A water quality project that will generate local jobs and keep polluted runoff out of the Duwamish River during severe rain storms could receive substantial funding from the federal government.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently selected our Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station Project as one of a dozen projects nationwide that qualify for a low-interest loan through the highly competitive Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program.

The project is eligible for $129 million in loan funding, which would finance nearly half of the overall $262 million investment and potentially save sewer ratepayers up to $34 million.

King County is building the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station Project to treat up to 70 million gallons stormwater and sewage that overflows into the Duwamish River about 20 times a year.

Project construction as a source of local jobs

As part of an effort to spur economic equity, King County is structuring construction contracts to encourage more small business participation, and requiring contractors to set aside a percentage of labor hours for apprentices in addition to agreeing to voluntary hiring goals for women and people of color.

Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station project is also partnering with community colleges and labor unions on job training and apprenticeship programs, and the project will participate in a new King County pilot program called Priority Hire, which requires contractors to train and hire construction workers living in ZIP codes with high levels of poverty and unemployment.

Over the next two years, WTD is budgeting over $400 million on its major capital program to build new facilities and upgrade existing infrastructure. That spending is expected to create over 900 construction jobs alone, along with several opportunities for contractors and suppliers.

Get more information and status updates on the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station Project online.