Angels Water Treatment Plant Work Completed

Improvements to the Angels Camp water treatment plant have been completed and officially accepted by the city council.

Council members closed the books on the project during their regular meeting Tuesday night.

Final cost of the job was just over $1.7 million. The actual cost to build it, performed by Twain Harte Construction, came to about $1.2 million. The project was covered by a $1.5 million zero-interest state revolving loan to be repaid with previously approved fee increases, and by a separate “clearwell fund” of $200,000.

The city council toured the facility off Murphys Grade Road prior to Tuesday´s meeting.

Improvements included the addition of a third filter, but City Administrator Tim Shearer said that only gives the plant a state-required back-up unit and doesn´t give them any more capacity over the old two-filter system.

A fourth filter will need to be added to increase capacity. That will be needed in about eight years, City Engineer Gary Ghio said. The project also included a new, enclosed 2.5 million gallon storage tank, replacing the old, open 1.3 million gallon clearwell.

During the tour, several council members joked about what to do with the now-dry concrete clearwell. Suggestions ranged from a skateboard facility to arena football to fly-casting practice pool. Ghio said part of it will have to be filled in when the treatment building is expanded for the fourth filter.

Calaveras Enterprise Story by Craig Koscho

ckoscho@calaverasenterprise.com.