Introduction

Spokane County Utilities provides wastewater management for residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Spokane Valley and North Spokane service areas.  In recent years, the County has rapidly expanded its wastewater collection system to reduce the number of septic tanks located over the Spokane Aquifer.  This sewer expansion program is projected to continue through 2015 to provide wastewater service to all existing development within the County’s sewer service area.  Along with the sewer system extensions, the County’s sewer service area is projected to experience significant growth over the next twenty years to meet Growth Management requirements.  Both factors will sharply increase the quantity of wastewater that must be responsibly managed.  By 2025, the County will need approximately 22 million gallons per day (mgd) of wastewater treatment capacity to handle projected flows.

Currently, wastewater generated in the County is sent, via a sewer network, to the Spokane Advanced Treatment Plant (SAWTP), which is owned and operated by the City of Spokane.  A 1980 interlocal agreement established the basis for the City to treat up to 10 million gallons per day of County generated wastewater.  The County expects to exceed that capacity by the end of 2007, creating the driving force for this planning effort.  In response to this need, the Spokane County Board of County Commissioners has authorized the development of this Facilities Plan. 

Overview of the Recommended Plan

The recommended plan was developed over an 18-month period by the project team in collaboration with the Washington Department of Ecology, other regulatory and resource agencies, the City of Spokane, other cities, industries, and citizens.  The plan provides a flexible, long-term management strategy for Spokane County, while identifying a phased implementation program to meet capacity and treatment requirements over the next 25 years.  The plan encompasses the following components:

·        Controlling wastewater generation through use of programs that are enforceable, technically workable and fair.

·        Maximizing use of the County’s prior investment in the SAWTP.

·        Building a new treatment plant in the Spokane Valley to serve growth and continued implementation of the septic tank abatement program.

·        Producing highly-treated effluent for discharge to the Spokane River that meets all water quality and regulatory requirements.

·        Actively pursuing effluent reuse measures that are affordable and which will augment the region’s water resources.

·        Beneficially reusing all biosolids produced at the treatment facilities.

The recommended plan has an estimated capital cost of $134 million, expressed in uninflated 2001 dollars.  Since the facilities for the new treatment plant and upgrades at the existing regional plant will be phased in over a number of years, the financing will be spread out, but costs will be impacted by inflation.  The estimated present worth of the capital program is $108 million.

Taking into account increasing flow rates and inflation, annual operating costs for the wastewater treatment program are projected to increase from $6.3 million in 2007 to $19.5 million in 2025.

A number of funding sources will be used to pay for the recommended plan, including state grants, Aquifer Protection Area funds, sales tax revenues, Wastewater Treatment Plant fees, and General Facilities Charges.

For Spokane County customers, sewer rates are projected to increase at about the rate of inflation to cover operational costs.  Capital costs associated with improvements to the SAWTP will be met by Wastewater Treatment Plant Charges, which are not projected to increase.  Other capital costs will be paid through General Facility Charges, which are projected to increase from the current rate of $2,220 per equivalent residential unit to a range of $2,600 to $3,100.

Coordinated Planning Approach

This Facilities Plan is part of a coordinated planning effort to address Spokane County’s wastewater management program.  Other major elements include:

·        2001 Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan Update (CWMP), which defines collection system improvements needed to eliminate septic tanks and accommodate growth.

·        Basis of Planning Report, which establishes the planning criteria for subsequent development and evaluation of wastewater management strategies.

·        County/City Negotiations, which focus on the future allocation of capacity in City-owned facilities, methodologies for equitable cost sharing, and the responsibilities and rights of the City and County.

·        Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, developed in parallel with this Facilities Plan to ensure the evaluation and selection of recommended program elements fully consider potential environmental impacts and benefits, and incorporate appropriate measures to mitigate foreseeable adverse impacts.

·        Long Range Financial Planning Study, which defines funding sources and identifies recommended adjustments to rates and charges.

Basis of Planning

Goals and Objectives

At the outset of the planning process, the following goals were established to guide development of a successful wastewater management program:

·        Provide reliable wastewater service – both near-term (20-years) and long-term (50-years)

·        Protect public health

·        Protect and improve the region’s water resources – surface water and groundwater

·        Provide cost-effective solutions for County ratepayers

·        Provide for growth in concurrence with the Growth Management Act

·        Ensure the County has adequate authority and control to meet future wastewater needs

·        Gain approval by the public, elected officials and regulatory agencies

Planning Area

The planning area for Spokane County Utilities is divided into the 8,359-acre North Spokane section and the 31,103-acre Spokane Valley section (see Figure ES‑1). Two major interceptors further divide the Spokane Valley section into the “North Valley Service Area” and the “Spokane Valley Service Area”.

