A $44.6 million water reclamation plant designed by Century West Engineering Corp., which has an office in Bend, will open on May 17.
Built in Airway Heights, Wash., the plant is the first of its kind in the region to treat wastewater to Class A-plus Water Reclamation and Reuse Standards, providing an innovative, sustainable solution to help meet the region’s growing water needs.
Century West’s design incorporates advanced biological treatment, coagulation and membrane filtration, additional disinfection, and removal of nitrogen to protect groundwater quality. The plant’s reclaimed water will be used to recharge a West Plains aquifer, helping mitigate the effects of over-pumping that has occurred in recent years.
About 700,000 gallons of wastewater that previously was treated by the City of Spokane and discharged into the Spokane River each day will now be redirected to the new plant. Albert Tripp, Airway Heights City Manager, noted that Century West has been the City’s engineering firm for more than a decade and played an essential role in the project’s success.
“Century West was innovative in terms of dealing with a complex issue and coming up with a solution that provided multiple benefits. We succeeded in keeping ratepayer costs down, addressing water quality issues and maintaining a regional water source,” Tripp said. “Century West’s ability to collaborate with multiple agencies and funding partners was really an attribute to the project.”
The plant is one of the largest projects ever undertaken by both the City and Century West, and it’s one of the first in Washington to be built using federal stimulus money. The project broke ground in 2009, and will conclude this summer with the drilling of a new well to recover the reclaimed water.
“This project is an innovative solution on so many levels, from better protecting the environment to saving ratepayers money,” said Dennis Fuller, Century West’s president. “It is very rewarding to see the plant open after beginning the initial planning nearly a decade ago.”
Founded in 1969, Century West employs 45 people in its offices in Bend and Portland, Ore.; Spokane and Ellensburg, Wash.; and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
