PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park has delayed a project to reconstruct the on-site sewage system drainfield for the Heart O’the Hills Campground, park officials announced.
The $230,000 project, originally scheduled to begin Monday, is being postponed to Sept. 3 to “minimize public impacts,” officials said.
“Increased visitation to the campground created a need to expand the current drainfield,” park officials said in the Thursday announcement.
“This project will also replace the sewage lift station pumps and improve wastewater treatment.”
Olympic National Park awarded the construction contract to Valdez Construction of Oak Harbor, which completed a wastewater treatment and drainfield rehabilitation at the Hoh Rain Forest in 2018.
Peninsula Drain & Septic of Port Angeles will be used as a subcontractor, park officials said.
In September, visitors should expect truck traffic, noise and other construction activity during the nine-hour work days beginning as early as 7 a.m.
No construction will take place at the lift station on the campground side of Hurricane Ridge Road before 8 a.m.
The site work is expected to be completed by Sept. 20.
“Portable toilets will be available at each of the four comfort stations throughout the campground,” park officials said.
“Water will remain on for campers but the drain lines will be plugged under the grates at the dish washing stations to avoid overloading the septic tank while the drainfield is offline. Campers can expect to see some ponding around the grates.”
The parking lot at the Lake Angeles and Heather Park trailheads will be used for material staging and equipment turnaround.
Hikers can use the parking area at the amphitheater in the Heart O’the Hills campground, just beyond the entrance station, during construction.
Valdez Construction will replace about 150 cubic yards of native soil with sand as part of the drainfield reconstruction.
About 15 round-trip truckloads will be required during the two-week construction phase, park officials said.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
