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The City of Sunnyside, Washington, held a City Council work/study session on August 4, 2026, focused primarily on aging water and wastewater infrastructure, equipment, and staffing needs. Department staff presented prioritized repairs and potential capital investments for future budgeting; no contract awards, spending appropriations, or formal procurement votes were identified. Items with stated costs included a wastewater laboratory refrigerator ($9,000), autoclave ($15,000), shop roof repairs ($35,000), a waterline repair at the aeration basin (about $90,000), HVAC work (a listed estimate of about $150,000, with insurance potentially reducing the city’s cost to its $10,000 deductible), and a dewatering unit upgrade (about $75,000). Staff also discussed a polymer-system upgrade estimated at roughly $25,000, which could reduce polymer use and staff time; a system failure had wasted about $2,500 worth of polymer overnight.

Other needs included lift-station and SCADA upgrades, water-system alarms and pumps, additional water supply capacity, meters, and staffing. The new $640,000 vacuum truck was out of service for warranty repairs, and the city had arranged a one-month street-sweeper rental while evaluating repair, used, and new vehicle options; council requested estimates for those alternatives. Staff also agreed to provide the presentation and follow-up estimates, including a cost for adding SCADA at a lift station, and to develop a street-sweeping schedule for public notice. The city is exploring grants for some needs. Separately, staff discussed donated shade materials for parks and a proposed distribution plan for stored backpacks; these did not involve new purchases.