May 10, 2024 3:30 a.m.
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Douglas County will receive $1.22 million in drought resilience funding as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure and Inflation Control Act.
In Douglas County, the Tri-Cities Joint Water and Sanitation Authority will leverage resources from the Bureau of Reclamation to construct a new 300,000-gallon potable water storage tank and related infrastructure, significantly improving water supply efficiency and reducing drought The aim is to promote Resilience.
“We are thrilled that the Tri-City Joint Water District and Joint Water and Sanitation District have been selected for this coveted grant award,” said Douglas County Commissioner Tim Freeman. “Our small, rural community struggles to find the resources to update needed infrastructure, but we have applied for a grant that will more than triple the capacity of our existing water system,” Freeman said. The opportunities we have are just amazing.”
“Small communities like ours face significant challenges when it comes to funding the infrastructure we need,” said Paul Wilborn, the agency’s general manager. “Our team has been seeking funding for this important project for several years,” Wilborn said. “Bipartisan Infrastructure Act funding will allow us to move the project forward.” Our ability to protect our population from natural disasters will be significantly enhanced by emergency water storage and increased fire flow, as well as supply redundancy that allows for uninterrupted water supply even during maintenance operations.”
Lane County would also receive $4 million from the bill, according to the release.
