With $50 million in federal funding cancelled, Grants Pass reevaluating plans for replacement water treatment plant

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Grants Pass is facing a setback in plans for a replacement water treatment plant with the cancellation of a $50 million federal grant that was set to go towards its construction.

The city said in a news release Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cancelled the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for 2020-2024, which aims to help communities reduce their risk of hazards.

“The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters,” FEMA said in a statement on Friday, April 4. “Ending this program will help ensure that grant funding aligns with the President’s Executive Orders and Secretary Noem’s direction and best support states and local communities in disaster planning, response and recovery.”

FEMA awarded Grants Pass the grant in the summer of 2023, mainly to build resilience against flooding. The city said it has not seen a major flood in “a while,” but public works director Jason Canady said a flood could submerge all electrical gear used in the current water treatment plant, which was built in 1930.

“This could mean several years of waiting for switchgear. Again, we may be able to install temporary power in a matter of a month or two, but only for very limited operation capability,” Canady said.

Canady added that the city also needs to replace the water treatment plant so it can stand up to potential seismic events.

“The current [water treatment plant] has numerous seismic vulnerabilities that could cause a catastrophic failure in a minor seismic event,” Canady said. “Recovery could take up to a year to be able to provide only a fraction of the amount of water needed to support the community. Several years more for a full recovery.”

In Friday’s release, the city said it is weighing options for making up the lost funding. City council will consider the borrowing of extra funds and possibly raising utility rates, but a rate increase and its timeline have not been confirmed.

Liv Collom is the Digital Content Manager at NewsWatch 12. You can reach Liv at lcollom@kdrv.com.