By John Leggett-The Courier Herald

After nearly a decade of dogged determination, the $14.5 million aspiration of building an overdue and much needed wastewater treatment plant in Buckley has finally come to fruition. The city will host a ground-breaking ceremony Friday.

&#8220It takes a long time and a united effort for a city the size of Buckley to accomplish an undertaking of this magnitude,” City Administrator David Schmidt said.

&#8220It is amazing what projects can be completed when everyone is rowing in sync. If the people that make the decisions are arguing and going in different directions, then the boat just goes around in circles and you never get anything done,” Schmidt added.

Although progress has been ongoing throughout the years, Schmidt admits that success hasn't come without its share of snags, obstacles, trials and tribulations.

&#8220The reason the moratorium on new building came to pass in the first place is because of the ever-increasingly strict environmental regulations regarding treated wastewater discharge into the White River, on top of the fact that our current sewage treatment plant was beginning to peak out, as far as its maximum potential capacity for usage,” Schmidt said.

Another legal hoop the city had to jump through was - since it was being given access to a Public Works Trust Fund loan - it was legally obligated to carry out a thorough archeological survey. This was done within the past few months with the full consultation of the Muckleshoot and Puyallup Indian tribes as well as Historical Research Associates, to verify that construction of the new treatment plant would not disturb any ancient ceremonial burial grounds.

Another potential stumbling block came when a family that owned 10 acres of land, including a 1.1 acre corner that was on a slope in the vicinity of the parcel of land earmarked for the new treatment plant, wanted to strike a deal with the city.

The owners of the property, who also own the Meadowbrook Mobile Home Park, which is adjacent to the site of the new plant, told the city via their attorney, that all they were asking in exchange for the city's use of the 1.1 acres was for the city to set aside 90 connections from the new plant, just in case they decide to build a multi-family complex in the future.

&#8220The city basically lost nothing by agreeing to this,” Schmidt maintained, &#8220because there is nothing chiseled in stone that says this family is ever going to build this very expensive complex. They have 10 years to make up their mind, after that the temporary agreement expires.”

Nearly half of the finances needed to initiate the venture will come from a $7 million Public Works Trust Fund loan, which carries an interest rate of one-half of 1 percent.

The majority of the remaining money could come from a combination of different viable sources, according to Schmidt, the favorite and most fiscally feasible option being direct funding from the state, which would not have to be paid back.

The city has been working with the state's Department of Social and Health Services and Rainier School on the sewer treatment facility that is nearly 40 years old.

The plan is to eliminate the treated sewage going into the White River from Rainier School's plant and replace that system by pumping its wastewater through the new city plant.

&#8220We are crossing our fingers that the $4.2 million package will be approved by the Legislature, since it was already passed by the House budget committee. This package really is a win-win situation from a financial standpoint for all parties concerned,” Schmidt said. &#8220It would save the taxpayers a lot of money and in the long term it would get the state out of the sewer business, because it wouldn't have to worry about Rainier School's aging facility anymore. And, of course, it would enable the city of Buckley to complete the crucial Phase III of the plant without incurring any more of a financial burden.”

Schmidt said the city will remain optimistic, but nothing is certain until the governor's signature makes funding official. If things fall through in Olympia, the city is looking at at least three other options.

One resource would be to utilize the revenue from new development in Buckley. Now that the 10-year moratorium on anything but minimal building will most likely be lifted, money should start pouring in from that realm, due to new construction that would require the installation of new wastewater connections.

Another sources of money would be a subsequent Public Works Trust Fund loan, which Schmidt claims the city is ready to pull the trigger on if it must. Or, another possibility would be taking the money out of cash reserves, which Schmidt calls the least desirable recourse.

John Leggett can be reached at jleggett@courierherald.com.