Engineering firms wanting to help design the city’s water reuse system have less than two weeks to get their applications into the city clerk’s office.

At its Sept. 8 meeting, the council was told the "request for qualifications" from engineering firms was sent out as part of the $1.1 million state Department of Ecology grant approved by the council on Aug. 25.

The application deadline is 3 p.m. Sept. 26.

City attorney Craig Ritchie said city staff will select the engineering consultant that will propose a contract to match the requirements of the Ecology grant.

The consultant is scheduled to be named during the first week of October and begin work about a week later with the project finishing by June 30, 2010.

The consultant will help the city develop its water reuse program, including engineering and design of water reuse sites and distribution system, hydrogeological studies for potential infiltration sites, permitting, public outreach and hydrogeological assessment, according to the city’s advertisement.

A technical advisory committee developed by the city and Clallam County identified five potential sites where the reuse water could be returned to the Dungeness River aquifer.

Three of those sites were identified for further investigation with one of those to be used as a test site.

The city council voted unanimously at its Aug. 25 meeting to accept the $1.1 million Ecology grant for expanding the city’s water reclamation site and distribution system.

The city must contribute a 25-percent match, or $275,817, to receive the grant. The money will come from the city’s sewer restricted fund.

The city operates a water reclamation plant, which produces about 627,000 gallons daily of "Class A" water, the highest class of reclaimed water.

It has had organic, inorganic and biological impurities removed but still is not approved as drinking water.

The city uses reclaimed water to irrigate the Reuse Demonstration Park and the majority of Carrie Blake Park, plus street landscaping on Bell Street and remote irrigation by truck throughout the city.

The reclaimed water demonstration site also supplies reclaimed water to the city fishpond and stream augmentation to Bell Creek. It also supplies water for public toilets, street sweeping and two commercial users.

As a condition of upgrading the site, the state Department of Health required a feasibility study of possible upland uses for the reclaimed water generated by the upgrade.