Public Works Board partners with Omak to keep drinking water flowing through bridge replacement

February 24, 2025February 21, 2025

State board approves $3.2 million in new low-interest loans and grants to support communities with early-stage construction projects

OLYMPIA, Wash. – As the state prepares to replace an important bridge in Omak, the city has a related infrastructure challenge. The old bridge carries a city water main that must be upgraded, and possibly rerouted. Like many public construction projects, it’s complicated.

The Washington State Public Works Board on Monday awarded $210,000 for the bridge project. It’s one of seven new investments approved by the board totaling $3.2 million in pre-construction funding for projects in five counties. The awards are a combination of grants and low-interest loans that will support communities as they plan improvements in their water and sewer systems.

The news comes as the Public Works Board celebrates its 40^th year of investing in critical infrastructure throughout Washington state.

“The funding will help us figure out the best option for our community, be ready to apply for future funding, and keep enough money in reserve,” Omak City Administrator Todd McDaniel said.

Photo of bridge with water main near Omak — *Public Works Board funding will help the City of Omak address how to update or reroute an important water main attached to an old bridge that will be replaced.*

Awards list

City of Benton City – $75,438 for the Benton City Sewer Line Inspections project. This effort involves cleaning and camera investigation of approximately 8,000 linear feet of asbestos cement sewer line to verify current conditions and develop a plan for repair. Preliminary investigation found the sewer lines have extreme root growth and deteriorated pipes. With board funding, the city will prioritize immediate and required repairs.

Photo of failing sewer pipe in Benton City — *Benton City has been awarded funding from the Public Works* *Board to repair a failing sewer line.*

City of Okanogan – $1 million for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project. Board funds will address equipment deterioration and deficiencies, preventing shutdowns and lengthy closures. Extending the life of this facility will promote growth and increase business opportunities within the city and urban growth area.

Photo of wastewater infrastructure in Okanogan — *Deteriorating wastewater infrastructure at a facility in Okanogan is the focus of preconstruction funding awarded to the city by the Public Works Board.*

City of Omak – $210,000 for the State Route 155 Bridge Water Main Improvements project. The State Route 155 Spur/Okanogan River Bridge is a key connection between downtown Omak on the west bank and the Colville Reservation on the east bank of the Okanogan River and is due for replacement. Board funds will help determine options to relocate the water main, which is currently attached to the existing bridge, and to review potential environmental impacts. Improvements from the project will ensure uninterrupted water service and help accommodate residential and commercial growth.
“We appreciate getting to partner with the board and its staff because they remain one of the best options for infrastructure funding in the state,” said McDaniel, Omak city administrator.
City of Prosser – $100,700 for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Influent Improvements project. Board funding will help address ongoing maintenance problems with the Yakima River sewer crossings near the project site. Failure to maintain the wastewater collection system could lead to raw sewage overflows into the river. This project will protect water quality.
City of Sedro-Woolley – $750,000 for the Preliminary Design and Engineering Report for Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements project. The existing wastewater treatment plant discharging to the Skagit River has been well-maintained for its age but will benefit from a comprehensive evaluation of whether the facility needs to be fixed or replaced. After proper evaluation and troubleshooting, negative impacts to public health and water quality outflow will be reduced substantially.
Sedro-Woolley, on the banks of the Skagit River, is a “small, rural, financially distressed community” served by an aging wastewater system, Public Works Director William Bullock said. Key parts of the system have been in use for over half a century, requiring maintenance the city describes as excessive. The funding will support finding a strategy to provide “the most long-term value to the community while addressing immediate needs,” Bullock said.
Town of Coulee Dam – $87,000 for the Sewer Outfall Survey project. Board funding will help pay for a boat and scuba diving team to inspect a wastewater treatment plant outfall pipe in the Columbia River. This exercise will help the town evaluate system performance and take action if the pipe clogs or breaks, protecting local communities from potential contamination to the area’s groundwater and aquifer.

Town of Winthrop – $1 million for the Winthrop Wastewater Treatment Plant Design project. Board funds will support the design of a new wastewater treatment facility, which will improve the wastewater that is being discharged to the Methow River. The new structure will also improve water quality in the river, ensuring that three protected species of salmon – spring chinook, steelhead trout and bull trout – are not exposed to contaminants.

Pre-construction funding applications to the board are open continuously, and awarded quarterly until funds are expended. The board has awarded over $18.2 million to 37 pre-construction projects in the current state fiscal biennium. The next round of pre-construction applications must be submitted by March 31, 2025, with awards expected in May 2025. Approximately $1 million in funding is available.