Port of Mattawa to sell wastewater treatment plant

MATTAWA — Port of Mattawa Commissioners voted unanimously during Monday’s regular meeting to allow Executive Director Gil Alvarado to move forward with the sale of the port-owned wastewater treatment plant, located on Road 23 Southwest. “Frankly, that type of facility is better managed in the hands of folks who are in that industry,” Alvarado said. The other reason the port is selling the facility is because its expenses are outpacing its revenues, Alvarado said. “The way the port operates, with that wastewater treatment facility you have two wine-crushing companies. One is J&S (Crushing), and you have Milbrandt/Wahluke (Wine Co.). So both of those folks, because at the time one of them did not have the ability to discharge its waste when it crushed (grapes), basically, we would enter into a lease with them,” Alvarado said. “They would lease part of our wastewater facility. We would take their waste, process it, and spray it within a certain time frame. J&S decided to part ways with the port and create their own system.”