of Woodinville in Snohomish County as well as an influent pumping station, 13 miles of conveyance tunnels and an outfall to Puget Sound at Point Wells. Planning for the $1.86 Billion project began in the late 1990's, site selection was completed in 2003, system design was completed in 2005 and construction began in 2006.  The treatment plant began operation in September 2011 providing effluent of exceptional quality and meeting King County's commitment to odor free operation.

If you are interested in attending and since space is limited, please RSVP to me, Caroline Barlow (caroline.barlow@msa-ep.com; (425) 252-9003).

Upcoming Meetings
June 12, 2013 - FOG Forum, Tacoma, WA
August 14, 2013 - TBD
October 2, 2013 - Fall Conference, Kennewick, WA
December 11, 2013 - TBD

Check out the new Wastewater Committee LinkedIn Committee Page!

• 4/10/2013

Show Other Meeting Notes

• 4/16/2010
• 2/19/2010
• 12/18/2009
• 8/21/2009
• 6/16/2009
• 2/27/2009
• 10/31/2007
• 9/26/2007
• 8/28/2007
• 6/20/2007
• 5/16/2007
• 12/18/2006

To serve as a primary clearinghouse, recognition, and educational forum for the APWA Washington Chapter on technical, utility management, and regulatory issues that affect planning, building, maintaining, and funding of wastewater utilities. (Download the 2013 Mission and Goals full version here).

August 2012

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has introduced legislation that would establish a trust fund for investments in clean water infrastructure. The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2012 would provide about $9 billion annually through a deficit neutral, consistent and protected source of revenue to help states and local utilities repair, replace and rehabilitate wastewater treatment facilities.

Revenues to the trust fund would be generated through fees and taxes on water based beverage containers; items disposed of in wastewater such as toothpaste, toilet paper, and cooking oils; and pharmaceutical products. Much of the revenues would supplement the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) existing State Revolving Loan Program to provide new funding for repairing, rehabilitating or replacing aged infrastructure.

The bill calls on the Congressional Budget Office to evaluate additional sources of revenue to capitalize the trust fund and creates a voluntary consumer labeling program for manufacturers subject to the revenue generating taxes to display on their products to highlight their contribution to the trust fund.

APWA has worked with and supported Blumenauer since he first introduced a water infrastructure trust fund bill in 2009, which included provisions for both drinking water and wastewater. The latest bill limits its focus to wastewater infrastructure.

It is not likely the bill will be considered before the end of the year, but it represents a marker when the next session of Congress begins in January. APWA will continue to support the Congressman and its partners in seeing that a trust fund for clean water infrastructure is created.