Work on Bellevue's new wastewater treatment facility may begin as soon as this summer and be complete within a year to 15 months.
Bellevue City Administrator Tom Blanchard made this prediction early last week.
Last Thursday, the Bellevue City Council took a significant step toward ensuring that happens by selecting the manufacturer that will design and build the facility's most important component.
Called a "membrane bioreactor" wastewater treatment plant, Bellevue's up-to-date facility will use a series of membrane cylinders to treat the city's wastewater.
The new facility will replace the city's lagoon-style wastewater treatment facility, which has run afoul of standards set by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
Selected to build the membrane was Zenon Membrane Solutions, a company based in Ontario, Canada.
Zenon's bid of $891,768 was the lowest of the three companies that submitted bids. The other two companies were Siemens Water Technologies and Kubota Corp.
"We're going Canadian," Councilwoman Vivian Ivie quipped.
Just last week it was also announced that Bellevue has been awarded a $6 million low-interest loan by the DEQ to help fund construction of the new wastewater treatment facility.
The funds will be used to design and build the treatment plant, upgrade pumps and purchase additional land needed for the facility.
The loan from the DEQ's State Revolving Loan Fund carries a 3.25 percent compound rate and is payable over a period of 20 years.
The DEQ is authorized by state law to make loans to assist in the construction of public wastewater systems.
In November 2005, Bellevue residents voted overwhelmingly to approve a revenue bond to help fund construction of the new plant.
Before the vote on Oct. 1, 2005, Bellevue raised sewer rates from $18.21 to $35 per residential hookup. The increased sewer rates will be used to repay the DEQ loan over its 20-year lifespan.
