District Receives FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant

District awarded $2.15 million in grants to replace a Sudden Valley water reservoir

The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (District) has been awarded a $2,152,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for replacement of its Division 22-1 water reservoir located in the Sudden Valley community. When combined with $358,750 in grant funding from the Emergency Management Division of the Washington State Military Department, the District will be responsible for funding the remaining $358,750 (12.5%) of the $3 million project.

The existing reservoir is a 514,000-gallon welded-steel reservoir constructed by the developer of the Sudden Valley community in 1971. Recent analyses found that the reservoir is approaching the end of its useful life and requires replacement with a similar reservoir meeting current seismic design standards. The new reservoir will work in tandem with the District’s adjacent Division 22-2 reservoir, which was constructed in 2018 and is outfitted with the ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning system. When combined with other critical water infrastructure projects that are currently under design or construction, the District has secured nearly $8.4 million in external funding over the past four years.

Board of Commissioners President Todd Citron said, “The District is committed to proactive maintenance, and when necessary, replacement of our infrastructure to ensure continuity of service following a major natural disaster. We are extremely grateful to FEMA, the Washington State Military Department  (and our fellow Americans) for funding a significant portion of the replacement of our Division 22-1 reservoir, which reduces the fiscal burden on the District’s capital program budget, and in turn, our rate payers.”