Port of Othello secures CERB funding for new water tower

OTHELLO — The Port of Othello unanimously approved a resolution during Tuesday’s regular meeting to accept $5 million from the Washington Community Economic Revitalization Board for the installation of a new water tower on Port property at the north end of Bruce.

The Port secured the funding May 18, said Port of Othello Executive Director Chris Faix.

“What we’re adding is another 200,000-gallon steel elevated tank,” said Faix. “The Port owns 100 acres of light industrial ground where the tower’s going to go, so included in the project we’re going to put water piping around the 100 acres so that we can … loop the water tower with the existing system, that way we’ll provide potable water to that 100 acres, so that we can encourage more businesses to locate there.”

The Port owns and operates the water system in Bruce, according to the Port of Othello’s website, which includes a 200,000-gallon water tower already located on port property, as well as two wells. Faix said that the funding comes in the form of a $3.75 million low-interest loan and a $1.25 million grant.

“We have to pay the loan back, of course, but the way the funding works is you don’t have to start paying it back until…five years after the completion of the project. So it gives you a chance to start banking some money and hopefully, we’ll get that land up and going and moving in some customers who will use the water and help us make that payment.”

Faix said another reason the Port needs a new water tower is to increase the area’s water capacity for fire flow and fighting fires. He said that the port has enough water storage between the current tank and the two wells’ pumping capability, but not enough in the case of fires.

“The water tower was needed…or a lot of it was needed for fire flow so that if there happens to be a fire in Bruce at one of the places, we have enough fire flow for the fire department to fight the fire out there. That’s what made it a necessity to have,” said Faix.

That storage will also be used for future businesses, which Faix said the Port aims to bring in with the new tower.

“We’re looking to long-term lease it,” he said. “There is the option of buying it, but we’re leaning towards doing some long-term leases so we can boost the economy and bring some jobs to the area.”

Faix said there is still paperwork on the funding, but that a safe estimate of when the project will be done is two years. The Port is using J-U-B Engineers, Inc., of Kennewick.

“J-U-B’s already started some of the initial work,” said Faix. “We’re ready to hit the ground running and continue this project and get that tower built and get that pipe in the ground so we can get some businesses located there as soon as possible.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com.