Upgrade Project
This WWTP upgrade project will support the vitally important objective of improving the water quality in the Pilchuck River watershed. It is imperative to support the recovery of threatened cold-water fish species that spawn, rear, or live there. Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink salmon, bull trout, and steelhead trout call the Pilchuck River home. Many of our State’s residents greatly value these fish species and depend on them for cultural, recreational, or economic reasons. Washington State has targeted the Pilchuck River mainstem to restore endangered Chinook salmon (Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Forum, 2005). This wastewater project is essential to improving and protecting the future health of the river and the Snohomish Watershed.
Although the unfunded mandate to improve the water quality treatment process at the WWTP is the primary driver of the total cost of the this upgrade project, the rapid population growth within the Snohomish County region has also pushed the need for this expansion to provide additional treatment capacity sooner than expected, as the WWTP is now operating at nearly 100% capacity. Despite the schools being nearly vacant for over a year due to Covid-19, the WWTP saw daily flows and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loading at over 90% of its permit limit. With over 470 additional housing units added to the system in the past four years and schools opening in 2022, the daily flow volume and BOD loading at the WWTP have now reached their operating capacity and the City is currently in violation of its NPDES permit limits during high flow months of the year. This additional treatment capacity will allow the City to accommodate its mandated population target of 6,885 by year 2044 and it will address the critical need for additional affordable housing inventory in Snohomish County by eliminating the sewer moratorium that has prohibited new housing construction in the City since 2018.
The WWTP Upgrade began construction in January of 2024 at a total cost of $34 million dollars via funding provided by the Department of Ecology Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) for FY 2024 in the form of a low interest loan from the state. The expected completion of the project is slated for the end of 2025.
WHAT IS BEING DONE AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT:The Granite Falls Wastewater Facilities Plan (11/2018) & Amendment (6/2022) recommended improvements to the wastewater treatment and biosolids handling facilities at the Granite Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to improve water quality in the Pilchuck River and to serve the City through 2038. The proposed project will construct the recommended WWTP improvements to provide wastewater treatment and disposal for the service area and meet the requirements of the facility’s NPDES Wastewater Facility Discharge Permit #WA0021130.
The primary purpose of this project is to support the vitally important objective of improving the water quality in the Pilchuck River watershed. It is imperative to support the recovery of threatened cold-water fish species that spawn, rear, or live there. Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink salmon, bull trout, and steelhead trout call the Pilchuck River home. Many of our State’s residents greatly value these fish species and depend on them for cultural, recreational, or economic reasons. Washington State has targeted the Pilchuck River mainstem to restore endangered Chinook salmon (Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Forum, 2005). This wastewater project is essential to improving and protecting the future health of the river and the Snohomish Watershed.
Economically, lifting the sewer moratorium on new construction will provide living wage jobs directly and indirectly related to the housing construction industry for residents throughout Snohomish County and beyond. This new residential growth will, in turn, promote new commercial development in the area, which will create additional retail and service industry jobs to support local Snohomish County residents. Other indirect economic benefits of this project include increases in property tax, sales tax, and real estate excise tax for the region and the State.
LINK TO DESIGN PHOTOS OF WWTP UPGRADE
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