Tacoma Daily Index, April 03, 2014

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402 Tacoma 1019 Pacific Avenue, Avenue S., Suite Suite 1216 200 PO Box 1303, TACOMA, WA TACOMA, 98402 WA 98401 PHONE (253) 627-4853 FAX (253) 627-2253

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

Vol. CXXIV, No. 64

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices

Published Published Since Since 1890 1890

City Council OKs $6M ood protection project Posted online Weds., April 2 Article By Todd Matthews, Editor Photo Courtesy City of Tacoma Tacoma's Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (pictured) could soon be better protected against the Puyallup River's seasonal rising floodwaters. Tacoma City Council Tuesday awarded a $6 million contract to Tacoma-based IMCO General Construction for a project that will wrap a 2,500-foot floodwall around the southern and northern portions of the plant, as well as construct five flood gates, a trench safety system, and a new pump station. According to City of Tacoma officials, the plant, which is located just west of the Puyallup River in a low-lying area at 2201 E. Portland Ave., receives and treats more than 130 million gallons of wastewater per day during large storm events before it flows into Commencement Bay. Eighty per cent of the wastewater comes from Tacoma, but the plant also treats the wastewater from about 19,500 customers in Fife, Fircrest, and unincorporated Pierce County. Last year, the Flood Control Zone District Board of Pierce County awarded a $6 million grant to the City of Tacoma to pay for a majority of the project. The City of Tacoma has spent $1.2 million in design costs. "The Central Wastewater Treatment Plant is at grave risk of significant flooding if the Puyallup River was ever to overtop its banks upstream of the existing facility," City of Tacoma Public Works Department Assistant Division Manager Eric Johnson told councilmembers on Tuesday. "It's estimated that we could see as much as five feet of water inundate the entire site, which would eventually take the treatment plant completely offline for a matter of weeks, and possibly even months. What would result is we would have basically 80 per cent of the wastewater that's generated in Tacoma and southside customers that come to the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant would be discharged into Commencement Bay with no treatment. We could see things like potential beach closures, shellfish closures, that sort of thing. In addition to that, we would be potentially liable for daily fines of up to $35,000 a day from our regulators, the Department of Ecology. We would also probably see an increased number of untreated wastewater backups into businesses that are in the vicinity of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant." The City put the project out for bid in February. Seven contractors submitted bids before the deadline expired on March 11. The construction project is expected to begin this year.

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