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Public Announcement

 

Wahkiakum PUD to Acquire Town of Cathlamet Water and Wastewater Systems

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Wahkiakum Public Utility District (PUD) is pleased to announce the upcoming acquisition of the Town of Cathlamet’s water and wastewater systems. This transition, developed through collaboration with town officials, marks a significant step toward ensuring long-term sustainability, reliability, and quality service for local residents.

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Effective August 7, 2025, the PUD will assume full operational responsibility and on September 4, 2025, the PUD will assume full administrative responsibility for the water and wastewater infrastructure previously managed by the Town of Cathlamet. This change aims to streamline services, enhance system reliability and performance, and support future improvements and maintenance with greater efficiency.

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What this means for residents:

• No immediate Service Interruptions: Water and wastewater services will continue without interruption during and after the transition.

• Improved Efficiency: Customers can expect coordinated utility services (power, water, and wastewater), consolidated billing, and continued investments in system upgrades.

• Same Local Commitment: The dedicated staff at the PUD will provide responsive and reliable service with the same commitment to the community that customers have come to expect from the PUD.

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Wahkiakum PUD is committed to transparent communication throughout this transition. More details, including answers to frequently asked questions, will be shared via our website, mailings, and upcoming commission meetings.

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We look forward to serving you and working together to maintain and improve the essential services that support our community.

 

For more information, please contact us at:

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Wahkiakum PUD

Phone: 360.795.3266 or 360.465.2171

Email: cs@wahkiakumpud.org

Website: www.wahkiakumpud.org

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Background

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Past and current water system plans, a 2016 Consolidation Study and the current 2024 Consolidation Study all show that the Town of Cathlamet (the Town) water and wastewater systems need significant financial resources and physical repair to bring them up to standards. System rehabilitation funding through the Washington State Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is “provided for larger, well-run systems to acquire and upgrade struggling or failing systems.”

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In August of 2023, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) solicited grant applications for consolidation feasibility studies, formerly known as Restructuring Assessments. These studies are used by the DOH to identify struggling and troubled water systems. Wahkiakum County PUD (the PUD) applied for the grant with the Town consent and acknowledgment and a grant was awarded to the PUD. Gray and Osborne, the engineering firm of record for both the PUD and the Town, was awarded the task of preparing the study due to their intimate knowledge of both water systems and that they work for both entities.

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Gray and Osborne performed a Consolidation Study in 2016 and the results recommended that consolidation was feasible. That study stated an analysis of the wastewater system should be included, so it was added to the scope of the 2024 study. During the process, Gray and Osborne submitted data requests to the PUD and to the Town and used the data provided to develop the Consolidation Study. ​​​​