(KLZA)--During the June 19th Humboldt City Council meeting, representatives of Olsson Associates engineers presented information from their review of the Humboldt wastewater treatment system.

In addition to the review of the current system, alternative treatment options for the future were presented.

The current waste water treatment facility was built in 1966 with major modifications made in 1977. Since then a UV system was installed in 2008.

While the existing facility has performed well, the engineering firm believes it is approaching the end of its useful life, with the age of the plant putting it at risk of major operational issues and possible failure.

The company expressed an opinion that Humboldt cannot wait for the facility to begin failing before providing a new system.

Of the five alternatives presented, Olsson recommended going with a controlled discharge lagoon. This type system, is operated to store wastewater for extended periods and to periodically discharge treated effluent in accordance with permits.

According to the company, this would be the most cost-effective option and would remove the aging mechanical treatment plant from service. It should also have lower operation and maintenance costs than the existing facility.

The company also recommended placing the facility on the east side of Humboldt at the former airport site which is property the city owns.

The estimated cost for the controlled discharge lagoon system is $2,889,000.

An application could be submitted for state and federal funding.

No action was taken. The Council will be discussing the proposal further during their July 3rd meeting.