Improving Washington's Drinking Water, One Loan At A Time

Success Stories from Washington's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

Washington State Department of Health Office of Drinking Water

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a program that helps Washington’s water systems that face emergencies, or infrastructure or source water challenges. These adversities can put customers at risk if their water system is not be prepared financially to tackle solutions. The program is funded through federal and state money to help Washington’s drinking water systems meet the Safe Drinking Water Act’s public health goals.

The state revolving fund offers low-interest loans to publicly- and privately-owned drinking water systems. Loans are used for improvements, repairs, and upgrades, as well as construction and preconstruction activities. We also help water systems with asset management training, so that operators can keep their water systems up-to-date and plan for equipment failure.

Clean, safe, reliable drinking water is critical to healthy communities and their economic vitality. Without water, there is no life!

City of Bellingham (Whatcom County)

City of Bellingham gets its drinking water from Lake Whatcom, which has consistently high algae bloom and suspended organic matter in the water. Both of these clog filters and cause very long filter run times. By using dissolved air flotation treatment, they resolved the clogging issue and are able to produce safe water more efficiently, which reduces energy costs. They also updated other treatment equipment and reduced the amount of disinfection byproducts in their drinking water.

Clark Public Utilities (Clark County)

Clark Public Utilities worked on a multi-phase Paradise Point Water Supply System project. They received funding for the design and construction of a raw water transmission main, backwash line, and two communication conduits from the well field to the water treatment facility. They also designed the water treatment facility and prepared the site for future planned construction. The completed project enabled Clark County’s future growth. It also contributed to salmon recovery in SW Washington.

City of College Place—Christ Community Fellowship Consolidation (Walla Walla County)

Christ Community Fellowship serves the College Place community as both a school and place of worship. Nitrate levels in the well were almost twice the maximum contaminant level. Nitrate is a very dangerous regulated contaminant and just one exposure can affect a person’s health. The City of College Place offered to connect the church and school to its municipal water system. They used three DWSRF loans for a new well and to consolidate the two systems. Now Christ Community Fellowship church and school receive safe and reliable drinking water, and the City of College Place has a new well that results in a more resilient water supply for the whole city.

Holiday Hideaway Association

The Holiday Hideaway Association needed to address elevated iron and manganese levels in their drinking water, harden infrastructure, against seawater intrusion, increase storage capacity and gain better control over well withdrawal rates.

Jefferson County PUD (Jefferson County)

Two small systems were facing expensive regulatory requirements they were unable to meet. Jefferson County Public Utilities District is using DWSRF funds to consolidate the two small systems with their existing systems. Multiple water sources means better system pressure and increased resource management and reliability now and into the future.

Lake Wenatchee Water District (Chelan County)

Lake Wenatchee Water District was created to integrate the water supply and distribution system and to replace five private community associations providing water along the north shore of Lake Wenatchee. The consolidation improved water service to the customers of the smaller systems, which struggled with water outages and unhealthy sources. In addition to improving water quality and reliance, the updated distribution system reduced water costs for customers.

Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District (LLSWD)—Eastside Liberty Lake Improvement Club (ESLLIC) Consolidation (Spokane County)

ESLLIC incorporated in 1945 and provided water service for 327 customers. Since ESLLIC is within the service area of LLSWD, the two systems created an intertie as a backup to the existing ESLLIC wells. Some of the well pumps, booster pumps, and the reservoir were more than fifty years old. ESLLIC secured a loan for improvements and in 2016, LLSWD contacted DWSRF about converting the loan into a consolidation project and transfer ownership of ESLLIC to LLSWD. They used the existing intertie and made upgrades to the pumps and distribution system. The consolidation allowed them to lower the base water rates for their customers and provide reliable, clean water. A win for everyone!

City of Lynden (Whatcom County)

The City of Lynden’s water treatment plant, built in 1926, was too small and didn’t meet current safe drinking water regulations and also had serious structural issues. There was no room for expansion and it did not meet peak demands, forcing the city to rely on water storage. The City of Lyndon built a new treatment plant not only meets the city’s needs, but also supplies clean water to several neighboring systems with nitrate problems in their water sources.

City of Mabton (Yakima County)

The city needed a new well to replace one that failed and reduce demand on another well with high levels of nitrate in the water. In 2014, the city built a new well, control building, and generator. The city can now meeting high demands for drinking water with a clean, reliable source.