Planning Horizon

Planning projections were developed for three planning horizons: 2020, which coincides with the planning horizon used in Spokane County’s Growth Management Plan; 2025, which provides the County with a 20-year management strategy after the recommended plan has been implemented; and 2050 for long-range planning.  The Year 2025 was used as the planning horizon for economic comparison of alternatives.

Population and Land Use Projections

To provide a consistent basis of planning, the Facilities Plan incorporates population and land use projections developed through the CWMP Update (see Figure ES‑2).  From 2000 through 2015, the connected service population will increase rapidly due to the combined effects of growth and sewer extensions to existing development.  After 2015, the service area will be fully sewered and a more gradual increase in service population is projected.  Population and land use projections between 2000 and 2020 are based on the County’s Growth Management Plan.  After 2020, a straight-line annual growth rate of 1.6 percent has been assumed.   

Wastewater Flow Projections

Projected annual average wastewater flow rates from the County’s service areas are presented in Figure ES‑3, and compared with the County’s 10-mgd capacity allocation in the SAWTP.  Based on these projections, the County will reach its capacity allocation by the end of 2007.

Spokane County is fortunate to have a relatively new collection system that receives low quantities of infiltration and inflow during rainfall events.  In fact Spokane County’s peak flows during rainfall events are much lower than those experienced by most Northwest wastewater utilities.

Existing Wastewater Facilities and Programs

The County's wastewater management facilities are integrated into a regional network of conveyance and treatment facilities serving the greater Spokane area. A schematic of the regional network is shown in Figure ES‑4.

The County's interceptor system receives flow from the City of Millwood, and can accept “excess” flow from the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District No. 1.  Nearly all of the wastewater generated in the Spokane County service area is conveyed to the SAWTP for treatment and discharge to the Spokane River.  A small portion of the wastewater is treated at five satellite wastewater treatment facilities owned and operated by the County.

The SAWTP is located along the Spokane River, adjacent to Riverside State Park.   The plant provides advanced treatment during the summer permit season, achieving low effluent concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen and phosphorus.  During the winter, when flows in the Spokane River are high, phosphorus removal is not required and ammonia-nitrogen limits are less stringent.

Following the major expansion of the SAWTP in the late 1970s, the plant had a nominal “dry weather” capacity of 44 mgd, of which 10 mgd was allocated to the County and 34 mgd to the City.  With the establishment of more stringent ammonia-nitrogen limits in recent NPDES discharge permits, the City’s consultant has estimated that the nominal capacity of the current facility has been reduced to 40 mgd. 

The SAWTP is located on a confined site, limiting the ultimate treatment capacity that can be developed at this location.  A preliminary evaluation of expansion potential suggests that the upper capacity limit is about 65 mgd, based on average dry season flows.

Public Involvement Program

Various public involvement opportunities occurred during the planning process to inform the public, regulatory agencies and stakeholders about the project, identify community issues of concern, and provide information to the project team to help them develop recommendations that the community supports.  The public information and involvement opportunities included:

·        Interviews of community stakeholders to assist in understanding community issues early in the project.

·        A series of newsletters that provided information on the planning process and the alternatives and recommendations being considered.

·        A series of five public meetings at key milestones in the planning process to gather public comments.

·        A questionnaire on wastewater management distributed to 54,000 residents.

·        Presentations to two business forums.

·        A series of three inter-agency symposiums to present concepts, gain feedback and promote dialogue amongst potentially competing interests.

·        Periodic meetings with the Spokane County Water Quality Advisory Committee (WQAC).

·        A briefing to the Spokane County Board of County Commissioners.

·        A brainstorm workshop and briefing meetings with personnel from the Department of Ecology and the City of Spokane.

·        A formal public hearing at the outset of the EIS process.

Another public hearing will take place as part of the adoption process for this Wastewater Facilities Plan.

