Public Works Board awards $6.4 million for infrastructure pre-construction projects

Funds will help local governments plan for future construction projects to replace aging infrastructure, increase system capacity and performance

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Ten jurisdictions will receive a combined $6.4 million in funding from the Washington State Public Works Board for projects that protect public health and safety and enhance water quality. The grants and loans will be made to projects in Benton, Grant, Kitsap, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, Spokane, Walla Walla and Yakima counties. The awards were determined during the board’s May meeting.

“PWB’s support accelerates project delivery, ensuring the design package will be bid-ready within the planned construction window,” said City of Port Orchard Public Works Director Denis Ryan. “This project is essential for linking the City’s two water systems, strengthening overall reliability and resilience for our residents.”

The awards include $5.7 million in loans and $665,000 in grants for community infrastructure planning.

Benton County
City of Prosser: $1 million loan for designing improvements to the city’s aging and deteriorating wastewater treatment facility. Future construction to replace and install new components will improve system reliability, operational safety, and long-term treatment performance.

Grant County
City of George: $490,000 loan and $490,000 grant for designing upgrades to two critical wastewater lift stations and installing an additional lagoon to increase capacity, reliability, and redundancy at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

King County
Town of Skykomish: $40,000 loan for a water system plan to help the town evaluate its existing water system capacity and future needs.

Kittitas County
City of Cle Elum: $100,000 loan and $100,000 grant for environmental review and design engineering for replacement of water mains that connect the city’s water treatment plant to the Zone 3 Reservoir.

Kitsap County
City of Port Orchard: $650,000 loan for designing a consolidated water system that will connect two separate, existing water systems. Interconnection between the two systems will enhance fire flow capacity, increase system reliability and create a cost-effective utility service for the community.

Snohomish County
City of Everett: $1 million loan to prepare for replacing the headworks component of the city’s water pollution control facility, which is vital for protecting downstream treatment systems and safeguarding regional water quality.

City of Lynnwood: $1 million loan for planning major upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which will protect public health and improve water quality in the Puget Sound.

Spokane County
Carnhope Irrigation District No. 7: $340,700 loan for engineering and design phases of replacing and adding new water mains impacted by widening the I-90 highway between South Havana Street and South Koren Road. The improvements will reduce risks from pipe failure and help the district prepare for long-term maintenance.

Walla Walla County
City of College Place: $1 million loan for well drilling efforts in the city’s existing Well No. 7, which is designed to provide potable water for the city’s domestic water system.

Yakima County
Town of Naches: $75,000 loan and $75,000 grant for engineering analysis to relocate the existing wastewater treatment plant’s outfall. Future construction will help extend the existing outfall so treatment plant discharge will no longer flow into a side channel of the Naches River, improving public health and safety for the community and nearby residences.

“PWB funding is an ideal fit for Port Orchard because its low-cost financing allows the city to complete the engineering and permitting necessary to keep our project on track while making the most of our available budget,” said Ryan. “Without this funding, the city would face significant delays in design and permitting, potentially halting progress and jeopardizing our ability to serve a growing community with a dependable water supply.”

The PWB pre-construction funding program is open continuously until funds are exhausted. The PWB has $20 million available for the pre-construction program for the remainder of the 2025-27 biennium. The maximum award is $1 million per project.

The Washington State Public Works Board was created by the Legislature in 1985. Since its creation, the 13-member board has provided more than $3.8 billion to over 2,300 infrastructure projects across the state. The purpose of the board is to encourage self-reliance by local governments in meeting their public works needs and to assist in the financing of critical public works projects by making loans, grants, financing guarantees, and technical assistance available to local governments for these projects. For more information, visit our website.