Washington Department of Ecology awards $3.4 million for water supply improvements in 13 counties

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) recently announced 12 grants totaling $3.4 million to improve local and regional water supplies in 13 counties across the state.

The grants will help fund projects undertaken by public utilities and conservation and irrigation districts, including water delivery infrastructure improvements, feasibility studies for water storage, senior water rights purchases and leases, and water metering, among other projects.

Amounts awarded range from $46,000 to The Lands Council for a beaver management study throughout Spokane, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties, to $700,000 for Birch Bay Water and Sewer District’s development of a groundwater aquifer for Whatcom County. The grants are expected to promote water quality, fish habitats and job growth.

“These grants help watershed planners avoid future problems in river basins where there are competing demands on scarce water resources,” Water Resources Program Manager Tom Loranger said. “These projects also support local jobs and growth by giving communities more tools to meet water needs and more certainty about water availability.”

The recently awarded grants will directly benefit Yakima, Chelan, Stevens, Spokane, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Ferry, King, Whatcom, San Juan, Mason and Skamania counties.