DOH Logo linking to Home Page
You are here: DOH Home » News Releases Home » 04-093
Search | Employees

For immediate release: August 10, 2004 (04-093)

Contacts:
Chris Gagnon, Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water 360-236-3095
Leslie Hafford, Public Works Board 360-586-4128
Kate Lynch, Communications Office 360-236-4072

14 water systems to acquire and fix failing systems
Statewide program will improve quality of drinking water for many customers

OLYMPIA ¾ People near the Skagit County town of Concrete, the Quilcene community in Jefferson County, and students at the Orchard Prairie School in Spokane will soon have more reliable, higher-quality drinking water under a new statewide program to rehabilitate struggling water systems. The program will also reach residents of 11 other communities around the state.

Contracts have been offered to 14 large public water systems around the state to help them acquire and rehabilitate other systems with water quality problems. Some of the troubled systems have deteriorated to the point that there is a public health concern.

"Our goal is to protect people’s health by creating a lasting solution for problem water systems," said Denise Clifford, director of the Office of Drinking Water at the Department of Health.

The 2003 Legislature committed $4 million to create the Water System Acquisition and Rehabilitation Program to help improve municipal water systems. Program grants are intended to help local governments maintain safe and reliable drinking water systems throughout the state. They are managed jointly by the Department of Health, the Public Works Board, and the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development.

Projects are expected to be completed two years after contracts have been executed. Applications were received last November. Contracts have been offered to the 14 applicants with the highest scoring projects. Another 13 project applications fell below the funding cut-off.

###


DOH Home | Access Washington | Privacy Notice | Disclaimer/Copyright Information

Access Washington Logo linking to Access Washington Home Page

Contact Information for the Department of Health

Last Update : 03/05/2009 08:38 PM
Send inquires about DOH and its programs to the Health Consumer Assistance Office
Comments or questions regarding this web site? Send mail to the Webmaster .