Port Hadlock UGA - Sewer Facility Plan
Jefferson County Moving Forward
with
Sewer Facility Plan
Adoption of Sewer Facility Plan Anticipated in Early 2009
- County completing Sewer Facility Plan
- Ongoing work to secure funding shows results
- Next phase of sewer planning to begin
 Jefferson County is moving ahead with finalizing the Sewer Facility Plan for the Irondale/Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area (UGA) as required by the State of Washington Growth Management Act.
The County’s Department of Public Works has prepared a Draft Sewer Facility Plan that defines a proposed wastewater treatment and reuse system and describes potential financing strategies. Input from the community has been instrumental in developing the Sewer Facility Plan.
The goals for building a wastewater treatment system include supporting commercial growth and affordable housing in the Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA, helping to protect water quality, and providing additional water in Chimacum Creek.
Please click here for news on the status of the Sewer Facility Plan, funding for the project, and next steps in the sewer planning process.
Project Background
 In response to the 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA), Jefferson County pursued the designation of an Urban Growth Area (UGA) in the Irondale/Port Hadlock area. As part of the requirements for establishing a UGA, Jefferson County is conducting a study of alternatives for developing a sewer system.
The sewer study will enable the County to identify:
- The final preferred alternative or method of collection, treatment, and disposal/reuse of wastewater,
- The service area,
- The phasing of implementation of sewers throughout the service area,
- The estimated cost for individual connections to sewer, and
- Financing strategy and revenue sources.
The goal of the study is to produce a comprehensive sewer facility plan that will help the County plan for growth in the area over the next 20 years; that will satisfy RCW 36.94 concerning County's sewerage, water, and drainage system responsibilities; and that will be approved by the Department of Ecology.
Expected Outcomes
A general sewer plan will be prepared that provides enough detail for Jefferson County to move directly to the design phase. It will fulfill the GMA requirements to provide sanitary sewer throughout the new UGA over the 20-year planning period and to show a defined funding mechanism for sewer service within the next six years for areas where commercial and residential development is allowed at urban densities.
Related Efforts
As the project team plans for a sewer system, they will continue to consider any interrelationships with other planning efforts, such as the Quilcene - Snow Watershed Resource Inventory Area (WRIA 17) and water supply planning by Jefferson County PUD #1. The project team recognizes that existing septic systems provide groundwater recharge, which may in turn feed Chimacum Creek and contribute to the area's water supply. The sewer plan must support the goals of those planning efforts.
Site updated 6/25/08
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