Friday, May 21, 2004

Six local projects receive state clean water funding

By Brian Mittge bmittge@chronline.com, The Chronicle

The Washington Department of Ecology will offer $109 million in 2005 to 41 projects around the state, including six in the Lewis County area, to help clean up water quality problems.

In addition to a $32.9 million loan to the city of Chehalis for its wastewater plant, the other funding of local projects includes:

• $236,812 to Educational Service District 113 for the Chehalis Basin Education Consortium Project, which involves teachers, students and the community in water quality monitoring and restoration activities along the Chehalis River in Centralia and Alder Creek. The project will culminate with an annual basin-wide student congress.
• $200,000 to the Thurston County Environmental Health Division for its local loan fund, which makes long-term, low-interest funding available to repair failing on-site septic systems, and to allow connections to sewers for properties with failing on-site systems where sewers are available. Fixing the failing septic systems can help prevent pollution of ground and surface water, according to the DOE.
• $248,885 to the Chehalis Basin Conservation District Alliance to help improve water quality in the upper Chehalis River Basin by restoring riparian habitat and educating landowners in conservation methods and best management practices.
• $250,000 to the Lewis County Conservation District for water quality improvement work on Dillenbaugh Creek near Chehalis. The conservation district will monitor water quality, complete salmon habitat assessments, and educate stakeholders to restore and protect water quality in the creek system.
• Refinancing a loan to the city of Mossyrock for its new $2.5 million activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. The old loan was for 40 years at 4.5 percent interest. The new 20-year loan at 2.16 percent will save the city almost $500,000 in interest payments. Current sewer rates for the low-income community are $35.70 per month, according to the Department of Ecology

Money for the $109 million in grants and loans comes from federal funding and a system of revolving state loans. These use repayments from older loans to lend out for new projects.

Brian Mittge covers politics, the environment and Lewis County government for The Chronicle. He may be reached by e-mail at bmittge@chronline.com, or by telephoning 807-8237.

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