Clark Regional Wastewater District received $4.3 million from the Washington State Public Works Board to help fund Phase 1 of the Ridgefield Sewer Redirection Project.
The $16 million project will rebuild the Gee Creek Meadows Pump Station and add a new Gee Creek Plateau Pump Station to redirect wastewater away from the aging Ridgefield Treatment Plant. Work is scheduled to finish in 2028.
The improvements connect to the Discovery Corridor Wastewater Transmission System, completed in 2016, which sends most of Ridgefield’s wastewater to the Salmon Creek Treatment Plant. When this phase is complete, more than 80 percent of Ridgefield’s wastewater will be treated at Salmon Creek instead of being discharged to Lake River.
“This project is a key component of a larger community vision to consolidate flows regionally and support the City and Port of Ridgefield’s waterfront redevelopment,” District General Manager John Peterson said in a news release.
The $4.3 million Public Works Board loan is expected to save ratepayers about $500,000 compared to conventional financing. The district plans to apply for additional state funding in 2026.
