ECOLOGY OFFERS $71.3 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS TO IMPROVE AND PROTECT WATER QUALITY

Washington State Department of Ecology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 1995
95-130, 95-133, 95-132, 95-131

CONTACT:
Kim McKee (360) 407-6566
Mary Getchell (360) 407-6157

OLYMPIA, WA -- This month, the Washington Department of Ecology offered more than $71.3 million in grants and loans to local governments and Indian Tribes to help solve our state’s most critical water quality problems.

"This is a significant amount of money and technical assistance that will help communities solve water quality problems,” said Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Lacey. "It will help build or upgrade municipal wastewater treatment plants, implement pollution controls on stormwater, and improve and protect groundwater.”

The grants and loans come from the Centennial Clean Water Fund and State Revolving Fund. A 1986 state statute created the Centennial Clean Water Fund, which is financed primarily through taxes on tobacco products. In 1987, Congress established the State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to local governments and Indian Tribes. The federal government provides 80 percent of the funds and the state matches the funds with 20 percent. Ecology is responsible for administering both grant programs.

This legislative session, legislators approved increased funding to control nonpoint water pollution to address contaminants that come from sources such as stormwater runoff and agriculture. The funding increased from 25 percent to 33 percent of the total projects funded by the Centennial Clean Water Fund.

This year, local governments and Indian Tribes requested $117 million for a total of 251 projects. Ecology offered local governments and Indian Tribes approximately $71.3 million to fund 91 water quality projects.

"It is a tough decision to determine which projects to fund, when you are $50 million short of the funding needs. However, those decisions must be made to meet the highest priority needs statewide with the available funds,” said Steve Carley, Ecology’s water quality financial management section manager. "Each project proposed was evaluated on the water quality problem, solution or anticipated outcome to that problem, the means to be used to evaluate the success of the project and the adequacy of the project budget.”

Following are examples of projects that Ecology plans to fund.

We offered a $220,350 grant to the Skagit Conservation District to help farmers develop, implement and maintain agricultural best management practices (methods for preventing or reducing water pollution) in the Samish Watershed. The activities may include installing fences along streams and restoring plant life on streambanks to improve the quality of the water. "The grant comes at a really great time. It’s needed out in the watershed,” said Carolyn Kelly, Skagit County Conservation District manager. "The grant will not just help with the aesthetics and pollution problems in the watershed, but it will also help improve the area’s economy and provide opportunities for the recreational and commercial shellfish industry.”
Ecology also offered the City of Bremerton a $2.5 million loan and a $125,000 grant. The loan would be used to build a collection sewer to separate the domestic sewage from stormwater flows. Currently, the wastewater treatment plant receives both sewer and stormwater. This is a major water pollution problem; when there is a big rain the wastewater treatment plant overflows into Puget Sound discharging raw sewage. The grant would be used to reduce the amount of chlorine in the wastewater before it is discharged into the Sound. This is important because chlorine can kill aquatic life.
Ecology offered a $250,000 grant to Thurston County to conduct intensive sanitary surveys on 200 on-site sewage disposal systems along the East Shore of Budd Inlet. This area encompasses the Gull Harbor Sub-basin. The grant would also be used to develop and implement Farm Plans with methods to prevent agricultural and chemical wastes from reaching surface water. "This grant will help the county fulfill a high priority water quality objective of the Budd/Deschutes Watershed committee. Septic system surveys we have done in other inlets have shown that with cooperation of homeowners we can get a lot done,” said Judy Wilson, Thurston County Commission chairman. "This project also complements an existing county program of offering low interest loans to repair failing septic systems.”
Ecology also offered an $800,500 grant and proposed an $800,500 loan to the city of Centralia to eliminate a public health hazard declared by the Washington Department of Health. The money would be used to remove the inflow and infiltration from the city’s sewer system and ultimately the wastewater treatment plant. Inflow and infiltration are groundwater, stormwater and other undesirable connections to the sewer system, such as leaks or breaks in the sewer system pipes. As a result, the wastewater treatment plant does not run efficiently and each time there is a major storm the untreated wastewater is discharged into the Chehalis River.
Ecology proposed a $275,000 loan to the city of Washougal to design wastewater treatment improvements for the existing treatment plant. Improvements would include secondary treatment facilities to reduce pollutants in the plant’s wastewater discharge and to enlarge the treatment plant for future growth through the year 2014.
Ecology offered the city of Pasco a $2.5 million grant and proposed an $8.4 million loan to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant to secondary treatment (advanced biological treatment of the wastewater) and enlarge the plant to accommodate growth in the community. These grants and loans are supplemental to previous loans Ecology has given to Pasco. These improvements are aimed at improving the quality of the water discharged into the Columbia River, therefore, improving the overall quality of the river. "The money is greatly appreciated and needed. The money will help us proceed with several needed major wastewater projects and address concerns regarding failing septic tanks in the service area. It will also help us expand the city’s sewer customer base to help keep sewer rates down for everyone in the future,” said Bob Alberts, Pasco’s Director of Public Works.
The 1995 Legislature appropriated $10 million for the next two years ($5 million each fiscal year) to Spokane for an extended grant payment. The grant would help the community accelerate water quality projects. The grant would be used to protect the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie Sole Source Aquifer from further contamination. The money would be used to eliminate failing septic tanks and hook homeowners up to the city’s sewer system.
In addition, Ecology offered the town of Tonasket a $13,991 grant and $33,163 loan to monitor the discharge from the existing wastewater treatment plant to determine necessary plant improvements. The money would be used to develop a comprehensive plan for the wastewater treatment system and a facilities plan for an upgraded and improved system.
Ecology offered the Spokane Aquifer Joint Board a $250,000 grant to develop a wellhead protection plan to ensure that the quality of Spokane's drinking water is protected. Wellheads in the areas of the highest environmental needs will be targeted. Management plans and pollution prevention strategies would be developed to protect drinking water.

The local governments and Indian Tribes awarded the grants and loans have until July 1996 to accept the Centennial Clean Water Fund grant or loan and until December 1995 to accept the State Revolving Fund loans.