SEQUIM — An amended state Department of Ecology water reclamation grant agreement and a contract approved by the Sequim City Council could lead to improvements at the Water Reuse Demonstration Park next to Carrie Blake Park.
The council approved the agreement in a unanimous 4-0 vote Monday night.
Council members Erik Erichsen and Laura Dubois were absent, and one seat recently has been vacated.
The Reclaimed Water Grant amendment will provide a grant time extension to next year for the city to receive $465,566 for engineering work, said Paul Haines, public works director.
Sequim’s public works department has plans to expand the wastewater reclamation ponds at the city’s Reuse Demonstration Park and improve the adjacent amphitheater.
Full funding is not complete, and fundraising efforts will begin in the future, Haines said.
The plan, currently in the early stages, would have the current pond informally known as the “fish pond” replaced with a larger pond.
The bigger pond would be healthier for fish and would be an improvement for remote-controlled boat operators, Haines said.
The plan was developed from the plans of local model-boat enthusiasts who said they need a different orientation in relation to the wind to make full use of the water surface, Haines said.
Dirt removed to create the larger pond would be used to make the amphitheater taller for improved views of both the amphitheater and the pond, he said.
Another project in planning is the installation of “leaky pipes.”
The pipes, which are designed for controlled leakage, would be placed in city right of ways, a method of disposing of excess water during times that water demand is low, Haines said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
