Press Release – Congressman Larsen Earmark
Back to Announcements Published on 04/02/2026District to receive $700,000 supporting Sudden Valley reservoir replacement
The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (District) has been included on U.S. Representative Rick Larsen’s Community Project Funding list that will provide $700,000 supporting the replacement of the Division 22-1 water reservoir located in the Sudden Valley community. Receipt of this grant fully funds the project, which is also being funded through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency grant ($2,152,000), a Washington State Military Department Emergency Management Division grant ($358,750), and a Washington State Public Works Board low interest loan ($365,000).
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 service 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, the District has secured $9.3 million in external funding over the past three 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 disaster. We are extremely grateful to Representative Larsen 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.”