The North Las Vegas City Council has approved the purchase of land for the city's future water reclamation facility, and according to David Bereskin, director of the North Las Vegas utilities department, the city is now in the process of deciding how to go about the project.
Bereskin said the city is considering two possible routes -- a design, bid, build method, or a design, build method.
If the city uses a design, bid, build method, engineers and designers will be hired to design the facility, and a separate contractor will be hired to build it.
With a design, build method, the engineers, designers and contractors will be a package deal.
Bereskin said each method has its pros and cons. The design, bid, build method will take more time -- Bereskin estimated the facility would be complete and ready to use sometime in 2010 if that method is chosen, but he said it would also give the city more involvement during the design process.
If the city goes with the design, build method, Bereskin estimated the facility would be complete in late 2009 or early 2010.
He believes a decision will be reached in the next two to three weeks, and about 15 days later, he hopes a design team will be hired.
The city also is currently conducting environmental assessments and looking at aerial photographs of the site in order to start a preliminary design for the site.
Currently, about 90 percent of the city's wastewater is handled by the city of Las Vegas, while the other 10 percent is handled by Clark County.
After looking at several studies, the city council decided to move forward with the design and construction of a facility in October 2004, Bereskin said.
"We're working with the city of Las Vegas to be able to plan a successful departure from that facility," Bereskin said.
The city began the process of acquiring its own water reclamation facility about 2 1/2 years ago.
"We decided it would be in the best interest of the city of North Las Vegas to build our own (water reclamation) facility so we can be in control of our growth and direction," Bereskin said.
He said the hard part has been finding a location for the facility, though last month the council approved the purchase of about 20 acres of land on Frehner Road, near Losee Road and Interstate 15 for $12.5 million. The city decided to build its own plant after wastewater rates increased by about 40 percent over the course of recent years.
The city spent more than one year looking for the right spot for the project.
"We found a lot of (possible) sites, and we ended up going with this one," he said. "All in all, it's a very good site. It's an industrial area bordered on the east by Interstate 15 and on the west and south by Frehner Road."
The city is considering several design options for the facility, and Bereskin said because the site will be in an industrial area and out of the public eye, it may not need the decorative ponds and walkways that have been used by some cities.
Bereskin said North Las Vegas has already obtained approval for the facility from the county and the state Division of Environmental Protection.
The water reclamation facility was originally expected to cost about $140 million, though Bereskin said that figure is now closer to $180 million.
Studies originally showed that the facility would save the city about $225 million over the next 20 years or so, and Bereskin said that number also has risen.
"Right now, (the utilities department's) No. 1 expense is having our water treatment done through a third party," he said.
While residents will still see increases in their utilities bill due to inflation, those increases will not be as great as they would be if the city didn't build its own treatment facility, Bereskin said.
Sharon Powers, president of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, agreed that building the water reclamation facility is the right thing for the city to do.
"It's going to be positive for our neighborhood and North Las Vegas as a whole. Right now, North Las Vegas contracts out with city of Las Vegas, and it's paying for that service," she said. "Once it's built, costs are projected to go down for everyone in North Las Vegas. As a chamber, we support this kind of action from the city."
Powers also said that because businesses also have to pay for water and utilities, lowering costs by building a North Las Vegas water reclamation facility will help them save money.
"Anyone who owns a business in North Las Vegas, as well as individuals, will benefit in the long term," she said.
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