Alternatives Considered

Development of a comprehensive wastewater management plan addresses the four components shown in Figure ES‑5.  For each of these components, a wide range of alternatives was identified and evaluated through an interactive process involving County staff, consultant staff, and the range of stakeholders identified earlier.  Major elements of the process were:

·        Define process methodology and evaluation criteria

·        Brainstorm and screen ideas

·        Detailed development and evaluation

·        Review workshops – alternatives

·        Preliminary identification of preferred management concept

·        Review workshops – preferred concept

·        Refinement of preferred concept to define recommended plan

Location of Treatment Capacity

The most critical decision is where to provide future treatment capacity. To address this issue, detailed evaluations were conducted for thirteen alternatives involving various combinations of the treatment plant locations shown in Figure ES‑6.  Following a series of screening steps, the North Spokane Plant was eliminated from consideration and five finalists were identified:

·        Alternative 1 – All Flow to SAWTP

·        Alternative 2A –New Mid-Valley Plant Combined with 10 mgd to SAWTP

·        Alternative 3A – New In-City Plant Combined with 10 mgd to SAWTP

·        Alternative 4A – Multiple Mid-Valley Plants Combined with 10 mgd to SAWTP

·        Alternative 5 – No Action

Figure ES‑7 compares the alternatives against an array of evaluation criteria.  Based on this analysis, Alterative 2A was selected as the preferred concept.  This solution offers a number of advantages to the region:

·        Long-Term, Flexible Solution. Adding a new plant in the Spokane Valley provides considerable flexibility to handle projected flows through the year 2050 and beyond.

·        CSO Benefit.  Siting a new plant in the Valley will reduce or eliminate County flows in critical sections of the City’s interceptor system where CSOs now occur. 

·        Opportunity for Regional Cooperation.  The City of Spokane would have the option of diverting flow from eastern portions of its service area, further alleviating CSO problems and extending the capacity of existing treatment and conveyance systems.

·        Reuse Potential.  The Spokane Valley location is near potential industrial and irrigation uses, providing opportunities for reuse.

·        Reduced Impact on River.  Spreading effluent discharge along the Spokane River reduces localized impacts associated with toxicity and facilitates the river’s ability to assimilate the overall pollutant loading.

·        Ease of Implementation.  While new treatment facilities are seldom easy to implement, the preferred alternative appeared less complex and more within the County’s control than the other alternatives considered.

·        Low Cost.  Of the thirteen alternatives considered, the preferred approach had one of the lowest costs.

Other Program Components

A wide range of alternatives was considered for demand management, effluent end use and biosolids management.  Those alternatives surviving the screening process and evaluated in detail are listed in Table ES‑1.

Table ES‑1.  Demand Management, Effluent End Use and Biosolids Management Alternatives

Following detailed analysis, a number of demand management measures were recommended for implementation.  Discharge to the Spokane River and land application of Class B biosolids were selected as the primary methods to manage effluent and biosolids at the Spokane Valley Plant, at least during the initial years of operation.

Elements of the Recommended Plan

The recommended plan presents a phased program to meet the County’s capacity needs.  As the program moves forward, the County will continue to pursue cost-effective opportunities to diversify reuse of effluent and biosolids.

Treatment and Conveyance

The recommended plan for treatment and conveyance is to fully use the County’s current capacity allocation in the SAWTP and to build a new Spokane Valley Plant to handle additional wastewater flows generated in the County’s service area.  Figure ES‑8 presents a schematic of this concept and Figure ES‑9 shows the general location of major facilities that will be required.

Existing Spokane Regional Plant.  The County will continue to use the 10 mgd capacity allocation in the SAWTP to treat all wastewater generated in the County’s North Spokane Service Area and a portion of the wastewater generated in the Spokane Valley.  The County will contribute funds for necessary upgrades to the plant to meet new water quality protection requirements, and improve maintenance, safety and treatment processes.

New Spokane Valley Plant.  A new wastewater treatment plant will be constructed in the western portion of the Spokane Valley to handle additional wastewater flows generated in the County’s Spokane Valley service area.  This plant will use advanced treatment technologies to process wastewater prior to discharge to the Spokane River or reuse for irrigation or industrial purposes.  Based on flow projections, it is recommended that the County implement 8 mgd of capacity initially and add another 4 mgd of capacity to meet projected requirements for 2025.  The plant can continue to be expanded in 4 mgd modules to meet future capacity needs beyond 2025.

Sewer Conveyance Improvements. Construction of several sewer conveyance improvements is needed to route wastewater to the treatment facilities.  Major components include:

·        Construction of a gravity sewer to relieve a capacity restriction in the interceptor system conveying North Spokane flows to the SAWTP.

·        Construction of a pumping station and force main to convey wastewater from the Spokane Valley Interceptor to the Spokane Valley Plant.

·        Construction of a pumping station and force main to convey wastewater from the North Valley Interceptor to the Spokane Valley Plant.