McKee’s Evergreen Beach Association (Snohomish County)

Who would want arsenic in their water? Let alone, black slime! Arsenic and manganese both occur naturally in Washington water and must be removed. Arsenic is bad for you, as we all know, and manganese can cause black slime that clogs pipes besides making water look and taste bad. McKee’s Evergreen Beach Association took out a DWSRF loan to install water treatment that removes arsenic and manganese, built a new reservoir, and installed new well pumps. They now provide clean, safe drinking water that meets state standards.

City of Moxee (Yakima County)

The City of Moxee’s nearly 40-year-old well failed, leaving residents and businesses facing stringent water restrictions. An inspection of the well revealed more complicated problems and the city faced loss of water pressure. When water pressure falls, there’s potential for contaminants or dirty water to be pulled into the drinking water system.

City of Olympia (Thurston County)

Corrosive water can leach lead and copper from metal pipes in the distribution system and metal plumbing fixtures. Water systems work to raise low pH corrosive water before the water enters their system. In 2014, City of Olympia applied for a loan to add aeration treatment towers to the McAllister Well Field to raise pH levels. Air is blown into the towers as the water flows over plastic balls. This treatment naturally raises the pH by removing carbon dioxide in the water.

City of Olympia 417 Zone Reservoir

The city's Hoffman reservoir in the 417 Zone needed cleaning and maintenance. This means taking the reservoir offline. To do this, the city needs a new tank within the zone. This new tank helps them remain in compliance with drinking water standards and complete needed maintenance to the Hoffman reservoir to maintain existing infrastructure.

City of Pasco (Franklin County)

The City of Pasco gets water from the Columbia River and runs it through a membrane filter treatment plant to remove organic matter. Milfoil grows in the Columbia and consistently clogs the filters and the city hires a professional diver to remove the milfoil, a very costly and dangerous job. The city installed a new intake with a mechanical cleaning system and has a proper fish screen to protect fish in the Columbia.

City of Pateros (Okanogan County)

Manganese levels in the city’s water supply exceed state and federal maximum contaminate levels causing many problems including black water sediment. Black manganese slime plugs up service lines and meters and causes loss of pressure in the distribution system. The City of Pateros drilled two new production well and a new pump station and improved reservoirs damaged during the July 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire.

City of Port Townsend (Jefferson County)

When Port Townsend residents turn on their taps, they receive water that has traveled from the Olympic Mountains, through a forest, two rivers, two lakes, and 29 miles of transmission pipe. Using DWSRF funds, the City built a new low-pressure filtration plant and chlorination treatment facility. The city also replaced its deteriorating five-million-gallon concrete storage reservoir. The new reservoir will include earthquake protection.

City of Prosser (Benton County)

The City of Prosser’s well has naturally occurring manganese, an aging infrastructure and outdated disinfection system. The city added new green sand pressure filters to existing filters and added new feed pumps. They also added a backup power supply to avoid power outages, which are costly and disrupt service. All these equipment updates increased the city’s drinking water production from 5.3 million gallons a day to 7.1 million gallons.

City of Raymond

Corrosion in the city's three-million-gallon steel water reservoir indicated it was time to recoat and repair the tank. Surface water treatment can lead to low alkaline water, which leads to corrosion. They also installed a new security fence, ladder, and vents.

Roosevelt Water Association (Snohomish County)

The Roosevelt Water Association currently has a single storage water tank that can potentially serve about 125 residences. A pipeline in Everett supplies the rest of their water needs; but If this pipeline shuts down for any reason, customers would have no water service. The association built a new pumps station and storage with capacity of 966,000 gallons. They also added a computer system to remotely monitor and control their operations.

Seattle Public Utilities (King County)

The Clean Water Act required the elimination of open-air reservoirs in favor of secure and more sanitary covered or underground reservoirs. Seattle rebuilt its Maple Leaf open-air reservoir, tearing out the old sloping concrete panels and building steel-reinforced walls. They also replaced the pipes and constructed a separate building for the outlet valves, pumps, electrical instruments, and wiring. Putting the reservoir underground created a 76-acre public park on the surface.

City of Selah (Yakima County)

City of Selah had an old booster pump station that was below ground. It was unsafe and difficult to access for routine maintenance. It also did not deliver reliable, adequate water flow for Selah’s drinking water customers. In 2016 the city used a DWSRF loan to build a new booster pump facility, improve their well, add chlorination treatment, upgrade controls, and add a variable-frequency drive pump and motor. Modernizing their vital drinking water equipment gave the City of Selah reliable, clean drinking water and the resiliency to meet system demands and preserve the city’s economic and public health.

