Drafter
Clerk 08/21/2003
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AN ORDINANCE approving the City of Snoqualmie General Sewer Plan.
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PREAMBLE:
K.C.C. chapter 13.24 requires approval of comprehensive plans for sewer utilities as a prerequisite for granting right-of-way franchises and approval of right-of-way construction permits.
The City of Snoqualmie General Sewer Plan ("plan") discusses sewer service to existing and future populations within the city's five-thousand-nine-hundred-acre service area. The service area includes both incorporated and unincorporated portions within the city's urban growth boundary. Approximately seven hundred twenty acres and three thousand two hundred people are currently served by the city.
Several large development projects in the city's urban growth area are proposed to be started in the near future. The projects include a casino proposed by the Snoqualmie Tribe and the Snoqualmie Ridge II development. The plan also includes a connection to the rural area for the Echo Glen Children's Center ("center"), a state-run facility for troubled youth. K.C.C. 13.24.134 allows for sewer service to be expanded to serve uses in the rural and natural resource areas only if the following conditions are met: the facilities are needed to address specific health and safety problems or to meet the needs of public facilities such as schools; the sewer extension is tightlined; and a finding is made by the utilities technical review committee that no cost effective alternative technologies are feasible. The center currently treats it own sewage and discharges the effluent to Icy creek. The existing plant, however, does not function properly and results in pollution of the creek. Other than connecting to the city's system, there do not appear to be any viable options that will both protect the creek and allow the center to continue to operate. On July 9, 2003, the utilities technical review committee approved a rural sewer connection to the center based on findings that there do not appear to be any other feasible on-site treatment options, the sewer connection will not lead to any further development of the rural area and polluting discharges to Icy creek will be eliminated.
The city currently treats annual average sewage flows of six hundred sixty thousand gallons per day. The treatment system consists of screens, a grit chamber, oxidation ditches, clarifiers, sand filters and ultraviolet disinfection. Treated effluent is discharged to the Snoqualmie river. The treatment process produces class A reclaimed water that is used on the Snoqualmie Ridge golf course and in city parks.
The city projects that in twenty years annual average sewage flows may reach over one million seven hundred thousand gallons per day. With reductions in infiltration and inflow and a greater emphasis on water conservation, the annual average flows can be reduced. The plan identifies over twelve million three hundred thousand dollars in capital improvements that will be needed in the next twenty years.
The King County utilities technical review committee reviewed and conditionally approved the plan on July 9, 2003. The condition of utilities technical review committee approval has been met by the city and is reflected in the plan copy attached to this ordinance. The utilities technical review committee recommends that the council approve the plan.
The city prepared an environmental checklist in January 2003 in accordance with the state Environmental Policy Act and intends to adopt a determination of nonsignificance at its next city council meeting. The city also intends to adopt the plan at its next city council meeting. The state department of ecology is currently reviewing the plan.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The City of Snoqualmie General Sewer Plan, Attachment A to this ordinance, is hereby approved without conditions.
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