GREEN RIVER — Sweetwater County’s new wastewater treatment plant should be online by 2024 if everything moves forward as scheduled, according to Green River Public Works Director Mark Westenskow.
Westenskow joined other Green River city officials in presenting the State of the City address during the Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn this week.
He said the construction bids are out for the new treatment plant, and the city is expected to award a bid by October. Procurement and shop drawings are expected to be done before the end of this year, and the city hopes to break ground on the project by next spring.
Westenskow said COVID-19 disrupted many construction supply chains over the past 20 months, but plans for the plant are moving along as scheduled.
We are on track with our permits to have a March 2024 completion. That’s when DEQ wants us to be online.
Green River Public Works Director Mark Westenskow
Wastewater treatment is an enterprise fund that has to pay for itself, Westenskow said. While the city has worked to keep customer rates competitive, “we need to get it to a point where its a sustainable rate in order to pay for the plant.”
The Dirty Dozen
Westenskow also talked about the importance of pavement management and preservation in Green River. The city has prioritized a “worst first” list of streets that will be addressed in coming months.
He said about six miles of cape seal has been completed around the town which works out to be about $5.30 per square yard per treatment.
“That’s an important number. That’s a good number,” Westenskow said. “When we start talking about complete rebuilds…my average estimate is $200 per square yard. That where that inflationary line that keeps going up while our revenues keeps going down and why we aren’t rebuilding new streets.”
He added that surface treatment on street rebuilds is just part of the project. Rebuilds include curb, gutter and in some cases underground utilities which have to be considered in the city’s budget.
A list of Green River’s pavement management plan can be viewed below.