City of Shelton (Mason County)

The City of Shelton had several challenges to address including infrastructure design and updates and improving drinking water service in certain areas. They constructed new reservoirs at two sites, a new booster pump stations, and replaced existing pumps, among other improvements. They also consolidated multiple small systems, which improves the long-term health and overall economic vitality of the city.

Skagit Public Utility District

On of Skagit PUD's sixty-year-old water transmission lines experienced many significant breaks, signaling the end of its useful life. This project re-routed the 5.3 mile transmission line and was used to install a mainline meter. The meter helps the utility evaluate their water use efficiency.

Snohomish County PUD (Snohomish County)

Consolidation helps troubled water systems get needed help to provide their customers with safe and reliable drinking water. Snohomish County PUD consolidated Dubuque and Cascade Acres water systems into the Lake Stevens water system, eliminating the risk of water outages. They installed almost three miles of water main beneath various surfaces, such as paved and unpaved roads, and a bridge.

City of Spokane (Spokane County)

The City of Spokane has a number of groundwater wells that provide about 15 percent of the city's water. They were equipped with older, inefficient pumps, which were very expensive to maintain. They needed to replace the pumps and motors for improved reliability and efficiency. The new pumps save energy and money and improve the city’s resiliency and ability to provide safe and reliable drinking water now and into the future.

Tacoma Water (Pierce County)

Tacoma Water provides drinking water service to about 316,000 people in the City of Tacoma and parts of King and Pierce counties. The primary water supply was unfiltered water from the Green River. Tacoma Water used DWSRF and other funds to build a filtration plant in order to meet EPA’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment rule. Filtration provides a first-step physical barrier to pathogens, like Cryptosporidium, that may occur in surface water. It also improves water quality by improving the taste and odor, reducing iron and manganese, and diminish the sediment loads.

City of Vader (Lewis County)

This tiny system in Lewis County faced an insurmountable crisis. They experienced 22 system-wide water outages and treatment violations because of water main breaks. They had no funds to fix it their antiquated water. To be eligible for funding, City of Vader volunteered to be taken over by Lewis County. About 6,000 feet of water main was replaced, along with 245 service meters. The upgrades mean that City of Vader has secure, reliable drinking water and economic strength.

City of Bellingham (Whatcom County)

City of Bellingham gets its drinking water from Lake Whatcom, which has consistently high algae bloom and suspended organic matter in the water. Both of these clog filters and cause very long filter run times. By using dissolved air flotation treatment, they resolved the clogging issue and are able to produce safe water more efficiently, which reduces energy costs. They also updated other treatment equipment and reduced the amount of disinfection byproducts in their drinking water.

Clark Public Utilities (Clark County)

Clark Public Utilities worked on a multi-phase Paradise Point Water Supply System project. They received funding for the design and construction of a raw water transmission main, backwash line, and two communication conduits from the well field to the water treatment facility. They also designed the water treatment facility and prepared the site for future planned construction. The completed project enabled Clark County’s future growth. It also contributed to salmon recovery in SW Washington.

City of College Place—Christ Community Fellowship Consolidation (Walla Walla County)

Christ Community Fellowship serves the College Place community as both a school and place of worship. Nitrate levels in the well were almost twice the maximum contaminant level. Nitrate is a very dangerous regulated contaminant and just one exposure can affect a person’s health. The City of College Place offered to connect the church and school to its municipal water system. They used three DWSRF loans for a new well and to consolidate the two systems. Now Christ Community Fellowship church and school receive safe and reliable drinking water, and the City of College Place has a new well that results in a more resilient water supply for the whole city.

Holiday Hideaway Association

The Holiday Hideaway Association needed to address elevated iron and manganese levels in their drinking water, harden infrastructure, against seawater intrusion, increase storage capacity and gain better control over well withdrawal rates.

Jefferson County PUD (Jefferson County)

Two small systems were facing expensive regulatory requirements they were unable to meet. Jefferson County Public Utilities District is using DWSRF funds to consolidate the two small systems with their existing systems. Multiple water sources means better system pressure and increased resource management and reliability now and into the future.

Lake Wenatchee Water District (Chelan County)

Lake Wenatchee Water District was created to integrate the water supply and distribution system and to replace five private community associations providing water along the north shore of Lake Wenatchee. The consolidation improved water service to the customers of the smaller systems, which struggled with water outages and unhealthy sources. In addition to improving water quality and reliance, the updated distribution system reduced water costs for customers.

Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District (LLSWD)—Eastside Liberty Lake Improvement Club (ESLLIC) Consolidation (Spokane County)

ESLLIC incorporated in 1945 and provided water service for 327 customers. Since ESLLIC is within the service area of LLSWD, the two systems created an intertie as a backup to the existing ESLLIC wells. Some of the well pumps, booster pumps, and the reservoir were more than fifty years old. ESLLIC secured a loan for improvements and in 2016, LLSWD contacted DWSRF about converting the loan into a consolidation project and transfer ownership of ESLLIC to LLSWD. They used the existing intertie and made upgrades to the pumps and distribution system. The consolidation allowed them to lower the base water rates for their customers and provide reliable, clean water. A win for everyone!

The project received an Aquarius Award from EPA for the outstanding work they did.

Read more about the  Liberty Lake Consolidation Project (PDF)  and how it benefits public health.

City of Lynden (Whatcom County)

The City of Lynden’s water treatment plant, built in 1926, was too small and didn’t meet current safe drinking water regulations and also had serious structural issues. There was no room for expansion and it did not meet peak demands, forcing the city to rely on water storage. The City of Lyndon built a new treatment plant not only meets the city’s needs, but also supplies clean water to several neighboring systems with nitrate problems in their water sources.

City of Mabton (Yakima County)

The city needed a new well to replace one that failed and reduce demand on another well with high levels of nitrate in the water. In 2014, the city built a new well, control building, and generator. The city can now meeting high demands for drinking water with a clean, reliable source.

In 2015, City of Mabton updated their chlorination system, and installed a new reservoir and generator. Since the reservoir has a higher elevation it takes less time for the booster pumps to keep it full. They city saves about $25,000 per year. The generator allows the city to keep the distribution system full and up to pressure, even during a power outage.

McKee’s Evergreen Beach Association (Snohomish County)

Who would want arsenic in their water? Let alone, black slime! Arsenic and manganese both occur naturally in Washington water and must be removed. Arsenic is bad for you, as we all know, and manganese can cause black slime that clogs pipes besides making water look and taste bad. McKee’s Evergreen Beach Association took out a DWSRF loan to install water treatment that removes arsenic and manganese, built a new reservoir, and installed new well pumps. They now provide clean, safe drinking water that meets state standards.

City of Moxee (Yakima County)

The City of Moxee’s nearly 40-year-old well failed, leaving residents and businesses facing stringent water restrictions. An inspection of the well revealed more complicated problems and the city faced loss of water pressure. When water pressure falls, there’s potential for contaminants or dirty water to be pulled into the drinking water system.

The city applied for and was able to get funding from both our DWSRF program and the Public Works Board Emergency loan. They were able to drill a new well and install a new pump, providing safe, reliable drinking water, meeting customer demands.

Read more about  City of Moxee  (PDF).

City of Olympia (Thurston County)

Corrosive water can leach lead and copper from metal pipes in the distribution system and metal plumbing fixtures. Water systems work to raise low pH corrosive water before the water enters their system. In 2014, City of Olympia applied for a loan to add aeration treatment towers to the McAllister Well Field to raise pH levels. Air is blown into the towers as the water flows over plastic balls. This treatment naturally raises the pH by removing carbon dioxide in the water.

City of Olympia 417 Zone Reservoir

The city's Hoffman reservoir in the 417 Zone needed cleaning and maintenance. This means taking the reservoir offline. To do this, the city needs a new tank within the zone. This new tank helps them remain in compliance with drinking water standards and complete needed maintenance to the Hoffman reservoir to maintain existing infrastructure.

City of Pasco (Franklin County)

The City of Pasco gets water from the Columbia River and runs it through a membrane filter treatment plant to remove organic matter. Milfoil grows in the Columbia and consistently clogs the filters and the city hires a professional diver to remove the milfoil, a very costly and dangerous job. The city installed a new intake with a mechanical cleaning system and has a proper fish screen to protect fish in the Columbia.

City of Pateros (Okanogan County)

Manganese levels in the city’s water supply exceed state and federal maximum contaminate levels causing many problems including black water sediment. Black manganese slime plugs up service lines and meters and causes loss of pressure in the distribution system. The City of Pateros drilled two new production well and a new pump station and improved reservoirs damaged during the July 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire.

City of Port Townsend (Jefferson County)

When Port Townsend residents turn on their taps, they receive water that has traveled from the Olympic Mountains, through a forest, two rivers, two lakes, and 29 miles of transmission pipe. Using DWSRF funds, the City built a new low-pressure filtration plant and chlorination treatment facility. The city also replaced its deteriorating five-million-gallon concrete storage reservoir. The new reservoir will include earthquake protection.