Demand Management

Several new programs will be implemented to reduce wastewater flows or loadings that in turn reduce the required capacity of treatment and conveyance facilities.  The new programs include expanding public education on water conservation, encouraging replacement of old residential and commercial plumbing fixtures with low flow models, eliminating connections of sump pumps to the sanitary sewer system, and implementing new industrial discharge requirements.

Effluent Management

For the new Spokane Valley Plant, the primary method of effluent disposal will be year-round effluent discharge to the Spokane River at a location between the Green Street Bridge and the Upriver Dam.  Ongoing planning efforts will focus on identifying and implementing cost effective measures to reuse a portion of the effluent and reduce discharge to the river during the summer months.  Specific areas of focus will include urban irrigation, industrial reuse, and wetlands creation. 

In the years ahead, the County will evaluate the potential of using reclaimed water as a regional water resource through groundwater recharge.  It will monitor the use of this concept in other parts of the Country, educate the public on the benefits and risks of the program, and work with local stakeholders to evaluate approaches to address concerns.  As part of this effort, the County may conduct limited-scale programs to demonstrate the quality of water that could be produced by a combination of advanced treatment in a mechanical plant and further polishing through the soil mantel.

Biosolids Management

Biosolids produced at the new Spokane Valley Plant will be treated and dewatered to produce Class B biosolids.  The material will be applied to agricultural land or to reclaimed mining sites, beneficially recycling nutrients and organic material.  Flexibility will be provided to convert to Class A biosolids production and composting to produce a product that has more reuse options in the future. 

Siting the New Spokane Valley Plant

Land Requirements

The County will begin the wastewater facilities site selection study in late 2001.  Sufficient property to accommodate wastewater treatment through the long-term (2050) planning horizon needs to be identified and acquired.  To assess potential property requirements, a representative plant layout was developed based on the needed capacity and anticipated treatment processes.  At build-out, 14 to 15 acres would be needed for the treatment facilities and access roads.  Additional land is required to create a buffer between treatment facilities and surrounding uses.  Based on this evaluation, it is recommended that the County acquire a site with approximately 20 acres of developable property.  This would provide space for both future expansions and effective buffers around the plant perimeter.

Design Considerations

The Spokane Valley Plant will be designed with pleasing aesthetics that will complement or enhance the surrounding neighborhood.  The architectural concept will be developed in cooperation with local stakeholders.  It is anticipated that the finished plant will resemble an attractive commercial development in a similar manner to the results achieved in other new treatment facilities, such as Vancouver and Edmonds, Washington.  Perimeter landscaping will be used to soften the image of the facility and create a buffer between the plant and surrounding streets, sidewalks and buildings.

Close attention will be paid to odor control.  All treatment processes that are generators of noticeable odors will be covered and ventilated with the foul air sent to state-of-the-art odor scrubbing systems.  Similar attention will be paid to noise and lighting control.  All equipment with significant noise generation will be enclosed within buildings or shrouded in sound attenuation structures.  Plant lighting systems will be designed to minimize off-site impacts.

Expected Performance/Water Quality Issues

The recommended plan will achieve high levels of wastewater treatment at the SAWTP and Spokane Valley Plants.  Preliminary analyses of receiving water impacts indicate that the proposed effluent quality will be protective of beneficial uses in the Spokane River.

Discharge of Effluent from SAWTP

In developing its 1999 Wastewater Facilities Plan, the City of Spokane assumed that all County wastewater would be treated at the SAWTP through the year 2015.  The County’s recommended plan modifies this planning basis by sending only 10 mgd to the SAWTP and building a new treatment facility to handle all County flows above this value.  Diverting a portion of the County flow will improve the SAWTP’s future ability to comply with receiving water criteria for toxicity, temperature and near-field dissolved oxygen levels.  Also, discharging a portion of the County flow 11 miles upstream of the SAWTP outfall takes advantage of the assimilative capacity of this segment of the Spokane River to reduce impacts on dissolved oxygen associated with nutrient, ammonia and BOD loadings.  The County’s recommended plan takes into account the possibility that Ecology’s dissolved oxygen TMDL process may lead to tighter effluent quality requirements for the SAWTP in the future.  Capital costs have been allocated in the plan to implement effluent filtration and other treatment upgrades, should this prove necessary.

Discharge of Effluent from Spokane Valley Plant

The Spokane Valley Plant will employ advanced tertiary treatment processes to protect water quality in the Spokane River.  The anticipated effluent quality that will be produced is shown in Table ES‑2.

