Cashmere takes closer look at Crunch Pak’s impact on wastewater system

CASHMERE — Cashmere city staff spent much of December 8 in meetings with consultants and representatives from Crunch Pak, working through how the fruit-processing giant’s wastewater fits into the long-term health of the city’s treatment plant. With operating costs rising and state requirements tightening, the city says it is taking steps to make sure the plant remains reliable and affordable for ratepayers.

Director of Operations Steve Croci and wastewater supervisor Dorien McElroy told the council that the treatment plant ended 2025 about 4 percent over budget, pulled upward by higher labor costs, new testing requirements, and the price of hauling biosolids. Those disposal costs have been increasing for several years.

McElroy said the plant has handled the load, but the strength of Crunch Pak’s wastewater continues to drive a significant share of those expenses. For years, the company has paid half of the city’s biosolids bill. Newer monitoring shows its actual contribution is higher, so the city plans to return to a billing method based on proportional use, which matches the original agreement.

“That’s the fair way to do it,” McElroy said. “If we charge based on what actually comes in the door, everyone knows where they stand.”

The more complicated issue is how the industrial loading fits into the city’s state discharge permit. Under that permit, if the plant consistently operates close to its treatment limit, the city would have to begin planning a costly upgrade. McElroy said the goal is to stay well below that line by improving sampling, monitoring waste strength in real time, and setting expectations with Crunch Pak about how data will be shared.

City staff asked Crunch Pak to increase its testing from once a week to match the city’s twice-weekly schedule. They also discussed installing equipment that could automatically divert high-strength waste into an equalization basin before it enters the main treatment process. If that basin needs upgrades in the future, the cost would be tied to industrial loading, not to households.

Representatives from Crunch Pak attended the afternoon meeting. McElroy described the conversation as constructive, noting that both sides want a system that avoids violations and unexpected expenses.

Councilmembers supported the city’s cautious approach. “We just need to make sure this keeps working for the community over the long term,” Councilmember Jeff Johnson said.

Staff will return to the council in early 2026 as monitoring changes and billing adjustments are finalized.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media