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Area map of the Girdwood Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade Project.
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Girdwood’s Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade project kicked off in March month with the release of an educational FACTBOOK. The publication is available online and in three locations in Girdwood and Anchorage.
Community members are invited to attend two upcoming April meetings for a project overview and Q&A session. These sessions will include meetings will the Girdwood Land Use Committee on April 13 and the Girdwood Board of Supervisors meeting on April 20. The facility upgrade will be presented for a resolution of support at both meetings, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the Gerrish (Girdwood) Branch Library Community Room.
Girdwood’s Wastewater Treatment Facility is aging and needs an upgrade because the plant has reached its hydraulic design capacity limits, according to the Anchorage Water Wastewater Utility. Girdwood’s population and visitor industry has grown since 1978 and so have the demands placed on the wastewater system.
In order to continue to meet federal discharge treatment requirements, improvements must be made to ensure Girdwood Wastewater Treatment Facility’s day-to-day operation and maintenance activities operate at increased capacity limits and with greater efficiency.
Since 2006, a team of engineers has helped AWWU evaluate the Girdwood Wastewater Treatment Facility process. The Utility is now working with regulatory agencies, the Girdwood Board of Supervisors (GBOS) and the community to provide specifics on the design, funding and permitting. Construction could begin in 2012.
The facility upgrade will be completed in phases, within the same eight-acres the treatment plant sits on now. This will provide Girdwood with effective wastewater treatment for the next 10-20 years and the new facility will be designed so it can efficiently be expanded to meet community’s future wastewater needs.
The upgrade is estimated to cost $40-$60 million with annual operational costs of $1 million. The project will be funded by AWWU rate-payers, loans and grants. There may be other options to access funding via the Federal Economic Recovery Plan.
Engineers at AWWU and MWH Engineering have designed the facility to be responsive to the changes of a growing Girdwood community. Agnew::Beck Consulting is assisting AWWU to educate people about the facility and the upgrade process.
To download and read the FACTBOOK online via the project webpage: www. agnewbeck.com. Click “Current Projects” and then “Girdwood Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade.”
Comments are encouraged either online or at the April meetings. Pick up your own FACTBOOK at the Gerrish (Girdwood) Branch Library (250 Egloff Dr.), the Girdwood Parks and Recreation office (250 Egloff Dr.) or in Anchorage at AWWU’s office (3000 Arctic Blvd.).