Hillsboro, OR — December 14, 2004 —
Senator Gordon Smith, Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman David Wu were successful in securing $250,000 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 signed by President Bush last week to support the Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project. Funding was provided to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in the Energy and Water Appropriations Act to partially fund the project.
Senator Smith and Congressman Wu with support from Senator Wyden have been working hard to secure the federal funding necessary to meet the growing water needs of the region. In December 2003, the delegation secured federal authorization for the BOR to provide $2.9 million to fund the federal portion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project. Total cost of the EIS is $6.35 million, of which Water Supply Partnership is funding $3.5 million, or 55 percent.
“This funding is an important first step in providing a safe, secure, and reliable long-term water supply for Washington County and the region,” said Washington County Commission and Clean Water Services’ Board Chair Tom Brian. “Our economy, environment and quality of life are dependent upon successfully meeting this challenge.”
- The Tualatin Basin Water Supply Project, which began nearly two years ago, shows that demand for water in Washington County is expected to double by the year 2050. In addition to needing water for homes, businesses and agriculture, water is needed to restore flows to the Tualatin River and its tributaries to improve water quality and protect stream health.
The Tualatin Basin Water Supply Feasibility Study was approved earlier this year by the study's Policy Steering Committee made up of elected and appointed officials from the local partners. Among the water supply options under consideration is raising Scoggins Dam to expand Hagg Lake in western Washington County. The Policy Steering Committee is expected to select alternatives for study in the EIS in early 2005.
“Our congressional delegation has done a great job securing authorization and initial funding to move forward with the study,” said Chair Brian. “We have already begun working with the delegation and BOR officials to secure the balance of the funding necessary to complete the environmental impact statement.”
The Water Supply Project Partners include Clean Water Services, the Cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tualatin, Tigard, Sherwood, Forest Grove, and Cornelius, the Tualatin Valley Water District, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The Partners have invested more than $1.2 million in studying the needs and options for meeting future water demands.
Clean Water Services is the sanitary sewer and surface water management utility for more than 473,000 customers in urban Washington County and small portions of Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Lake Oswego, and Portland. Clean Water Services operates four wastewater treatment plants, constructs and maintains flood management and water quality projects and manages flow in the Tualatin River to improve water quality and protect fish habitat. Although Clean Water Services maintains a close working relationship with Washington County government, it is a separately managed and financed public utility.