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### Meeting Overview The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on March 4, 2025, to discuss water conservation goals and wastewater treatment upgrades. Committee members Hannah Stone (chair), Lisa Anderson, and Jace Cotton (remote) reviewed a 10-year water efficiency plan and received a briefing on a $40 million air pollution control project at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Water Use Efficiency Program:** State-mandated conservation program requiring municipal water providers to set goals and implement measures to reduce water consumption and ensure long-term supply reliability. **Single Family Residential Account:** The billing category used by the city to measure water consumption per household connection, averaging 154 gallons per day per account. **Distribution System Leakage Standard:** State requirement that water systems maintain leakage at 10% or less, calculated as the difference between water production and consumption. **Quad-L Regulatory Standard:** More stringent federal air pollution regulations for sewage sludge incinerators that Post Point will likely need to meet within 3-5 years. **Multiple Hearth Incinerators:** The technology currently used at Post Point to burn sewage sludge, reducing its mass by about 90% before disposal. **Air Pollution Control Equipment (APC):** Systems that clean emissions from incinerators before release to atmosphere, including devices like electrostatic precipitators and thermal oxidizers. **Water Resources Advisory Board (RAB):** Community board that reviews and recommends water-related policies to City Council. **PFAS:** "Forever chemicals" that don't break down naturally and are increasingly found in wastewater systems, creating disposal challenges. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, First Ward Council Member | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, Fifth Ward Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, At-Large Council Member (remote) | | Riley Grant | Public Works Communications & Outreach Manager | | Mike Olinger | Interim Public Works Co-Director | | Casey Gish | Brown and Caldwell Engineer/Project Manager | | Matt Stamps | Assistant City Attorney | ### Background Context Bellingham faces two significant inf…