August 29, 2002
Thursday - 12:45 am

In a month the Ketchikan Gateway Borough will be prepared to begin moving sludge to its Ward Cove mill site. A tank will be used at the site for storage of the sludge and plans are to build a small building over the tank to store some equipment.

Dick Smith, Director of the KGB Public Works Department, noted in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the equipment needed to begin composting sludge is presently being manufactured and plans are to begin composting sludge at the Ward Cove mill site not later than the first of the year and possibly even as early as November.

According to information provided on the Borough's web site, ordinances will provide for an initial loan of $625,000 from the Borough Land Trust to construct the needed facility at the Ward Cove Mill site for storage and composting the sludge pumped from on-site and service area treatment systems. The Borough says the final product from this facility will meet Class A Biosolids Standards as defined by the EPA and said to result in a composted product that is pathogen free and unrestricted in its use - meaning that one could confidently condition a vegetable garden with it.

Ordinances also establish an Enterprise Fund and a monthly household fee structure. According to Borough information, an Enterprise Fund, like the Airport Enterprise Fund, is

--- D-1 Loop Temporary Storage Site photo by Dick Kauffman ---

required to be self-financing. This Enterprise Fund must generate revenue to pay for its activities and to repay the $625,000 loan. A monthly fee of $15 per household will provide this funding. This fee is to be paid by Borough households outside the cities of Ketchikan and Saxman and also paid by the service areas of Mountain Point and Forest Park. This fee has been in place and billed for several months.

In the meantime, the sludge that has been removed from on-site and service area treatment systems has been temporarily stored at a site on the D-1 Loop road north of Ketchikan. According to the KGB Public Works Director, Dick Smith, this temporary storage site has been utilized for approximately two to three months. Smith said the plan is to begin moving the temporarily stored sludge from the D-1 Loop location to the Ward Cove mill site in a month.

Permission was obtained to visit the D-1 Loop area to view the temporary sludge storage site. The visit on Wednesday revealed what appeared to be nothing more than piles of sawdust. There were no runoffs visible following the heavy rains which Ketchikan recently experienced and no obnoxious odors noticeable. Overall, the temporary sludge storage site appeared to be appropriately maintained by the Borough.

And what exactly do you get for the $15 monthly sludge fee you pay?

According to information provided by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the fee will entitle eligible households to one free pumping of the on-site system every three years, a service that costs almost $400. In addition, Borough technicians will periodically monitor on-site systems and advise owners of any possible maintenance needs.

How is the $15 monthly sludge fee used?

For more information:

KGB Department of Public Works Wastewater & Sludge web site

 

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