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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 1996
96-139
CONTACT:
Ron Langley, Ecology Public Information, (206) 649-7009
Ecology Loan Helps Black Diamond Search For Efficiencies
BLACK DIAMOND, WA -- The City of Black Diamond hopes to save money for utility ratepayers by finding the source of thousands of gallons of clean water pouring into the city's wastewater collection system. A $16,000 no-interest loan from the state Department of Ecology is paying for the project.
"This loan is part of Ecology's commitment to help Black Diamond residents take care of their local environment," said Mike Rundlett, manager of Ecology's Northwest Regional Office in Bellevue. He said the city has five years to repay the loan.
The city plans to use a television camera and smoke testing to locate areas where clean water is getting into its wastewater collection system. Once the problem areas are found, the city can take corrective action and reduce the flow of water to the King County pumping station on Soos Creek, thus reducing the need for expansion of the system. The cost of such improvements would be passed on to utility ratepayers in Black Diamond and other communities that feed wastewater to the King County treatment plant in Renton.
The loan for this project is part of approximately $35 million in loans and grants from the state Centennial Clean Water Fund distributed by Ecology during fiscal year 1997. Such grants to local governments are in high demand -- $75 million worth of projects were requested for the current budget period.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
