City of Ogden wraps up wastewater treatment plant project

Nearly five years after first starting the process on an extensive $6 million project to bring the city of Ogden's wastewater treatment facility up to code, officials are ready to call it a wrap.

Wastewater Superintendent Chad Thede says that although the project was expensive, it was necessary, due to the fact that the upgrades were mandatory in order for the city to meet state compliance standards.

“Our last upgrades at the plant were in 2004, and wastewater treatment systems aren’t designed to last 50 years anymore with all of the harsh cleaners and chemicals that are run through it on a daily basis,” Thede said. “About five years ago, we got notice from the state about more stringent laws on waste discharge, so we did a study and found our plant couldn’t meet the standards. If we don’t meet these standards, we risk getting fined by different organizations. So, we had to look at options.”

Thede says the city decided to go with the most cost effective solution, which still came with a hefty $6 million price tag, though it could have been a lot pricier.

Instead of tearing down and building new, the city was able to repurpose all of the old buildings and bring them up to code, while adding two new structures.

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