Polson eyes water infrastructure projects

Water and money dominated the discussion at the Polson City Commission meeting on Jan. 18, as officials received updates on the status of two major infrastructure projects.

City Manager Mark Shrives told commissioners that the final plans for a new wastewater treatment plant have been approved by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the bidding process for the multi-million-dollar project will begin in early March.

The city is currently facing a deadline imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to bring its aging facility up to federal standards.

The company chosen for the project will have a maximum of 532 days to have a new facility operational and ready for the city’s use, according to a Jan. 12 letter from Project Manager Kevin Johnson of the contracting firm DOWL.

Estimated construction costs for the new system are between $11.8 and $12.5 million, with the total project topping $17 million, according to the letter.

“We are optimistic about the bidding climate and timing of the advertisement,” the letter states.

In order to stem the rise in residential water rates, the city is exploring funding options for the project.

Shrives said that federal dollars under the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, have been approved and the city is currently in negotiations with the state over how big a “slice” it will receive for the project.

Shrives said the $17.2 million figure is an engineer’s estimate and he hopes bids will come in lower.

In addition to the wastewater facility, the city also has its sights set on replacing the irrigation system serving the “Olde 9” section of the Polson Bay Golf Course.

Polson Parks and Recreation Director Pat Nowlen said bids will go out for that project in late February with construction planned to begin Aug. 21.

The irrigation system is expected to cost $800,000, however the city is looking to combine the installation with additional upgrades including new mower equipment, for a total project cost of $1.2 million.

Nowlen said the current system in place dates back to the 1970s and lacks features such as efficient sprinkler heads and isolation valves. If one section of pipe breaks, the entire 40,000-gallon reservoir drains out, a situation which occurred about 15 times last year, Nowlen said.

“We’re measuring our losses in acre-feet,” he said.

Nowlen said a new system could cut water and energy costs by 30 percent.

This move toward conservation also places the project in the running for a federal water efficiency grant administered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The grant would cover half the cost of irrigation projects for a period of two years.

If received, Nowlen said the city could put the first part of the grant toward replacing the system on the Olde 9, and next year the city could start on the rest of the course.

“It makes sense to go after it now,” Nowlen said. “It moves us leap years into the future.”

Commissioners agreed and approved Nowlen’s request to pursue the grant.

“It’s too good to pass up if we can get our hands on it,” Commissioner Todd Coutts said.