Oak Harbor city officials decided not to build a facility to accept dirty toilet water from recreational vehicles because of the high cost.

Council members previously asked city staff to look into the possibility of building a dump station in the city.

The city used to have an RV park with a dump station at the west end of Windjammer Park, but the RV park was razed during the construction of the sewage treatment plant and associated remodel of Windjammer.

City officials decided not to include an RV park in the refurbished Windjammer Park, but they wanted to look at the possibility of providing the liquid dumping service elsewhere.

During a workshop last Wednesday, Public Works Director Cathy Rosen provided a couple of options for a dumping station site, but they each had their drawbacks. She pointed out possible traffic and odor problems, for example.

But the biggest concern was the cost. Building a pull-off facility on Goldie Road would cost an estimated $258,000. Upgrading the lift station at the marina to accept RVs would cost $272,000, Rosen said.

Rosen suggested that the council forego the project. She provided the council with a list of nearby dump stations, which included Deception Pass State Park and South Whidbey State Park.

Council members agreed that it was simply too expensive.

“To me it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially with so many other things going on, to spend almost $300,000 on not-an-essential service,” Councilwoman Tara Hizon said, adding there were a lot of other things she would rather spend the money on.