House passes Interior Department appropriations bill, including $1.25 million for Redmond Wetlands Complex

Latest timeline is to break ground next year on three-year project

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – The U.S. House has approved an Interior Department appropriations bill that includes nearly $4 million for three Fifth District infrastructure projects, one being the Redmond Wetlands Complex expected to begin construction next year, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) said Friday.

“Reinvesting Oregonians’ hard-earned tax dollars back into our state is one of my top priorities," Chavez-DeRemer said. "In this interior appropriations bill, I successfully secured much-needed funding for water infrastructure projects across the district – projects that will benefit Oregon families for generations to come.

"These investments are essential to protect public health, boost economic development, and maintain a clean environment. As the appropriations process unfolds, I’ll keep pushing to get this critical funding signed into law.” 

H.R. 4821, the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,, includes three of Chavez-DeRemer’s Community Project Funding requests, totaling a $3.75 million infrastructure investment in the 5th District:

• $1.25 million for the city of Redmond to expand a wastewater interceptor to help complete the city’s constructed wetlands wastewater management project. 
• $1.25 million for the city of Albany to help replace and extend the Cox Creek interceptor, which provides sanitary sewer service to almost 1,600 acres in Albany.
• $1.25 million for the city of West Linn to replace a water main that runs along the I-205 Abernethy Bridge, which is necessary due to the bridge replacement project.

Redmond through its Wetlands Complex project is expanding its wastewater facility to meet projected growth and address aging infrastructure, moving the wastewater treatment facility to an area outside the city limits where the city disposes of effluent and biosolids.

 With the population tripling since 2000, the city’s current water treatment facility is reaching maximum capacity. The projected population in Redmond by the end of 2045 is 54,000. The current system can process and treat 2.8 million gallons per day; the city says the current system will need to be expanded to treat the 4.6 million gallons per day required for the projected population growth.

Constructed wetlands, using ponds and wetlands engineered to treat wastewater, are increasingly popular as a sustainable, cost-effective treatment solution that also offer wildlife habitat, recreational and operational opportunities.

At present, Redmond plans a groundbreaking next July for the three-year project, said Heather Cassaro, the city's director of communications. There were some delays, she said, as land use approvals took longer than expected, and were recently finalized by Deschutes County.

The latest public estimate for the total project cost as of a year ago was $70 million, which is still about $30 million less than the projected cost for upgrading the current in-city site at the north end of the Dry Canyon.

Additionally, Chavez-DeRemer said the legislation provides a $1.6 billion increase in discretionary funding for wildland fire management at the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior, along with $32.6 million for the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system managed by the U.S. Geological Survey to help quickly detect earthquakes.