Soldotna’s City Council on Wednesday, Aug. 28, unanimously approved an ordinance accepting nearly $2 million in funding for the city’s biosolids dewatering replacement project.

The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and was secured in 2022 by Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

According to a press release from the senator’s office, funding for three elements of the project was secured as congressionally directed spending in the Consolidated Appropriations Act Fiscal Year 2023, at $1,960,000.

In that release, $960,000 is described for upgrades to equipment used to dewater treated solids at the Soldotna Wastewater Treatment Plant, $680,000 is described for construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, and $320,000 is described to improve the quality of wastewater before it is discharged into the Kenai River.

The three projects, Soldotna City Manager Janette Bower said during the Aug. 28 meeting of the Soldotna City Council, were combined due to “an escalation of the cost.”

The City of Soldotna 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan describes the Biosolids Dewatering Project as a $4.1 million project to reconstruct a building and replace equipment. The ordinance passed by the council both accepts the grant funding from the EPA and appropriates the funding toward that project.

The ordinance was passed unanimously and with little discussion by the council.

A full recording of the meeting, the text of the ordinance, and the city’s 5-year capital improvement plan can all be found at soldotna.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.