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City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board

BEL-WRA-2025-11-25 November 25, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham 50 min
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The Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board received a comprehensive briefing on the future of wastewater solids management at the Post Point Treatment Plant, addressing one of the city's most complex infrastructure challenges. The presentation, delivered by Superintendent Steve Bradshaw and Engineer Steve Day, outlined the city's path forward after abandoning a $200+ million biosolids project in 2022 due to escalating costs and emerging PFAS contamination concerns. The board learned that the city will proceed with emissions control upgrades to existing incinerators while developing a comprehensive sewer plan over the next two years to identify long-term solutions. The emissions upgrade project, costing significantly less upfront than landfilling alternatives, keeps treatment local under city control while buying time for next-generation technologies to mature. Staff emphasized that landfilling would cost $189 million over 20 years compared to $70 million for the emissions upgrade, while adding 3-4 truck trips daily through Fairhaven and creating dependency on outside vendors. The presentation revealed the challenging regulatory landscape surrounding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in biosolids, with states like Maine banning land application while the federal government has provided little guidance on safe levels. Washington will require PFAS sampling by 2027, adding another layer of uncertainty to future planning. The discussion highlighted that Bellingham's PFAS concentrations are very low compared to communities with industrial sources, reflecting general community background levels rather than concentrated contamination. Board members engaged in detailed questioning about the decision-making framework, carbon emissions comparisons, and permitting challenges for new incinerators. The meeting concluded with recognition that this issue will require hundreds of millions in ratepayer investment over the coming decades, with no external funding source

No formal votes were taken during this informational meeting. The presentation served to brief board members on the current status of wastewater solids management and upcoming comprehensive planning process. Key informational updates provided: - Emissions control upgrade project will proceed (previously authoriz…

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The core policy challenge centers on how Bellingham will manage wastewater solids for the next two decades while navigating unprecedented regulatory uncertainty around PFAS contamination. Staff presented three fundamental options evaluated: continuing with upgraded incineration, transitioning to landfilling, or pursuing new technologies that don't yet exist at commercial scale. The abandoned biosolids project represented the city's previous commitment to beneficial reuse and energy generation, checking "all the boxes" for environmental sustainability when selected in 2015. However, project costs grew from initial estimates to over $200 million by 2022, while PFAS concerns made land application increasingly uncertain. Staff emphasized that no available technologies could simultaneously meet affordability, reliable service, and environmental certainty requirements. The landfilling alternative analysis revealed significant long-term costs and operational risks. Beyond the $119 million cost differential over 20 years, landfilling would require shutting down incinerators that cannot be restarted under current permits, creating perma…
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**Steve Bradshaw (Superintendent)** emphasized the reliability imperative, stating the city has had "50 years of reliable incineration service" and that maintaining local control avoids dependency on outside vendors. He expressed concern about PFAS regulatory uncertainty, calling it a "tricky subject to solve" given the industry-wide challenges. **Steve Day (Engineer)** provided technical details on permitting challenges and PFAS concentrations, noting that Bellingham's levels are "very close to background" and "reflective of the community" rather than industrial contamination. He emphasized the need for federal and state regulatory clarity. **Joel Pfundt (Director)** framed the challenge in terms of community decision-making, acknowledging the city's history of "not quite getting over the finish line" on major projects and emphasizing the need for community comfort with investing hundreds of millions of ratepayer dollars. **C…
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**Steve Bradshaw, on PFAS regulatory challenges:** "None of the solutions at hand are ideal in any way, and what we thought we were getting into in 2016 to 2022 was the best and greenest, even if it had a slightly higher cost approach, and it really did check all of the boxes at that time." **Joel Pfundt, on community investment decisions:** "We want to make sure that we're getting that right, and that kind of thing, so that's what we will be working on... it will all, in the end, fall to the…
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**Early 2026:** City will bring forward state of technology update to board and council **Mid-2026:** Public engagement for comprehensive sewer plan will begin, including Water Resources Advisory Board and City Council involvement **Early 2027:** Early recommendations will be presented for community feedback **Mid-2027:** Comprehensive rate study will be condu…

