The City of Yakima has been awarded a federal grant of more than $4.9 million to extend domestic water and wastewater services to currently unserved areas of the community.  The grant will cover the cost of two of three phases of a project that will bring water and wastewater services to areas populated by mostly low-income, minority residents who currently rely on wells and septic systems.

The $4,949,298 grant comes from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Drought Response Program.

“This funding will help the City of Yakima provide a reliable source of drinking water for hundreds of residents who currently rely on shallow private wells that are vulnerable to drought and contamination,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray. “It’s exciting to see the investments we’ve made through the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the appropriations bills I write as Chair reaching every corner of the country and every community in Washington state. This project will better protect public health and improve drought resilience for communities in Yakima—it really matters,” said Senator Murray.

Areas in the northeast, northcentral, southcentral, and southern parts of Yakima are included in the project.

“Most of the State of Washington is in a drought emergency, with the Yakima region being hit the hardest,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell.  “Connecting Yakima neighborhoods that currently rely on deteriorating wells to the City of Yakima’s water system will help conserve water supplies and ensure more Yakima households have safe water to drink.”

The City has applied for additional funding to complete the third phase of the three-phase project. “There are still some processes the City has to complete before the grant funding is distributed,” said the City’s Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler.  “Once those processes are done, a timeline for the first two phases of the project will be established.”