If construction of Bellevue's new "membrane bioreactor" wastewater treatment plant goes as planned, it may be up and running by November 2007, city officials said.
In November, city residents voted overwhelmingly to approve a sewer revenue bond to help fund the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant to replace the city's aging lagoon-style wastewater plant. The current plant has run afoul of environmental discharge standards set by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
On Oct. 1, Bellevue raised sewer rates from $18.21 to $35 per residential hookup in anticipation of the vote on the sewer revenue bond. The increased sewer rates will be used to repay the revenue bond over its 20-year lifespan.
At a meeting on Thursday, Dec. 22, members of the Bellevue City Council listened to the results of a wastewater feasibility study conducted by Keller Associates, a Meridian-based engineering firm hired by the city to look into various aspects of the wastewater treatment plant project.
The study's results are being forwarded to the DEQ for its viewing and approval.
Membrane bioreactor plants use a highly efficient filtration process and can be expanded if increased demand or new environmental regulations require it. Bellevue officials cite the new plant's modular expandability as a top reason they chose the design.
James Mullen, project manager with Keller Associates for the Bellevue project, said the first step in designing the plant is deciding what brand of membrane to use. The city will likely go through a bidding process before selecting which membrane manufacturer to purchase from, Mullen said.
Although designs vary, he said a number of manufacturers make high-quality membranes. "They will all do a good job," Mullen said.
Bellevue officials will also have to establish a timeline for the wastewater sewer project to keep city residents aware of the progress on the plant, Mullen said.
At several instances during the meeting city officials stressed that funds from the sewer bond will only be used to accommodate the city's current need and nothing more. Funds from the bond will not be used to address the need of future annexations, they said.
"I don't want any suggestion of impropriety," Councilman Jon Wilkes said.
Any need for added wastewater treatment capacity due to annexations will have to be paid for by developers, Wilkes said.
Bellevue has applied for an Idaho Community Development Block Grant to help pay for the new treatment plant. If successful in its application, Bellevue would use the grant funds to help pay for a majority of the membrane's total purchase price.
Bellevue officials are also currently in negotiations with a local landowner about where the new treatment plant might be located.
Before construction on the plant can begin, however, geotechnical surveys on the site must also be completed, Mullen said.
"So we know what that site is made of," he said.