Table ES‑2. Projected Effluent Quality that will be Produced by Spokane Valley Treatment Plant (Monthly Average Values Unless Noted Otherwise)

1         Preliminary evaluations of receiving water impacts suggest that an ammonia-nitrogen limit may not be needed during the winter permit season.

2         Voluntary limit to minimize potential for nitrate contamination of aquifer during irrigation with effluent.

3         Lower effluent phosphorus concentrations can be  attained if needed to comply with wasteload allocation.

4         Measured at the outlet from the plant.

5         UV disinfection will be used.

6         Instantaneous value.

7         Values shown are current SAWTP limits.  Values for Spokane Valley Plant will be based on an effluent sampling program following start-up of the plant.

Near-Field Dissolved Oxygen Impacts.  Near-field assessments of dissolved oxygen (DO) impacts examine whether the proposed discharge will cause significant DO sags or violations of instream DO standards in the stretch of river below the outfall.  Preliminary water quality modeling indicates that the proposed discharge from the Spokane Valley Plant will reduce instream DO levels by less than 0.2 mg/L, which complies with Ecology’s definition of an “insignificant depletion”.

Far-Field Dissolved Oxygen Impacts.  An assessment of far-field DO impacts examines the cumulative effect of wastewater loadings, impoundments, natural conditions and other factors on DO levels throughout the river system.  Currently, Ecology is performing this assessment for the Middle Spokane River between Long Lake and the State line.  The results of this work may lead to stringent effluent limits for BOD, ammonia-nitrogen and phosphorus.  Given the level of treatment that will be provided, it is anticipated that the Spokane Valley Plant will be able to comply with these limits.

Temperature.  An analysis of temperature impacts concluded that the effluent discharge will not result in a violation of temperature standards for the Middle Spokane River. 

Ammonia Toxicity.  Preliminary dilution studies indicate that the proposed effluent ammonia-nitrogen concentrations will be well below values that would cause ammonia toxicity to aquatic life.

Chlorine Toxicity.  The Spokane Valley Plant will achieve disinfection using ultraviolet (UV) radiation, negating the need for chlorine addition.

Lead, Cadmium and Zinc.  In the Middle Spokane River, water quality criteria are exceeded for lead, cadmium and zinc due to historic mining practices in the watershed.  In response, Ecology has developed a TMDL for these metals and has included “performance based” effluent limits for them in the NPDES discharge permits for municipal treatment plants.  It is anticipated that similar effluent limits will be established for the Spokane Valley Plant.

Other Metals.  A preliminary dilution analysis was conducted to assess toxicity potential associated with six other metals. Since the Spokane Valley Plant does not exist, effluent data from the SAWTP were used as surrogate values.  The results indicate that, with an effective pretreatment program, the proposed discharge will likely attain water quality standards for arsenic, copper, chromium, nickel, and silver. The analysis indicated that mercury may exceed its chronic criteria; however, the presence of a few high mercury concentrations in the effluent data set appear to have skewed the analysis.  Ecology has not established a mercury limit for the SAWTP.

PCBs.  The Middle Spokane River violates water quality criteria for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs).  It is anticipated that the effluent from the Spokane Valley Plant will not contain detectable levels of contain PCBs.

Reuse of Effluent From the Spokane Valley Plant

During the summer, effluent from the Spokane Valley Plant will meet the State’s guidelines for Class A reclaimed water, allowing virtually unrestricted use of the water for a variety of irrigation and commercial applications.  Although not required by the State, the Spokane Valley Plant will be operated to achieve partial denitrification during the summer months to lower the effluent nitrate-nitrogen concentration below 10 mg/L.  This approach will help alleviate potential concerns about nitrate leaching into the Aquifer as the result of irrigation activities.  The 10 mg/L target value is the drinking water standard for nitrate-nitrogen.  Crop uptake and additional denitrification in the soil will further reduce nitrate levels before any irrigation water reaches the water table.

Impact on Combined Sewer Overflows

Implementation of the Spokane Valley Plant will eliminate County wastewater from a portion of City Interceptor No. 05, which is located along the Spokane River. Currently, this stretch of interceptor has multiple CSO outlets.  Eliminating County flow from this pipeline will facilitate control of CSOs in this area.

In addition, the recommended plan limits the total County flow between the Spokane Valley and SAWTP to an average rate of 5 mgd and a peak rate of 10 mgd.  The peak rate is well below the County’s current capacity allocation in the City’s interceptor system (15.5 mgd).  Limiting County flows will help reduce the potential for CSOs in the central portions of the City’s conveyance system.

