Anacortes awards $309,824 design contract for new water treatment plant maintenance facility

Anacortes awards $309,824 design contract for new water treatment plant maintenance facilityThe City Council has tapped HDR Engineering to design a new pre-engineered metal building that will centralize equipment storage and maintenance operations at the regional water treatment plant.

HDR Engineering secured the $309,824 time-and-materials design contract, with design work authorized through December 2027.

The new pre-engineered metal building will be constructed on the footprint of the decommissioned water treatment plant's sediment basins.

The facility aims to resolve current space shortages that have forced operators to store equipment, such as pressure washers and generators, inside the High Service Pump Station.

City staff anticipate breaking ground on construction in approximately one year, with the project funded entirely by regional water utility rates.

The Anacortes City Council has unanimously approved a $309,824 design contract with HDR Engineering to develop a new maintenance storage building at the city's regional Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Mount Vernon. The contract covers the design of site work and the foundation for a new pre-engineered metal building (PEMB). Since the current state-of-the-art WTP was constructed in 2013 and the adjacent old plant was demolished in 2023, operators have lacked dedicated maintenance and storage space. Logan Lee, presenting to the council, noted that inventory, tools, and equipment are currently scattered across the facility, forcing staff to perform maintenance work wherever space is available. The lack of centralized storage has directly impacted critical infrastructure areas. Mayor Walters highlighted the issue, noting that during a recent tour, equipment like pressure washers and generators were packed inside the High Service Pump Station (HSPS). The HSPS houses the plant's 5,000-horsepower pumps, which are responsible for conveying treated water from the Skagit River to Anacortes. The new maintenance facility will be located on the footprint of the old plant's sediment basins. According to the project scope, the building is tentatively sized at 60 by 200 feet and will feature a dedicated work area, office space, bathrooms, and a vehicle wash pad to streamline daily plant operations. While the design contract period extends through the end of 2027, Lee indicated to the council that the city hopes to break ground on construction in approximately one year. The design phase is funded through regional water utility rates and user fees, with $300,000 earmarked in the current capital facilities plan.