City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board

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 sources available to the city.