Program Costs

Table ES‑3 presents a summary of the estimated capital costs for each phase of the recommended plan.  The costs are presented in uninflated, January 2001 dollars.  They are preliminary, planning level estimates and are subject to change as the implementation process proceeds and facility requirements become further refined. Based on these costs, the projected implementation schedule , and an annual inflation rate of 2.5 percent for capital expenditures, a cash flow projection for the next ten years was developed and is summarized in Figure ES‑10.  Using this cash flow and a discount rate of 6.375 percent, the present worth of the capital investments is $108 million.

Taking into account increasing flow rates and inflation, annual operating costs for the wastewater treatment program are projected to increase from $6.3 million in 2007 to $19.5 million in 2025.

Table ES‑3.  Summary of Capital Costs

Financing

Spokane County has been studying the long-term financial needs to complete the septic tank elimination program, and to pay for the wastewater treatment capacity for the next 20 years.  Fortunately, there are numerous sources of revenue to help pay for these projects, including state grants, Aquifer Protection Area funds, sales tax revenues, Wastewater Treatment Plant fees, and General Facilities Charges.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Fees:  A $4 per unit per month Wastewater Treatment Plant fee is included in each sewer customer’s monthly bill.  These funds are placed in a dedicated fund that is used for wastewater treatment plant costs.  Based on the financing study, it is expected that these fees will be adequate to finance the water quality improvements at the SAWTP, and will not increase in the foreseeable future.

General Facilities Charges:  General Facilities Charges (GFC) are a one-time fee paid by each customer when they connect to our centralized sewer system.  Presently, the GFC is set at $2,220 per unit, and is then reduced to $1,665 per unit through a County paid subsidy.  The GFC fees are placed in a dedicated fund that is used to pay for major interceptor pipelines, major pumping stations, and new treatment plant capacity.  Based on the financing study, it is expected that the GFC will be increased to about $2,600-$3,100 beginning in 2007, with no subsidy and reduction.

Schedule

Figure ES‑11 presents an overall schedule to meet the County’s capacity requirements for the next 20 years.  The timing of the Phase 2 expansion of the Spokane Valley Plant is contingent on the rate of growth within the County’s service area.  Under an aggressive growth scenario, this expansion would need to be operational by 2014; whereas, at the current rate of growth and sewer extensions, the expansion would not be needed until 2022.  The schedule shown in Figure ES‑11 is based on the Phase 2 expansion being operational by 2018.

Figure ES‑11.  Implementation Schedule

Implementation

Successful implementation of the recommended plan will require concerted efforts along a number of fronts.  Spokane County must:

·        Obtain Ecology’s approval of the draft Wastewater Facilities Plan, and adopt the plan.

·        Conduct a site selection study for the Spokane Valley Plant and major pumping stations, including preparation of a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

·        Negotiate and acquire sites for the treatment and pumping facilities.

·        Actively participate in Ecology’s TMDL process for dissolved oxygen to ensure that resulting wasteload allocations are fair and based on best available science.

·        Conduct modeling to define the optimal location and diffuser design for the outfall from the Spokane Valley Plant.

·        Continue a collaborative process with Ecology to gain an NPDES discharge permit for the Spokane Valley Plant that is protective of the Spokane River.

·        Determine whether the City of Spokane desires to send flow to the Spokane Valley Plant and negotiate the terms of this arrangement should the City wish to participate in this facility.

·        Develop a preliminary design of the Spokane Valley Plant, including selection and sizing of unit processes and development of site layouts.

·        Working with community representatives, develop architectural and landscaping concepts for the Spokane Valley Plant.

·        Prepare a preliminary design of major conveyance facilities including pumping  stations, force mains and metering facilities.

·        Prepare environmental documentation and obtain all federal, state and local permits needed to implement the projects.

·        Continue to investigate opportunities to economically use effluent from the Spokane Valley Plant for irrigation, wetlands creation and industrial use.

·        On a long-term basis, evaluate the feasibility of using highly treated effluent to recharge groundwater.

·        Select and implement a delivery method for designing, building and operating the Spokane Valley Plant.

·        Working with the City of Spokane, develop a revised interlocal agreement to address roles and obligations associated with continued conveyance and treatment of County flows in City-owned facilities.

·        Obtain funding for the program and adjust rates and charges to cover projected capital and operating costs.