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Cowlitz County advances water and sewer projects as federal lead, PFAS rules loom
Summary
County water and sewer staff said booster and plant upgrades are nearly complete and two federally supported extension projects (Shadow Mountain, Ryderwood) are being readied for bid; staff flagged new lead-and-copper planning requirements and PFAS testing obligations that will shape future spending and operations.
Cowlitz County water and sewer staff on Monday briefed the board on recent capital work and upcoming regulatory responsibilities that will affect system upgrades and spending priorities.
Staff said the Tower Road/Long Wita Way booster pump station was completed in December 2025 at a construction cost of about $1.36 million (ARPA-funded) and that upgrades to the Toutle wastewater treatment plant are nearly finished with an estimated final construction cost of $1.46 million. A remaining coating item will be completed during the dry season, and a $799,520 contract is scheduled to start June 1 to finish outstanding work.
Two larger extension projects — Shadow Mountain and Ryderwood — are moving through final grant processes. Shadow Mountain carries a roughly $2.9 million engineer estimate funded by ARPA (~$1.0M) and $1.5M of congressionally delegated dollars, while Ryderwood is estimated at just over $2.0 million with $1.3M ARPA and $1.0M congressionally delegated funding. Staff cautioned that federally delegated funds carry detailed reporting and grant-management requirements that have prolonged procurement timelines.
On regulatory changes, staff said the county completed a service-line inventory under the EPA’s updated lead-and-copper rule and identified about 36 service connections the county controls that could contain lead or galvanized materials. The county must file a replacement plan by Nov. 1, 2027 and has up to 10 years to replace the lines the county controls; the federal action level for lead has been lowered from 0.015 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L.
Staff also raised PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and emerging contaminants as near-term monitoring and treatment issues. Systems above certain sizes must test for PFAS, and detections can trigger more frequent testing or public-education obligations; very high levels would demand treatment planning. Staff noted biosolids and where they are land-applied could factor into future PFAS management.
Why it matters: the combination of construction projects and tightening federal rules means the county must sequence capital work, grant reports and regulatory planning to avoid funding gaps and ensure compliance.
Next steps: staff will complete the Toutle plant punch-list during the dry season, proceed with Shadow Mountain and Ryderwood bid preparations pending grant clearances, and develop a lead-service-line replacement plan for submission by Nov. 1, 2027.
