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Lewiston warned by USDA: sewer project milestones must be met or federal funding could be pulled
Summary
Council members said USDA officials told the city to meet upcoming milestones or risk losing sewer project funding; the city has contracted a land agent to locate property while weighing engineering options including evaporation versus costly land application.
The Lewiston City Council on July 21 heard that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has set near‑term milestones tied to sewer project funding and warned the city that failure to meet those milestones could jeopardize its grant or loan support.
The mayor said the USDA “told us that we have to have milestones set, at some point here very shortly. And if we don't hit it, they're gonna pull the funding for the sewer project.” Staff said the city has contracted Vern Fielding to search for property that meets project requirements and that engineers are progressing on a proposed 1,600‑project engineering phase with JUB.
The council discussed alternatives to the pending requirements. A councilor reported the state’s Division of Water Quality characterized land application as a temporary "band‑aid" and estimated that approach could cost about $6,000,000, making it a significant liability over time. The city is exploring an evaporation option and bonding scenarios to reduce long‑term exposure.
Council members stressed the urgency of lining up property and meeting USDA documentation milestones to keep the project eligible for federal assistance. No final location or procurement decision was made at the meeting; staff will continue property searches and report back to the council.
