Funding supports jobs and clean water in Washington's communities
This year, Ecology is proposing to award nearly $154 million in financial assistance for 69 high-priority clean-water projects across the state. Our funding supports local communities by helping them upgrade sewage treatment systems, manage polluted stormwater runoff, and complete a variety of projects to prevent pollution.
Nearly 70% of the funding we manage goes to local communities for environmental projects. Our clean water funding comes from a mix of state and federal funds dedicated for water quality improvements and protection. State financial managers calculate that 11 direct and indirect jobs are created in Washington for every $1 million spent on building clean water infrastructure. Using this calculation, the funding will support almost 1,700 jobs, with one-third of them as construction jobs.
The proposed funding is contingent on the Washington state capital budget and federal budgets. Projects on the list can begin as soon as July 1, if we have secured the funding.
Give input on the proposed funding list
We invite comments on our draft list of projects until Feb. 19, 2018. Send comments to Daniel Thompson at daniel.thompson@ecy.wa.gov. Also, see below for more information on our public meeting.
Here are a few highlights
Twenty projects are slated to receive about $21 million in grants and loans to address nonpoint pollution that comes from widespread, hard-to-trace activities.
Examples of these projects include:
Beaver Dam Analogues placed in a stream to slow down
and clean water which also creates better habitat.
Myers Creek, Cheesaw, Okanogan CountyThe nonprofit, Okanogan Highlands Alliance, is proposed to receive nearly $175,000 for the second phase of a project to re-establish the floodplain in Myers Creek, near Chesaw. The project includes the construction and enhancement of Beaver Dam Analogues (see picture), the planting of native plants, and to raise awareness about this critical habitat.
Nisqually Watershed, Pierce County
The Nisqually Indian Tribe would receive more than $14 million in a low interest rate loan to help buy and protect 5,221 acres of forest with 42 miles of shoreline in the Mashel River sub-basin and 2,560 acres of forest with 26 miles of shoreline in the watershed’s Ohop Creek sub-basin.
Twenty-six wastewater treatment projects are proposed to receive approximately $99 million. Seven of the projects qualify for hardship financial assistance due to their potential impact on residential sewer bills. These hardship projects may receive a combination of grants, forgivable loans (loans that do not need to be paid back), and low interest rate loans.
High priority wastewater hardship projects include:
Pine Creek, Rosalia, Whitman County
The Town of Rosalia is proposed to receive nearly $7 million in grant and loans to improve water quality in Pine Creek and reduce impacts on public health by fixing its failing sewer collection system.
Long Beach, Pacific County
The City of Long Beach may receive $7 million in grants and loans to design and build a Regional Biosolids Treatment Facility. The facility will compost biosolids from several locations and turn it into highly-treated compost. Residents, businesses, and the city could use this compost for landscaping projects.
Twenty-one communities across the state are proposed to split about $27 million in grants to implement projects that focus on reducing stormwater pollution. The highest-priority stormwater projects include:
A completed stormwater pollution reduction
project, a planted swale.
Johns Creek, Renton, King County
The City of Renton could receive more than $1.5 million for a project to improve water quality in Johns Creek (a tributary to Lake Washington). They propose to design and construct new bio-retention facilities and permeable sidewalks. The project will reduce toxic pollutants in stormwater runoff.
Ellensburg, Kittitas County
The City of Ellensburg is proposed to receive about $2.7 million to treat stormwater runoff from a busy street before discharging into Mercer, Whiskey, and Wilson Creeks. Treatment will include Low Impact Development (LID) practices like building rock-lined swales and permeable sidewalks.
Unfortunately, due to insufficient funds there are 41 projects eligible for more than $17.5 million in Centennial Clean Water Program grant and 20 projects eligible for $225 million in Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan that may not receive full funding.
Public meeting
Join us for a meeting to discuss the proposed funding list.
Feb. 1, Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Pierce County Library
Processing and Administrative Center
3005 112th Street E
Tacoma, WA, 98446
After Feb. 19 we will respond to any comments received in the Final List document. We expect to publish the Final List by June 29, 2018, after the passage of the state 2017-19 Biennial Capital Budget.
More information
Find out more about clean water financial assistance on our website.