City of Prosser (Benton County)

The City of Prosser’s well has naturally occurring manganese, an aging infrastructure and outdated disinfection system. The city added new green sand pressure filters to existing filters and added new feed pumps. They also added a backup power supply to avoid power outages, which are costly and disrupt service. All these equipment updates increased the city’s drinking water production from 5.3 million gallons a day to 7.1 million gallons.

City of Raymond

Corrosion in the city's three-million-gallon steel water reservoir indicated it was time to recoat and repair the tank. Surface water treatment can lead to low alkaline water, which leads to corrosion. They also installed a new security fence, ladder, and vents.

Roosevelt Water Association (Snohomish County)

The Roosevelt Water Association currently has a single storage water tank that can potentially serve about 125 residences. A pipeline in Everett supplies the rest of their water needs; but If this pipeline shuts down for any reason, customers would have no water service. The association built a new pumps station and storage with capacity of 966,000 gallons. They also added a computer system to remotely monitor and control their operations.

Seattle Public Utilities (King County)

The Clean Water Act required the elimination of open-air reservoirs in favor of secure and more sanitary covered or underground reservoirs. Seattle rebuilt its Maple Leaf open-air reservoir, tearing out the old sloping concrete panels and building steel-reinforced walls. They also replaced the pipes and constructed a separate building for the outlet valves, pumps, electrical instruments, and wiring. Putting the reservoir underground created a 76-acre public park on the surface.

City of Selah (Yakima County)

City of Selah had an old booster pump station that was below ground. It was unsafe and difficult to access for routine maintenance. It also did not deliver reliable, adequate water flow for Selah’s drinking water customers. In 2016 the city used a DWSRF loan to build a new booster pump facility, improve their well, add chlorination treatment, upgrade controls, and add a variable-frequency drive pump and motor. Modernizing their vital drinking water equipment gave the City of Selah reliable, clean drinking water and the resiliency to meet system demands and preserve the city’s economic and public health.

City of Shelton (Mason County)

The City of Shelton had several challenges to address including infrastructure design and updates and improving drinking water service in certain areas. They constructed new reservoirs at two sites, a new booster pump stations, and replaced existing pumps, among other improvements. They also consolidated multiple small systems, which improves the long-term health and overall economic vitality of the city.

Skagit Public Utility District

On of Skagit PUD's sixty-year-old water transmission lines experienced many significant breaks, signaling the end of its useful life. This project re-routed the 5.3 mile transmission line and was used to install a mainline meter. The meter helps the utility evaluate their water use efficiency.

Snohomish County PUD (Snohomish County)

Consolidation helps troubled water systems get needed help to provide their customers with safe and reliable drinking water. Snohomish County PUD consolidated Dubuque and Cascade Acres water systems into the Lake Stevens water system, eliminating the risk of water outages. They installed almost three miles of water main beneath various surfaces, such as paved and unpaved roads, and a bridge.

City of Spokane (Spokane County)

The City of Spokane has a number of groundwater wells that provide about 15 percent of the city's water. They were equipped with older, inefficient pumps, which were very expensive to maintain. They needed to replace the pumps and motors for improved reliability and efficiency. The new pumps save energy and money and improve the city’s resiliency and ability to provide safe and reliable drinking water now and into the future.

Tacoma Water (Pierce County)

Tacoma Water provides drinking water service to about 316,000 people in the City of Tacoma and parts of King and Pierce counties. The primary water supply was unfiltered water from the Green River. Tacoma Water used DWSRF and other funds to build a filtration plant in order to meet EPA’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment rule. Filtration provides a first-step physical barrier to pathogens, like Cryptosporidium, that may occur in surface water. It also improves water quality by improving the taste and odor, reducing iron and manganese, and diminish the sediment loads.

City of Vader (Lewis County)

This tiny system in Lewis County faced an insurmountable crisis. They experienced 22 system-wide water outages and treatment violations because of water main breaks. They had no funds to fix it their antiquated water. To be eligible for funding, City of Vader volunteered to be taken over by Lewis County. About 6,000 feet of water main was replaced, along with 245 service meters. The upgrades mean that City of Vader has secure, reliable drinking water and economic strength.

Read about individual projects on our  DWSRF Profiles page .

Learn more on our  DWSRF webpages .

If you have any questions about the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, you can email  DWSRF@doh.wa.gov .