Post Falls projects list growing

Terry Werner has so many projects on his plate that he posts a scorecard on his wall just so he can keep track of them all.

The Post Falls public works director is currently overseeing improvements at wastewater lift stations, water line upgrades, the renovation of a new street and fleet facility at the site of the former Post Falls Mazda, sewer line extensions and the expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The plant upgrade is top on the list right now, with work expected to begin before the end of the year.

How much capacity will be added depends in large part upon the size of upcoming construction bids.

Werner said that parts of the plant will be upgraded to be able to handle 5.1 million gallons of sewage a day, compared to 3.1 million now. Every part of the plant will have a daily treatment capacity of 4 million gallons.

The city anticipates the project will cost about $10.5 million. Lower bids would mean more work could be done. Higher, and the city would have to scale back its plans, Werner said.

The purchase of the former Post Falls Mazda property is making plant expansion easier than if the city had been limited to its existing site.

Both Post Falls and Rathdrum use the plant, which isn’t in danger of immediately running out of treatment capacity. Still, Post Falls is already using more than its agreed upon share of that capacity.

The plant still has the ability to treat more sewage, but Post Falls is using some of the capacity intended to be set aside as a reserve.

Plant expansion will solve that problem, Werner said.

Getting it done in the near-term is important for future growth, said Post Falls City Administrator Eric Keck.

Keck cited the Foxtail project as one example of a project that needs both sewer line and wastewater treatment plant expansion.

“When they start breaking ground on their project, we need to be moving forward with these improvements,” he said.