Dallesport Wastewater Treatment Plant to face operations bidding

The county currently owns the treatment plant, while Klickitat County Public Utility District operates it. Transferring the ownership away from Klickitat County has been the topic of discussion in the past — however, this discussion was instead focused on the operations and maintenance contract.

The board gave the go-ahead to the public works department to begin drafting documents for the open bid — which is expected to happen in early 2024. The decision for a public bid comes after the treatment plant’s bonds were paid off in 2022, and follows a history of fiscal difficulties at the plant, including alleged artificially low consumer costs, and costly maintenance repairs.

“As the officials who were elected to be fiscal … I believe it is well past time that the county puts the O&M [operations and maintenance] contract out to bid publicly to allow any and all eligible parties to submit a bid of what they think is reasonable,” Christopher said.

The process would also likely involve an audit of current charges that the wastewater plant is billing, including staffing costs.

However, the vision for the wastewater treatment plant to become more fiscally viable through an open bid meets disagreement as community groups in Dallesport hold meetings to discuss the plant. A petition circulated by the community group Save Dallesport WA calls for a 24-month operations and maintenance contract to be awarded to the Dallesport Public Utility District.

The petition had garnered 160 signature as of Dec. 5, according to a public commenter familiar with the petition who spoke at the commissioners’ meeting. More signatures are expected, she said.

When county taxpayers finished paying off the treatment plant in 2022, former County Commissioner Dave Sauter advocated for Dallesport to become self-sufficient for wastewater needs. Many residents appeared to be on board with the proposal.

It also seems to be in sync with the self-sufficiency proposal that the Dallesport Public Utility District operates and maintains the wastewater treatment plant — although qualifications and fiscal impacts should be fully considered.

Some residents have previously voiced concerns that — at least for the transfer of ownership — if a private enterprise were to own the treatment plant, open community discussion about the plant could be lost.

As of now, it appears possible that a third-party could bid for the operations and maintenance contract.

Public Works Deputy Director Jeff Hunter stated during the commissioners’ meeting that price would not be the only determining factor for awarding the operations and maintenance contract.

“It cannot be a low-bid takes all,” Hunter said, referring to operation cost bids. “They have to meet certain qualifications. It’ll be judged not just on price — it also has to be shown on experience level, qualifications, and the ability to do certain things.”

The board of commissioners and public works discussed bringing in an outside consultant, preferably from a firm that specializes in wastewater treatment plants, to sit on the committee and help score the request for proposal (RFP), the document that outlines service requirements and solicits proposals.

The outside consultant would be independent from anyone involved in the bidding, and would help determine who has qualifications for the operations and maintenance contract.

“I think that gives a fair, unbiased, transparent process for everyone involved,” Christopher said, referring to the independent consultant.

The request for proposal document is expected to be completed in January 2024, leading to next steps in the bidding process.