Port gets $1.4 million for water, $750,000 for rail

ROYAL CITY - The Port of Royal Slope has been promised more than $2 million that should make its industrial park more attractive to businesses seeking a home.

The larger of the two grants is $1.4 million from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce. It will be the major portion of funding for a new potable water system. The application was made two years ago.

The smaller grant of $750,000 comes from the Washington State Dept. of Transportation. It is for the rehabilitation of the railroad that runs from Othello to the industrial park.

According to PORS Manager Cathy Potter, the water project will improve not only the PORS Industrial Park but also the adjacent Hiawatha Industrial Park. She said the project calls for an extension of the PORS water main line to Hiawatha.

Hiawatha businesses have been operating on private systems for years. According to Potter, the Washington State Dept. of Health has been concerned that those don't serve all of the needs, particularly fire control.

"We lost an onion storage there last fall because they didn't have fire flow," Potter said.

Potter added that the WSDOH is concerned about future contamination of the wells. A new well had to be drilled recently at a business across Highway 26 from Hiawatha.

Potter said the WSDOH encouraged the PORS to apply for the funding as a way to solve Hiawatha's challenges while at the same time improving the PORS.

"They don't have to hook up to our water, but we hope they do, and some have indicated they will," Potter said. "They will get fire flow pressure and quality water. We do our own quality control."

The water project calls for a new well and pumping system that will produce 1,000 gallons per minute. It will be coupled with the existing 1,000-gallon system.

"Only one will be used most of the time, but both can be used during peak need by food processors," Potter said. "The real value is that we'll have one for back-up."

Potter noted there was a pump failure in 2007 that lasted three weeks to four months. She said it was fortunate that it occurred at a low water use period.

"It was not at processing time," She said. "Thank goodness."

The new system will also include a 100,000-gallon tower reservoir. That will give the PORS twin reservoirs of the near equal capacity.

The entire estimated cost of the project is $1.75 million. The Grant County Strategic Initiatives Program has agreed to a $175,000 grant and a $25,000 loan. The PORS will put up the final $150,000.

According to Potter, the good news about water is matched by the good news on the railroad. Even though it is owned by the WSDOT, the PORS had to apply for the rehabilitation funding.

The $750,000 will allow for bringing the 26 miles of track from Othello to the PORS up to standard. That will make it easier to attract an operator and, eventually, new industrial park clients.

"This is pretty exciting for us," Potter said. "It will help with recruitment. Some companies have turned us down because we don't have rail service."

"All the raw product (that Royal Slope produces), we'd like to see it processed here," she added.

Potter said the cost of maintaining the railway after the rehabilitation will be about $90,000 a year. That can be part of the contract between the PORS and an operator.