EPA awards $104M to Ore., Wash., Alaska water projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently announced $104 million for drinking water and wastewater improvements in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

The funds will be distributed between the states as follows: $32 million for Oregon, $52 million for Washington, and $20 million for Alaska.

EPA has also provided a breakdown of how the funds will support water infrastructure across all three states:

$32M to Oregon

EPA is awarding $32 million to help fund Oregon’s $70 million plan for key drinking water projects and $70 million plan to improve wastewater infrastructure.

In addition to this round of funding, Congress recently passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act /Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will inject another $92 million into Oregon’s two State Revolving Fund programs in 2022.

“Clean and safe water is a basic right, but at the same time something we can’t take for granted” said EPA Region 10’s Water Division Director Dan Opalski. “EPA is proud to invest along with our state partners in these projects that will benefit the health of Oregon’s communities.”

Some of the projects to be funded in the state’s 2021-2022 drinking water plan include:

$20,000 for the Round Lake Mobile Home Park feasibility study. This project will identify solutions for water system improvements as well as evaluate the adequacy of long-term water supply for this water system.
$19,587 to the city of Gates to replace outdated monitoring equipment and alleviate drinking water quality concerns. Gates will also receive $30,000 from Oregon’s DWSRF Drinking Water Source Protection Fund (DWSPF). These funds will be used to install temporary monitoring equipment, collect samples, and then analyze and share the data to gain a better understanding of post fire impacts on sources of drinking water.
$100,000 to the Rhododendron Water Association for the purchase of a Riparian Management Area and conservation easement on privately owned timber land to protect the system’s drinking water intake from clear-cut logging activity that could have created water quality issues.
$862,145 to Crescent Water Supply and Improvement District will be used for water master planning and well construction.
$1,660,761 to Christmas Valley Domestic Water Supply District for distribution system improvements. The project will result in replacement of approximately three miles of distribution piping to help address water loss due to aging steel distribution pipe failure.

The state’s list of wastewater projects to be funded include:

$30,056,061 to the city of Sweet Home to help the wastewater treatment plant achieve Clean Water Act compliance. The city of Sweet Home project affects a disadvantaged community.
$1,750,000 to the city of Bend to address city climate action goals through a collections system master plan update.
$2,000,000 to the Lone Pine Irrigation District for modernization of the of the irrigation system. The Lone Pine Irrigation District qualifies as a disadvantaged community.
$2,313,231 to the city of Madras to a wastewater collection expansion, allowing residences currently on septic to connect to the city sewer. The city of Madras qualifies as a disadvantaged community.

The sources of funding for Oregon’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $14.4 million grant from EPA, $2.8 million in state matching funds, along with $58 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous DWSRF loans.

Similarly, the sources of funding for Oregon’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $17.9 million grant from EPA, $3.6 million in state matching funds, along with $52.5 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous CWSRF loans.

$52M to Washington

EPA is awarding $52 million to help fund Washington’s $22 million plan for key drinking water projects and $253.5 million plan to improve wastewater infrastructure.

In addition to this round of funding, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act /Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will inject another $152 million into Washington’s two State Revolving Fund programs in 2022.

Some of the projects to be funded in the state’s 2021-2022 drinking water plan include:

$2,455,000 to the Kitsap Public Utility District #1 to fund the consolidation of the Bill Point water system and address aging infrastructure.
$2,012,546 to the city of Omak to install arsenic treatment at the Julia Maley Park Well. The treatment will also remove high levels of iron.
$5,050,000 to Skagit County Public Utility District #1 to help fund the Judy Reservoir to Mount Vernon Transmission Line, Phase II project. This project will replace the five-mile-long primary transmission main that is undersized and failing.
$1,234,500 to The Kiona West Heights Association to replace the community’s only well. The project includes drilling a new well, constructing a new well house, and installing chlorination. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance, so half of the loan amount will be forgiven.

The state’s list of wastewater projects to be funded include:

$3,126,183 to City of Brewster for infrastructure within the collection system and at the wastewater treatment plant that are not operating with reliability. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance.
$1024,090 to Chelan County Public Utilities District for improvements to the Dryden wastewater treatment facility. The improvements will benefit the Wenatchee river. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance.
$424,250 to the city of Harrington for modification of the city of Harrington wastewater plant. The modifications will eliminate leaks from treatment lagoons, prevent nearby water contamination, eliminate the odors from sludge, and reduce operation costs. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance.
$9,004,053 to the city of Stevenson Public Works for two projects. The first is upgrades and expansion of the wastewater treatment plant and pump stations. The second is an addition of approximately 900 linear feet of the collection system. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance.
$242,666 to Yakima County Public Services Department for Buena wastewater treatment facility improvements. The project will upgrade the wastewater treatment facility and provide hardware to improve facility monitoring and reliability. The community qualifies for disadvantaged assistance.

The sources of funding for projects on Washington’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $24.5 million grant from EPA (of which $7.6 million will be used for non-project related activities), and $4.9 million in state matching funds.

Similarly, the sources of funding for Washington’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $27.6 million grant from EPA, $5.5 million in state matching funds, along with $86.5 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous CWSRF loans.

$20M to Alaska

EPA is awarding $20 million to help fund Alaska’s $57.1 million plan for key drinking water projects and $93.7 million plan to improve wastewater infrastructure.

In addition to this round of funding, Congress recently passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act /Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will inject another $65 million into Alaska’s two State Revolving Fund programs in 2022.

Some of the projects to be funded in the state’s 2021-2022 drinking water plan include:

$509,167 to the city of Homer to extend the water distribution system to provide piped public water to 27 central business district zoned properties, all of which currently are served by hauled water from city watering points.
$1,600,00 to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to design and construct a 100,000-gallon storage tank and booster pump station.
$5,000,000 to the city of Nome to construct a building to support both the drinking water and sewer utilities.

The state’s list of wastewater projects to be funded include:

$1,450,000 to the city of Fairbanks to construct a new 10-inch water main to the Wastewater Treatment Facility and replace the failing process water system within the facility.
$2,000,000 to the city of Cordova to remove 135 creosote pilings in the South Harbor and install a marine sewage pump station.
$3,900,000 to the Skagway Borough to extend sanitary sewer to an unserved area.
$5,600,00 to the city of Homer to extend piped wastewater service to unserved properties in five separate project areas.
$44,125 to the city of Dillingham to design utility upgrades to the waterfront area.

The sources of funding for Alaska’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $9.5 million grant from EPA, $1.9 million in state matching funds, along with $114.6 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous CWSRF loans.

Similarly, the sources of funding for projects on Alaska’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $11 million grant from EPA (of which $7.3 million will be used directly for project-related loans), and $2.2 million in state matching funds. An additional $87 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous DWSRF loans will also be available to fund project loans.