Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley were in Warm Springs today (Monday, May 22, 2023) along with others involved in making a new Water Treatment Facility, operated by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs for the Agency Water System, a reality. Over $28 million in federal investments are being made including funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
In his comments today, Wyden stressed that the new water infrastructure is long overdue. “There is a shameful legacy right here in this spot of Oregon. The burst pipes, the boil water notices, Year after year of failing water treatment for the Tribes and families and all concerned. And members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs have just waited far too long for something that ought to be a basic human right – the right to secure clean water.”
Senator Merkley, who leveraged his position as Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to provide the funding needed across both agencies added “These major federal investments mean relief is coming. In my tours of the aging water treatment facility, I’ve been amazed by the Warm Springs’ grit and ingenuity to overcome the outdated system and continue to provide water to the community. I can’t wait to see how a new, modern facility will finally provide them with the certainty of clean, safe water every time a tap gets turned on to benefit the health of the entire Warm Springs community.”
The new treatment plant will be built next to the existing one, on the Deschutes River in the Dry Creek area. The project from start to finish is expected to take 4-5 years.
