Counties scramble for stimulus funds for water projects - Washington Business Journal:

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The money, announced by the last includes $30.8 million for wastewater projectszand $19.7 million for drinking watere upgrades. Although not as large as the highwa y projects being funded by thestimulus money, the work still will createw dozens of construction jobs The money is being channelerd through the Clean for the wastewater projectds and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The which is being administered by thestate , must be spentg by February 2010 or it will be redistributed to other Ordinarily, those two funds provide low-interest loans to the countie for municipal water But, because the funds are part of the federakl stimulus package, there will be zero interest and the principalk will be forgiven, which means the money will be free.
The Big Islanxd plans to go out to bid in the next four to eighg weeks for its two wastewatetprojects — the replacement of large-capacity cesspools in Honokaa and Komohana Heights. The stimulus will fund $6.2 milliojn for the Honokaa with the balanceof $6 million coming from the states revolving fund. Stimulus moneg will cover the entire cost ofthe $1.34 million Komohana Heights project, said Lono Tyson, directoe of the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management. The two projectes will generate approximately two dozen depending on how many peoples thecontractors hire, he said.
There may be other jobs generated by people choosing to hook up to the county seweer system after the cesspoolsare removed. Fifteen to 20 contractors attended arecent pre-bid meeting for the projects, Tyson said. “There’ds a lot of competition, a lot of he said. “These people also know that, becausr it’s stimulus-driven, these projects are goinhg to happen.” Kauai County officialsx haven’t gotten that far for the expansion of the Waimewa WastewaterTreatment Plan. “We’re scrambling to get our RFP package put togetherrfor advertisement,” said Ed Tschupp, chief of the county’s wastewatere division. The stimulus will fund $7.
5 million of the totalp $12 million cost of the design-builed project, and probably will generate about 40 jobs overthe two-yea r construction period, he said. “It’s a significant projecy for the county,” Tschupp said. “It’s probablyy the largest project that the wastewater managementg division has managed in a Other wastewater projects receiving stimulus funds are the first phase of the Waimali sewer rehabilitationon Oahu, which will receive $7.85t million toward its $50 millionn cost; and countywide pump station renovations for Maui County, whicyh will get $7.5 million toward the $9.5 million cost. Drinkiny water projects, which will receive between $1.
6 million and $4.9 million, includse replacement of water mains in Pacificf Heights and Kapahulu on Oahu and in Waimea Canyon on water line replacements in Lihue on Kauaji and in Wailuku and Kiheoion Maui; a water tank replacement in West Olindsa on Maui; and the development of a well in Southj Kohala on the Big Island.