Major water plant upgrade ahead

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The city is finalizing engineering plans for a $60 million expansion and upgrade of the city's water treatment plant, located in the riverbend area of Mount Vernon. The aim: more capacity, better reliability and continued high water quality.

City Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer says this may well be the largest locally-funded public works project ever in Skagit County. The water treatment plant was built in 1970 at a cost of $3.5 million.

The project, funded by water users rather than taxpayers, may go to bid as early as September, with construction set to start in February, 2011 and completion estimated 2 years later.

Buckenmeyer said the project is designed to increase capacity and reliability while maintaining the same high water quality. He said the current water plant has a capacity of about 30-million gallons per day. With upgrades, the newly expanded plant would be able to handle 55 million gallons per day.

He said there have reliability problems because the water plant doesn't have backup electric generators. They will be added during the expansion. Without electricity, the plant can't pump water.

Buckenmeyer said he hopes the current economic conditions will help keep the cost of the new plant below the estimated $60 million. He said the city is expected to draw bids from throughout the Western U.S.

The city water system serves about 56,000 customers. In addition to Anacortes residents and businesses, the city serves the two March's Point refineries, Skagit County PUD, the city of Oak Harbor, Naval Station Whidbey, the town of La Conner and the Swinomish Tribal Community.