Funds will help eight communities plan for future drinking water, wastewater and road infrastructure projects
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Public Works Board (PWB) recently awarded $4.9 million to eight pre-construction projects in different parts of the state. Of the eight jurisdictions that received awards, six are in economically distressed areas and are eligible to receive a portion of their award as grant.
The cracked and leaking water storage tanks in Roslyn, before the PWB award to repair them. Source: City of Roslyn.
These grants and loans will help eight jurisdictions across Chelan, Grays Harbor, Kittitas, Skagit, Spokane and Yakima counties achieve community-driven goals for reliable drinking water, safe sewage treatment and expanded growth for housing and development opportunities.
“We’ve all stopped for a flagger on a construction project but most of us haven’t stopped to think about the careful planning and design that leads to a successful project,” said PWB Chair Vince McGowan, PE. “PWB pre-construction funding helps communities plan ahead. Thoughtful planning leads to better outcomes for projects and more benefits to the community.”
Awarded jurisdictions by county:
Chelan County
- City of Wenatchee: $1 million loan for design improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant intended to increase system capacity and support new housing development.
- City of Entiat: $300,000 loan for the design phase of a new drinking water reservoir that intends to address the city’s water availability, which will remove an obstacle to new housing, and community and economic development.
Grays Harbor County
- City of Westport: $500,000 loan and $500,000 grant for a water rights acquisition phase and geotechnical report phase for drilling and equipping two wells at the city’s south wellfield.
Kittitas County
- City of Kittitas: $166,750 loan and $166,750 grant for design plans to replace deteriorated manholes and damaged sewer mains that will address sewer backups and overflows.
- City of Roslyn: $62,500 loan and $62,500 grant for design plans to complete the replacement and rehabilitation of the city’s existing water system storage basins, which aims to address cracks, corrosion and leaks to prevent water loss and potential service disruptions.
Skagit County
- Public Utility District No. 1 of Skagit County: $750,000 loan for the design phase of a project to install a water storage tank to increase water reliability and fire suppression capability.
Spokane County
- City of Deer Park: $400,000 loan for planning and design of a new municipal well to replace the city’s aging wells and help resolve an urgent loss of drinking water. Four of the city’s eight existing wells have already lost significant capacity, while the remaining wells are also nearing the end of their service life.
Yakima County
- City of Yakima: $985,560 loan for the design engineering phase for reconstruction of a full corridor, upgrades for pedestrian and ADA use and utility replacement along the city’s 6th Avenue.
“Pre-construction funding is essential because it enables communities to complete the engineering, permitting and design work required to make projects truly shovel-ready for construction dollars,” said PWB Vice Chair Gary Rowe, PE. “It also accelerates project delivery so critical projects can move to construction faster and at lower long-term cost to ratepayers.”
Pre-construction applications are open continuously and awarded quarterly until funds are expended. With these awards, PWB has fully-expended all dedicated state fiscal year 2026 pre-construction funds, but will keep the pre-construction application open through the end of the fiscal year. PWB encourages any interested jurisdiction to submit applications for funding and will assess potential awards using other available funds at the time of award.
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.