Water project gets loan

Published 10:10 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

The city of North Bend received a $258,560 loan to improve its water treatment system.

The city will use the money to install 775 feet of additional piping that will increase the time city water is in contact with chlorine before it enters people’s homes. The new pipe will be added on city property near the Mount Si Spring pump house at the base of Mount Si on the Moon Valley Road.

In 2000, the state Department of Health required the city to retrofit its water system because the city’s water source is closely connected to surface water and has an increased chance of becoming contaminated.

Ron Garrow, city public works director, said North Bend has never had any problems with its water, but the changes are required to meet more stringent safety rules.

Gary Harper Construction Inc. was the low bidder on the project. The company was scheduled to begin construction last week after an earlier start date was delayed by bad weather.

The loan came from the state revolving fund loan. The project was the sixth highest-ranked project in the state to qualify for the loan, Garrow said.