Port Ludlow utility says updated water‑system plan is needed to access state planning loans

An operations representative for the Port Ludlow utility told residents the community’s updated water system plan must be finalized before the utility can seek low‑interest planning and engineering loans from the state.

"It's important, that we have this update to our water system plan because an updated water system plan is a requirement when we seek to ask access financing through our state drinking water state revolving line," the presenter said. He told the meeting the Department of Health is waiting for comments from Department of Ecology hydrologists before the plan can receive a formal approval.

The presenter said the utility hopes to apply for a planning and engineering loan in 2026 if the plan is approved; those loans are issued throughout the year, while construction loans are awarded once annually in October. He described the plan as a prerequisite to later apply for construction funding once preconstruction engineering is completed.

Customer questions at the meeting focused on timing and the effect of any borrowings on rates. The presenter said staff include multi‑year capital planning in each annual budget and that any large projects would be phased to reduce immediate bill impacts. The utility also noted a master plan cap of 2,250 connections, which constrains long‑term buildout and capital planning.

The presentation included a link and a promise to post the most recent consumer confidence and water‐use efficiency reports on the utility website so customers can review production and billing data that inform planning decisions.