Ecology prepares to fund 121 clean water projects

Communities across Washington are preparing to improve wastewater facilities, install stormwater treatment, and fund new septic systems, thanks to $156.8 million in grants and loans from Ecology. From small streams and lakes to complex river systems and Puget Sound, Ecology provides an annual infusion of financial support for critical clean water projects.

Almost 200 eligible project applications came in, representing $658 million in funding needs from every region in the state. This kind of demand is a critical measuring stick when assessing the need for water quality improvements that benefit communities and ecosystems across the state. While we're excited to share a draft list of 121 projects, it's important to remember that these are estimates which could change based on federal funding and the final 2025-2027 budget from the Washington State Legislature.

Our interactive map can help you find projects in your area that we plan to fund.

Proposed project highlights

Stormwater

We plan to award approximately $29.2 million to 25 stormwater projects.

The City of Union Gap is eligible to receive approximately $4.7 million to help remove copper, zinc, and other pollution from untreated stormwater before it reaches Spring Creek and the Yakima River. The stormwater improvements are slated for Rudkin Road, Rainier Place, South 18th Street, East Washington Avenue, and South 14th Street in Union Gap.

One of our newer grant programs supports partnerships between local governments and private partners to plan, build, or maintain public stormwater projects. The goal of these Community-based public-private partnerships (CBP3) is to improve stormwater management and meet regulations while providing additional benefits to the community. This year, we propose to fund $1.5 million for three CBP3 projects.

A grant for Clark County Public Works, when funded, will kick off a pilot project to advance cleaner stormwater while prioritizing community and economic benefits. The $680,062 grant would allow the County to hire a contractor to restore soil and replant vegetation at up to 60 bioretention facilities. As part of the pilot project, the work will support small, minority, and women-owned businesses and ensure maintenance work is done by contractors who live in overburdened communities.

Wastewater

Ecology plans to support 59 wastewater projects with $86.4 million. Two of these projects qualify for hardship assistance which helps ease the burden of increased sewer rates for residents in small, financially challenged communities. In addition, 14 of the projects are part of the Small Community Priority Project List. Ecology developed this approach in recent years to provide a simplified funding process for small, financially disadvantaged communities to help them meet their anticipated wastewater infrastructure needs with reduced barriers.

Deer Park, located 35 minutes north of Spokane, is eligible to receive $747,300 to update their wastewater facility plan and general sewer plan as the community prepares for significant anticipated growth. Previously, Ecology funded $3.6 million for Deer Park's wastewater lagoon replacement and pump station upgrades, improving water quality in Dragoon Creek, Little Spokane River, and local groundwater. The proposed planning effort will help reassess sewer modeling and growth projections.

We're proposing that Valley View Sewer District in King County receive approximately $6.2 million to design and construct 3,500-foot sewer main connecting 65 homes currently on septic to the Valley View Sewer District system. This project is in addition to our program to repair and replace septic systems, described in the next section.

This project will contribute to greater environmental justice in the community by alleviating some financial burdens for households in a predominantly low-income area and supporting clean water. Seattle & King County Public Health data shows that most onsite septic systems in this area have reached the end of their life expectancy, which increases the risk of failure, creating public health and environmental issues.

Septic system replacements and conversions are a homeowner's responsibility, costing thousands of dollars. Grant assistance for this project supports property owners by significantly reducing their cost to convert from septic to sewer.

The Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction grant program helps municipalities plan for future wastewater treatment facility upgrades and implement operational changes that maximize nutrient removal, including nitrogen, from existing treatment processes. There are 24 projects identified for this funding.

Thurston County Public Works is eligible to receive $550,000 in grants for two of their wastewater treatment plants to help decrease the amount of nitrogen going into Puget Sound. This funding includes a $350,000 grant for a project at Boston Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant to install blower variable frequency drives and an equalization basin mixer. Ecology previously provided funding to Thurston County Public Works to develop and implement multiple nitrogen optimization strategies for this facility. This proposed funding supports the next phase of that work, allowing the facility to more precisely control conditions for nutrient reductions. Ecology is planning to fund a $200,000 grant for similar work at the Tamoshan Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Addressing other sources of pollution

There are 27 projects eligible to receive a total of $17.6 million in grants to address nonpoint pollution. An additional 10 projects are focused on repairing and replacing septic systems. Nonpoint pollution comes from dispersed sources and has a significant impact on water quality across the state.

The Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, eligible for $242,581 to help restore 18.7 acres along Mill Creek in Auburn by planting native vegetation and a riparian buffer, as well as removing invasive species. Planting more trees helps creeks and rivers that are too warm.

Mill Creek is part of the Green-Duwamish and Central Puget Sound watershed. This project supports ongoing efforts to improve water quality and salmon habitat in Mill Creek, which is considered polluted with bacteria, zinc, and low pH. Mill Creek is also part of the Green River Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

"The project is part of an ongoing effort to improve water quality - addressing the Green River TMDL for temperature impairments - and salmon habitat in Mill Creek. Water quality improvement projects are complex and often require diverse funding sources. Ecology funding would make immediate riparian revegetation possible and provide leverage for other county and state funding to complete this project and extend restoration both up and downstream."

-Tracy Banaszynski, Co-Executive Director, Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group

The Yakama Nation is set to receive $500,000 to improve the conditions of the Little Klickitat River Watershed by restoring a 21-acre meadow that was historically used for farming practices such as ditching and drainage. Carrols Creek, a tributary of the Little Klickitat River, will also be restored to improve watershed function and increase infiltration to benefit streamflow during the critical summer season. These flows will help reduce stream temperatures in the Little Klickitat River Watershed.

Onsite sewage systems

With a third of Washington households relying on septic systems, Ecology continues to support projects to repair and replace septic systems. Every year, septic systems in Washington treat more than 300 million gallons of wastewater. Unfortunately, about 10% of these systems experience some level of failure each year. While not all failures require major repairs, even small issues can contaminate groundwater and threaten both public health and water quality.

We are proposing a $20 million award to continue the Onsite Sewage Systems Regional Loan Program, an existing statewide partnership between local governments, Department of Health, Ecology, and financial institutions. The loan program provides affordable loans and financial assistance to homeowners, many with low incomes, to replace failing septic systems. Investing in septic systems improves surface and groundwater quality, benefiting shellfish harvesting and public health throughout Washington.

This program supports an average of 250 projects a year, including both septic repair and replacement. Since the program's launch in 2016, more than 2,200 homeowners have used this program.

This proposed award requires an Environmental Justice Assessment under Washington's Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act (RCW 70A.02). Ecology will complete the assessment to help us fairly distribute environmental benefits and address environmental and health inequalities through our funding programs. To get involved with the environmental justice assessment, please contact Faith Wimberley, Environmental Justice Planner, at [email protected].

SepticSmart Yakima is estimated to receive $273,473 to expand homeowner education on septic system care to prevent failures and protect groundwater in Yakima County. This effort will build on Yakima Health District's Healthy Homes Initiative. The project will develop bilingual materials, train local organizations, and provide mini grants to support partner-led workshops and outreach, including collaboration with septic professionals and local businesses to distribute materials. These strategies are expected to reach approximately 5,000 households, increase homeowner knowledge, improve access to septic resources, reduce groundwater contamination risks, and support the long-term expansion of environmental health education in the Yakima Valley.

Shawn Magee, the Environmental Health Director at the Yakima Health District shared how state funding for the SepticSmart Yakima program would allow the program to grow and help prevent septic problems in the first place. The program hopes to expand access to bilingual resources and support partner organizations with training, outreach tools, and small grants.

"In Yakima County, many households depend on septic systems for safe wastewater treatment, and system failures can have significant impacts on private wells and shared water sources. This investment ensures residents receive accessible guidance on preventive septic care while strengthening community capacity to protect water quality."

-Shawn Magee, Environmental Health Director, Yakima Health District

Give us your feedback

We are holding a public comment period on the draft offer list from 12 a.m. Jan. 30, 2026, to 5 p.m. Feb. 28, 2026. Please submit public comments via the online comment form. The draft list and related materials are available on the Water Quality Combined Funding webpage.

If you have questions, please contact Karen Izumoto at [email protected] or 360-628-1976 or attend the public meeting at 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2026, via Zoom.

• Register for public meeting

We will respond to all comments received during the comment period and notify all commenters when we publish our final funding list by July 1, 2026.