Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Second Phase of Stimulus Project
On Friday, February 12, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District broke ground on the second phase of its $9.3 million federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) -funded Highlands Lagoon Elimination Project. The contract for this phase has been awarded to Cortez-based Southwest Contracting, Inc.
The second phase of the wastewater treatment facility project involves the installation of a redundant centrifuge and construction of a biosolids beneficial use facility. The centrifuge is the equipment that de-waters the sludge, or by-product of the sewage treatment process, prior to its disposal. A secondary centrifuge is necessary to ensure that sewage treatment operations remain uninterrupted in the case that the primary centrifuge encounters mechanical problems.
Currently, the sludge is disposed in the Archuleta County landfill. It is anticipated that the biosolids facility will convert the sludge to a product with beneficial use, reducing disposal costs and landfill space requirements while providing community gardeners, local parks and landscapers with a rich soil amendment.
The District anticipates that completion of Phase Two will occur by December 2011 commensurate with completion of Phase One, which is the elimination of the Highlands Lagoon facility and conveyance of sewage from that site to the Vista facility.
Pictured above, from left:Gene Tautges (PAWSD), Tony Fitzgerald and Steve Franchini (SW Constracting), Patrick O'Brien (Briliam Engineering), PAWSD Director Harold Slavinski, Gregg Mayo (PAWSD) and Beth Stoddard (Briliam)
Harold Slavinski and Gene Tautges pointing out the future location of the redundant centrifuge. |
