Greenfield approves contract with local contractor to oversee new wastewater plant project.

Greenfield City Council unanimously approved a $4.6 million contract with BKF Engineers, a civil engineering firm based in Salinas, to manage the city’s new wastewater treatment plant construction project. This includes the project’s timeline, construction and communications. 

“BKF demonstrated significant qualification and directly relevant experience for the city's upgrade project,” Jamie Tugel, public works director, told the City Council on Tuesday, May 26. 

BKF Engineers has over 2,000 water and wastewater projects under its belt, including in Gonzales, Goleta and San Luis Obispo County. 

The wastewater plant is a $111.3 million project that has been in the works for several years.  It will increase the city’s capacity to treat 2 million gallons of wastewater per day and upgrade from its outdated facility, which has a capacity of 1.2 million gallons per day.

Because the plant’s capacity has been close to or above its permitted limit, the city council passed a moratorium pausing construction projects in the city in 2025. 

That same year, the Central Coast Regional Water Board required the city to build a new plant. 

To fund the project, the city raised sewer rates last year from $63.36/month to $91.24/month to improve its chances of securing grant and loan funding. 

In April, the city entered into an agreement with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board that includes a $75 million grant and a $36.3 million, 2.2-percent low-interest loan from the state’s revolving fund over a 30-year period.