Construction began May 6 on the Port Hadlock low-pressure sewer collection system with crews preparing to install welded high-density polyethylene piping in a three-mile area along Chimacum Road from Elkins Road to south of Ness’ Corner Road.

The pipeline will move sewage from connected properties to the membrane bio-reactor wastewater treatment plant, currently under construction.

Laying sewer pipe is just one phase of a many-phase project slated for completion in July 2025.

In addition to laying sewer pipe along Chimacum Road, county staff released a timeline of other sewer line installations for summer, fall and early winter of 2024.

Samantha Harper, wastewater project manager for the county’s public works department, said citizens can stay informed via the Low Pressure Sewer Collection System webpage and through updates on Instagram and Facebook.

From May until July, according to county documents, crews will begin work in the area of Chimacum Road from Elkins Road to south of Ness’ Corner Road. As work progresses on Chimacum Road, sewer lines will also be installed on Elkins Road, Lopeman Road, Church Lane, Faith Way, Morrissey Avenue, and Lawn Street. The work will include clearing and grubbing of shrubs and vegetation, followed by the welding of low-pressure sewer pipe, installation of the main line and other items such as air relief valves and cleanouts.

Once the first crew is finished, the second crew will backfill the trench, restore disrupted paved surfaces, test the low-pressure pipes, replace sidewalks, curbs and gutters and repave affected areas.

“There will be (traffic) delays, but I do not foresee any being for a long period of time,” Harper said. “There will be flagging and alternating traffic in some areas.”  

From there, crews will work from July to September installing sewer line along Masonic Hall Road at Ness' Corner Road to approximately 600 feet north of Matheson Street. Work will continue east on Matheson Street to Curtiss Street. The sewer line will then be constructed southward on the west side of Irondale Road from Matheson Street for approximately 375 feet. The line will then be constructed south on Alley Street to Curtiss Street, then both east and west on Curtiss Street, south on Scott Road to an easement behind the Kivley Center. Where the sewer line on Matheson meets Curtiss Street, a sewer line will be constructed both north and south on Curtiss Street and continue along a trail leading to the Ajax Cafe parking lot.

From September through December, plans indicate crews will move on to Blanche Avenue, Christney Road, Cedar Avenue and Mason Street, with crews connecting the line along Ness’ Corner Road to the Masonic Hall and Cedar Avenue lines.

A map of the project area shows pipeline installation occurring in four stages through the Port Hadlock’s core service area.

The $35 million project was planned and launched to ease the area’s affordable housing crisis and allow for more commercial growth in Port Hadlock.

Harper said in late February, Port Townsend-based Seton Construction completed site prep and earth work, installation of basic infrastructure such as power, water and fiber optic lines, low pressure sewer pipes and effluent pipes at the sewage treatment plant site.

Since then, Harper said, Burlington-based Interwest Construction, Inc., began construction on the actual wastewater treatment plant, including administration buildings and other ancillary facilities. That work is currently underway with crews preparing to pour building foundations.

As designed, and once complete, the membrane bioreactor treatment plant will be able to handle 90,000 gallons per day.

At nearly 20 years in the planning, county leadership has identified the sewer system as key to increased economic development in the Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area (UGA). When sewer construction is complete, the UGA will be able to support housing, medical facilities, higher- density multifamily residences, senior housing, as well as commercial and industrial development.

Greg Brotherton, District 3 Jefferson County commissioner, said county staff and elected officials will explore how the sewer will affect housing densities in the UGA as the county works on its periodic update to the county’s comprehensive plan.

While planning has spanned nearly two decades, it wasn’t until 2021 that a $20 million legislative appropriation under state Rep. Steve Tharinger brought the project to fruition.

Construction, according to county documents, will follow a phased plan, starting with Port Hadlock’s commercial core along State Route 116 and Rhody Drive. Planning documents call this the “core” area, with service and connections beginning in this zone and expanding into residential areas over time.

Initially, the county plans to “stage” about 100 connections in the Phase I sewer project area. Staging involves preparing all the necessary materials for connecting a property to the system, without actually completing the connection until the system is operational. Staging is expected to start this summer for the highest water users, with connections likely occurring the summer of 2025. The county plans to cover the cost of these initial connections in the Phase I area for as long as funding is available. This phase of the project also includes septic tank decommissioning.