The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant improvement project is one year down out of three

An investment of $60 million has made it possible to refurbish the iconic way to treat wastewater in our area.

“It’s the largest capital improvement project the city of Arcata has ever undertaken,” said Emily Sinkhorn, the Environmental Services Director. “The purpose is to upgrade a lot of our aging wastewater infrastructure, as well as implement a new disinfection system.”

A lot of the upgrades are being made towards the components of the wastewater treatment plant from the 1980s.

“All this is happening as city staff are concurrently continuing to operate our treatment plant,” Sinkhorn said. “So it’s definitely a dance of  super large construction projects and continuing to meet the needs of the community and ensure we are sending a high water quality effluent to Humboldt Bay.” 

Here’s what’s in the works:      

A building to house all the electrical components. Paving the parking lot on I street of the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. A new dock that replaces the old one that sank and will be open by mid-February accompanied by a grand opening event. A date and time for the grand opening of the dock hasn’t been announced yet.

The city is also considering building a dog park near the entrance of the marsh. The improvements being made will protect the wastewater treatment plant from coastal hazards through 2055.

“One of the challenges is that the earth is warming up and sea levels are rising,” said Elliot Dabill, the President of Friends of the Arcata Marsh (FOAM). “And because this is all at sea level, we’re going to fix it up to work better. And one of the challenges for the city of Arcata is how do you protect it from sea level rise?”

The goal to complete the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant is December 2025.

To see and learn more about the improvements or learn about the wildlife FOAM will be hosting a free tour on Saturday, January 20. The tour starts at 2 p.m. People will gather in the lobby of the Interpretive Center on South G Street. This tour will take place rain or shine.