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Department of Ecology News Release - December 4, 2002
02-218
YAKIMA - A regional wastewater treatment plant is now serving the communities of Cowiche and Tieton in Yakima County, thanks to efforts coordinated through the state's Small Communities Initiative (SCI).
SCI is a collaborative effort between the departments of Ecology, Health and Community, Trade and Economic Development to assist small rural communities that are struggling with economic viability and compliance with health and environmental regulations.
The new plant has allowed the Department of Ecology (Ecology) to lift a sewer connection moratorium for the town of Tieton and has provided an environmentally sound facility for Cowiche.
Substantial funding for the project came from the USDA Rural Development-Rural Utilities Service, the Community Development Block Grant program and Ecology. Construction costs were about $4 million.
In 1996, a moratorium was placed on new connections in Tieton because the town did not have the capacity to process additional sewage. At the same time, groundwater contamination was a problem for the Cowiche Sewer District's infiltration lagoons. Initially, the two communities separately sought funding to upgrade their treatment facilities.
In May 2000, the two communities agreed that building two separate facilities would cost too much and result in unaffordable user rates. After months of negotiations, the parties decided to build and locate a new facility at Cowiche.
"More than $1 million was saved by building a regional plant," explained Cathi Read, Small Communities Initiative coordinator. "This facility should be able to serve both communities for many years to come."
Read noted that a tremendous amount of coordination occurred to bring the plant on line. Tieton, the Cowiche Sewer District, Ecology engineers, and state and federal financers all worked together to ensure a successful project.
Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, public information manager, (509) 575-2610
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