In the coming weeks, voters will be deciding on the $68 million sewer plant question.
If the question passes, the city will be allowed to go into debt to finance the remodel of the sewer plant in Santa Rita Park and finish $10 million in other sewer projects.
Conversely, if it fails, residents could face emergency increases in rates, and the Durango City Council will not revisit relocating the plant to an alternative site, said Mayor Dean Brookie.
“A “No” vote will not bring us back to the table for a new site investigation,” Brookie said.
But some residents are hoping it could encourage the council to reopen the conversation. A contingent of residents started circulating fliers and information on social media encouraging others to vote down Question 2B after the councilors announced last week they would not move the plant, said Jon Broholm, a Durango resident.
“Rather than looking for ways to move the sewer plant, the city staff has looked for excuses not to,” Broholm said.
Buying new land, building millions in additional infrastructure, maintaining new pipes to transport all of Durango’s sludge to a new site and a tight timeline to meet the state’s regulations are all among the challenges the city would face if the sewer plant was rebuilt outside Santa Rita Park, city officials say.
The pressing priority for the city is making sure it can meet current and future state regulations for sewer treatment, said Steve Salka, the utilities director.
This summer, the city started remodeling a large tank, known as a clarifier, that separates sludge and scum from the wastewater because it had failed. The other operational clarifier is still in use, but it is corroding on the inside. The city plans to invest about $1 million to get both up and running, Salka said.
Without the clarifiers, the city would be unable to treat sewage and meet its permit, he said.
This project would have been necessary as part of the remodel, and it was included in the $58 million estimate, he said.
Next, the plant needs new aeration basins, likely to cost about $5 million, to meet the current state ammonia limits. Ammonia, a by-product of the treatment process, is toxic to fish.
If the plant was moved, the city could lose investments in the basins and $10 million in other infrastructure at the current plant, he said.
Without the money from a bond issue, the city could have to raise rates on an emergency basis to pay for the basins, Brookie said.
These improvements are on a tight timeline because in 2018, the city’s permit comes up for renewal. City staff members need to show the state it is taking active steps to meet regulations. Failure to take those steps could result in a consent order that would shut down construction, Salka said.
If the bond issue passes, the scheduled rate increases for the sewer plant will cover the remodel costs. City councilors voted to increase rates each year through 2017 in December. According to this rate plan, rates will go up from $35 per month this year to about $56 per month in 2018. The rate increases would not be affected by the November vote.
Those who oppose leaving the plant in Santa Rita Park argue that the city is using scare tactics and voting the sewer bond down is now the only recourse.
“All we see them doing is running around trying to defend what seems to be a predetermined outcome,” said resident Dave McHenry.
Some councilors have argued they would have liked to move the plant, but a lengthy process has shown it is just not feasible.
A consultant’s report in October 2014 laid out the $58 million in upgrades the plant would need to meet state regulations, said Mary Beth Miles, assistant to the city manager.
Then the city spent $90,000 to study alterative sites for the plant, said City Manager Ron LeBlanc.
The consultants found rebuilding the plant anywhere else would add about $20 million to the project, a number that has been unpalatable to councilors.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
