Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 1, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Local communities to benefit from King County's $75 million in savings

OLYMPIA — Thanks to efficient management, state grant funds paid to King County for its new wastewater treatment plant will be $75 million less than originally budgeted, and communities throughout Washington could benefit.

Gov. Gary Locke today praised King County and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) for their efforts to identify efficiencies that led to the savings.

"We talk a lot about efficiency efforts in government, but rarely do we find such a clear example of the excellent work being done by public employees to save money," Locke said. "This is money that can help communities all over Washington that are strapped for funding to protect water quality."

In 1989, Ecology began issuing grant funds of $12.5 million a year, totaling $250 million over 20 years, from the state's Centennial Clean Water Fund to help upgrade King County-Metro's West Point wastewater treatment plant. However, with fiscal oversight by Ecology, effective project management by King County and competitive construction bids, the state's share of the project will total $175 million.

"Top value for customer dollars is always a priority for King County," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "The success of the West Point Treatment Plant project is a testament to our employees' dedication to this goal."

"This is good news for every city and county in the state," said Sen. Valoria Loveland, Chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, who worked closely with Ecology and King County to achieve the cost savings. "Every dollar King County has managed to save is money that can be used to upgrade a treatment plant somewhere else."

King County's set-aside accounted for 37 percent of the $472 million available from the Centennial Fund during the past decade. Communities elsewhere in Washington had to compete for the remaining funds to pay for projects to construct and upgrade wastewater treatment plants, repair and replace on-site sewer systems, conduct watershed planning and complete other water-quality and salmon restoration activities.

The Legislature and Locke will approve how the $75 million dollars will be spent during the next several years.

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