Town of Cathlamet to replace failing sewage plant

The Town of Cathlamet has been awarded federal funding for a new wastewater treatment plant. The project, supported jointly by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce, is projected to cost $8.4 million and be completed in 2013.

The planned facility will be located outside town and away from the Columbia River; it will replace a failing sewage plant built in the 1960s. “We’re removing an eyesore and a public health risk from our historic waterfront,” said Mayor George Wehrfritz. “The project will be transformational for our community.”

USDA Rural Development has pledged Cathlamet approximately $7.5 million in grants and loans for the project, and the Department of Commerce has offered a $1 million Community Development Block Grant. Design work was completed earlier this year with support from a State and Tribal Assistance Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Once projected to cost more than $13 million, the facility is now budgeted for considerably less. “We’ve eliminated some costs, made some design adjustments and factored in today’s competitive bidding environment,” Wehrfritz said. “The challenge now is to deliver a finished product at or under budget.”

Removal of existing sewage lagoons will pave the way for waterfront redevelopment in Cathlamet. Past studies have proposed a new moorage basin for the Elochoman Marina, additional parkland and better waterfront trails.