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The meeting established a definitive timeline for comprehensive sewer planning, moving from general intentions to specific milestones over the next two years. The board received detailed cost analysis showing landfilling would cost $189 million versus $70 million for emissions upgrades over 20 years, providing clear financial rationale for the chosen path. Staff confirmed that the emissions control upgrade project will proceed while serving as a bridge to future technologies, resolving any remaining uncertainty about near-term direction. The presentation formalized the community engagement process that will involve both the Water Resources Advisory…
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# Water Resources Advisory Board Faces Bellingham's Biggest Wastewater Challenge ## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board convened at Pacific Street Operations on November 25, 2025, for what would prove to be one of the most substantive technical briefings in recent memory. Present were board members John Peppel, Fiona McNair, Carl Benson, and Martin Kjelstad, along with City staff including Director Joel Pfundt, Superintendent Steve Bradshaw, Engineer Steve Day, and project manager Rush Duncan. The evening's focal point was a comprehensive presentation on Post Point solids management — a decades-long challenge that has become increasingly complex as federal regulations around PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have upended traditional approaches to biosolids management across the country. With the city facing critical infrastructure decisions that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and affect Bellingham ratepayers for decades, the presentation aimed to provide the advisory board with the technical foundation they'll need as the city moves toward its comprehensive sewer planning process in 2026-2027. Also attending were two members of the public: an inventor hoping to share a water-saving device with the board, and James Perkins, a student observing for a school assignment. The meeting reflected the complex intersection of municipal engineering, environmental regulation, and community engagement that defines modern wastewater management. ## The Post Point Wastewater Challenge: A 50-Year Legacy Meets Modern Complexities Superintendent Steve Bradshaw and Engineer Steve Day opened with a detailed history that traces back to 1974, when Bellingham built its first incinerator at Post Point — "a major environmental step forward at that time." Before then, the city's wastewater received only basic primary treatment at C Street before being discharged directly into Bellingham Bay. "Prior to 1974, our wastewater received basic primary treatment at C Street prior to being directly discharged into Bellingham Bay," Bradshaw explained. A second incinerator was added in 1994 "for redundancy and reliability," creating a system that has provided "50 years of continuous and local treatment under state and regional oversight." The presentation revealed how what seemed like a straightforward infrastructure cha…
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A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. ### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham's Water Resources Advisory Board met on November 25, 2025, to receive a comprehensive update on wastewater solids management at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The presentation covered the facility's 50-year history, current challenges with emerging contaminants like PFAS, and future planning for long-term solids treatment solutions. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant:** Bellingham's primary wastewater treatment facility, operating since 1974 with two incinerators for processing sewage sludge into ash. **PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances):** "Forever chemicals" found in consumer products that persist in the environment and are increasingly regulated in biosolids applications, creating new challenges for wastewater treatment. **Biosolids:** Treated sewage sludge that can be beneficially reused, typically through land application as fertilizer, though PFAS concerns are limiting this option. **Incineration vs. Landfilling:** Two main options for current solids disposal - burning sludge on-site to create ash versus trucking untreated sludge to distant landfills. **Emissions Control Upgrade:** The city's planned $70+ million project to install modern air pollution control equipment on existing incinerators to meet current environmental standards. **Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA):** Regional air quality regulator that oversees Post Point's air emissions and has reached a settlement with the city for upgrades. **Comprehensive Sewer Plan:** Upcoming 2026-2027 planning process to evaluate long-term wastewater system needs and solids management options. **Class A Biosolids:** Highly treated sewage sludge that meets strict pathogen and metal standards for unrestricted public use, like the product LaConner distributes free to residents. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Steve Bradshaw | Superintendent, City of Bellingham | | Steve Day | Engineer, City of Bellingham | | Joel Pfundt | Public Works Director, City of Bellingham | | Rush Duncan | City of Bellingham staff, meeting facilitator | | Randy Grant | City of Bellingham staff | | Annalise Burns | City of Bellingham staff | | John Peppel | Water Resources Advisory Board member | | Fiona McNair | Water Resources Advisory Board member | | Carl Benson | Water Resources Advisory Board member | | Martin Kjelstad | Water Resources Advisory Board member | | Ed McCaffrey | Public attendee/inventor | | James Perkins | Public attendee/student | ### Background Context Bellingham has operated wastewater incinerators at Post Point since 1974, making it one of the few remaining municipal sludge incineration facilities in the Pacific Northwest. …
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Utilities Environmental Government Operations City Of Bellingham Edmonds Lynnwood Northwest Clean Air Agency Post Point Post Point Treatment Plant Washington Ecology Water Resources Advisory Board Annalise Burns Carl Benson Ed Mccaffrey Fiona Mcnair Joel Pfundt John Peppel Martin Kjelstad Randy Grant Rush Duncan Steve Bradshaw Steve Day Steve Day Biosolids Community Engagement Comprehensive Planning Comprehensive Sewer Plan Cost Analysis Emissions Control Environmental Risk Incineration Landfilling Pfas Regulatory Compliance Solids Management Technology Assessment Truck Transportation Wastewater Treatment