ASSOCIATION OF
WASHINGTON CITIES
Municipal Achievement Awards 2005
City of Duvall
Innovative Upgrade of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant
City Innovations and Recognition
Project Statement
The City of Duvall has been in development moratorium since 1999 due to
capacity limitations at its wastewater treatment plant, with significant impact
on the City and its citizens. In the summer of 2005 the City will complete the
construction of its upgraded plant with innovative “Membrane Bioreactor”
technology!
Project Summary
With this project, the City has demonstrated tremendous leadership. This is
an amazing achievement for a small city, which only a few years ago was
facing staggering obstacles to survive. Some of the areas of influential
leadership by the City include:
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Environment
Technological Innovation
Economic Development
Collaboration
Leadership in the Environment: Not only is the City increasing its capacity
and the ability to lift the six-year moratorium, the inventive improvements
will provide environmental and community benefits through increased
effluent water quality, including enhanced fish habitat, water re-use and
conservation with an effluent that will be treated to “Class A” standards, and
improved solids handling which will allow for expanded use on crops.
City of Duvall
“Building on Community”
Leadership in Technological Innovation: This small City was one of the
first agencies in the Northwest to pilot the technology. The City was proactive in working with the State’s Department of Ecology on approval and
permitting of the new plant. Since the City has undertaken construction in
December of 2003, dozens of private and public firms, including university
professors, have visited the plant to see the new technology and its application
by Duvall. Membrane technology combines a biological treatment process
with a membrane system to provide organic and suspended solids separation.
Installation within a biological reactor system typically replaces
sedimentation and filtration as a means of separating mixed liquor or
suspended solids from treated effluent. This technology brings an innovative
and effective solution to maintaining the ideal operating environment around
the immersed membranes, ensuring stable long-term performance.
Leadership in Economic Development: In a few years, Duvall has gone
from a small city with no economic future to a success story. The impacts of
its past financial problems affected many in the community, including:
Businesses
Restaurants have been unable to make upgrades, or even be allowed to open.
Existing buildings have been unable to make tenant improvements.
Non-Profits and Churches
Friends of Youth (social service non-profit) cannot expand to offer more
services. Several churches have been unable to build a place of worship.
Property Owners
Citizens have been unable to build homes on their property. Larger
landowners have been unable to develop, both residential and commercial.
City Services and Schools
Existing City services, such as Police, are beginning to be impacted as sales
tax and other revenues drop. Local Schools are unable to expand to meet
student demand.
Now, with this project, what is the future for Duvall? In its November 2004
issue, Seattle magazine called Duvall the “next small ‘it’ town” with its “upto-the-minute water and sewer services.”
City of Duvall
“Building on Community”
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Leadership in Collaboration: The cost of the new treatment plant upgrade
is approximately $11.2 Million. In 2003, the City worked with the State
legislature and the governor’s office to receive a $4,000,000 grant for the
project. This was an impressive accomplish for a small city. It worked with
its U.S. representative and received a $400,000 federal grant. And it worked
with the Department of Ecology to receive a $7,200,000 low interest loan.
The City had to complete 100% design drawings before even being able to
pursue any of these funding options. This was only possible due to the
complete collaboration among the City’s elected officials and their
communication and partnership of that vision with state and federal officials.
This project shows how a small city, with collaboration and vision, can be a
national and statewide leader in meeting the technological, environmental,
and financial challenges of today and the future. It shows how advancement
in science and economic development can be balanced with and support the
environment and a community’s sense of common vision, togetherness, and
place.
City of Duvall
“Building on Community”
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