The planning phase for replacing Winthrop’s aged wastewater treatment facility, which is in violation of its state permits and frequently generates unpleasant odors, is underway. But actual construction is still several years, and at least $30 million, in the distance.
The Winthrop Town Council held a required public hearing on the replacement facility’s design at its Sept. 2 meeting, where representatives from Gray & Osborne consulting engineers brought them up to date on the project’s status.
Design for the new wastewater treatment plant is being funded through a $1.91 million combination of grants and loans administered by the state Public Works Board and Department of Ecology.
Replacement of the facility is expected to cost $30 million, which will need to be funded through a mix of grants and loans from a variety of state and federal sources. Construction costs are expected to require higher sewage system rates for town residents.
Adam Miller of Gray & Osborne told the council that the existing plant was built in 1971 and last upgraded in 1990. Its technology is outdated, Miller said, and the plant doesn’t meet the discharge limits set by the state permitting system.
A process that began in 2019 produced seven alternatives for replacing the plant, from which one was selected, Miller said.
Miller said the new plant will have a smaller footprint and be farther from the Methow River. As for increased rates, Miller said his firm is conducting a study of the potential impacts for users. He said the town will seek the best combination of funding options that will keep rate increases limited.
Next steps are completing the design details, and decommissioning the treatment lagoon — the source of pungent odors that can plague the nearby Heckendorn neighborhood. Miller did not provide an estimate for when construction funds would be available.
The new plant will be sized to accommodate the next 20 years of growth in Winthrop, Miller said. Town Planner Rocklynn Culp said that the existing plant can handle current and near-term needs.
Miller said a few developments would not materially affect the plant’s operation, “which is pretty poor.”
Fire risks
In public comments at last week’s meeting, longtime downtown property owner John Lester said the town should concentrate on keeping fires out of Winthrop, since it is not possible to make it entirely fireproof.
The town’s boardwalks, which have been the subject of recent discussion, are a lower fire risk than roofing and siding materials on many of the downtown buildings, Lester said. He recommended “cleaning up” vegetation along the Chewuch and Methow rivers to reduce the fuels that fires need to spread. “We can push the fire out of town,” he said. “We need to start with simple things.”
Lester, who was involved in the original Westernization planning in the 1970s, said he supports the use of fire-resistant materials in the downtown area.
Culp noted that because of shoreline restrictions, clearing vegetation “needs to happen with some coordination” between the town and property owners.
Tax revenues update
Collections of important tourism-related revenues this year continue to lag 2025’s results.
In the latest figures released by the town, collections for both of the hotel/motel taxes, and for retail sales and use taxes, through August 2026 are down from comparable year-to-date figures for 2025.
But 2025 showed a big surge in all of those taxing categories, and the 2026 numbers are actually ahead of collections for 2024.
Retail sales and use taxes collected through August this year amounted to $372,456, compared to $388,697 in 2025 and $353,885 in 2024.
The 2% “stadium tax” collected on hotel/motel revenues amounted to $118,272 through August, compared to $129,609 in 2025 and $111,952 in 2024.
The 3% tax collected on hotel/motel revenues totaled $178,971 through August, compared to $190,395 in 2025 and $167,028 in 2024.
The hotel/motel taxes support the town’s tourism promotions. Recommendations for how to use the funds are made by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
