Birch Bay Water and Sewer District to receive $1.5 million from state

After a September 8 meeting of the Washington State Public Works Board (PWB), the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District was chosen to receive $1.53 million in construction loans to build “reliability and capacity improvements” to the domestic water supply at Birch Point, according to PWB documents.

The loan is part of a $220 million package the PWB approved to improve decaying and damaged infrastructure around the state. In total, 61 projects throughout 51 communities received funding, many of which fell under “severely distressed” status, including critical infrastructure such as sewage systems, roads and bridges. 

While the status of Birch Point was deemed “non-distressed” by the board, water quality and conservation is a constant worry in the Birch Bay area, as evidenced by the voluntary “Water Wisely Watering Schedule” that went into effect on June 1 and ends on Friday, September 15. 

The $1.5 million granted to the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District was one of two infrastructure projects in Whatcom County that qualified for funding. The other project was for the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District, awarding $800,000 for a reservoir replacement. The $220 million in funding across the state was determined from a pool of over 85 funding requests that totaled over $312 million. The PWB analyzed and rated every claim over the critical importance and current status of the infrastructure. 

“Washington’s Public Works Board provides a vital source of funding for building infrastructure communities need to thrive and support economic opportunity,” Mike Fong, Washington State Department of Commerce director, wrote in a statement. “The significant gap between need and available state funds is an ongoing challenge. I’m thrilled to see a significant investment in this program to help support these critical infrastructure needs so our local jurisdictions can support their growing communities.”