Warden receives ARPA funds from Grant Co.

WARDEN — The city of Warden recently received $656,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding from the Grant County Board of Commissioners to address the city’s aging booster pump station, according to Warden City Administrator Kriss Shuler.

The city found out in September it had been denied funding from the Washington State Public Works Board to fund renovations to the booster station, as well as other projects. 

“So since we were denied we just shifted our funding for the ARPA money and used that toward the booster station, since the Grant County Commissioners were going to award us funds that we had applied for a year ago,” Shuler said. “With that, those two funds, the city's funds, and the Grant County ARPA funds, then we are close to the finish line.”

The amount of funds the city needs for the total estimated cost of the reconstruction is about $558,000. Shuler said the total estimated cost is approximately $2 million. 

“It is a big chunk of change, but it is one of our priorities and if this way we can use the appropriate dollars for that, then that is a great way to move forward,” Shuler said.

The booster pump station is about 43 years old, she said, and nearing the end of its useful life. 

“We’d have to do a budget amendment if (the funding) came through this year. We'll have to complete the design, so we're not to the finish line for that booster station yet. We have to complete the design and then the construction most likely wouldn't happen until 2025,” Shuler said.

The design work is being done by Warden’s standard engineering contractors, Gray & Osborne, Shuler said.

“We will look at city water reserves for construction. We'll look at what we have there. We will look at other funding sources just like we have been currently through Public Works trust fund and those types of options,” Shuler said. “So we will continue to look for those funds, but I do believe that we'll be able to meet those dollars that are needed there and, hopefully, our estimate is high for that two million dollars as well since we're not completely through the total design phase, we’re at the preliminary design.”

    Warden City Administrator Kriss Shuler, right, speaks during a Warden City Council meeting in August. Shuler said the booster pump station upgrades likely won’t start construction until 2025 and the city still needs to put more than $500,000 toward the project.
  

In an email to the Columbia Basin Herald, Shuler said other potential sources of funding the city will look at in addition to the next round of Public Works Board funding and the city’s Water budget include Community Development Block Grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund through the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Shuler said in the email the targeted pumps have shown recent signs of failure, are not operating at their optimum level and the city wants them to be more energy efficient.

“The upgrade would include separating the electrical equipment from the pump room, providing new pumps, new variable frequency drive motors to increase efficiency, new electrical controls and telemetry to replace the obsolete and inefficient mechanical pressure controls, a new permanent generator backup, and HVAC to extend the life of the new equipment,” Shuler said in the email.

Aside from continued reliability, Shuler said the upgrades will also help improve water pressure in town.

“The booster station we have at the south side of town, which is at a higher level up by our reservoir, it’s the one that needs that assistance in the boost of the water pressure,” she said. “So, we hope that it will give them better water pressure, which will also help with fire flow in that area as well … the south upper zone.”

The booster pump station in question is adjacent to the southeast corner of the Warden School District grounds. Since the renovations likely won’t begin until 2025, the project probably won’t affect the city’s budget for 2024. 

    The Grant County Courthouse, pictured, houses the Grant County Board of Commissioners, which approved $656,000 in grant funding for the city of Warden’s booster pump station renovations, according to Warden City Administrator Kriss Shuler.
  

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

What is a booster pump station?

A booster pump station has a pump or series of pumps in it that are used to maintain consistent pressure and provide adequate flow in water systems such as municipal water systems. 

SOURCE: eng-tips.com