PORT TOWNSEND — The Port of Port Townsend received $240,540 in grant funds to provide better sewerage for recreational boaters.
The funding was awarded by the Washington State Parks Clean Vessel Act Grant program, which doled out $700,000 worth in grants to various ports, marinas and water recreation facilities across the state.
The federal pass-through grants provided funding for recreational boat pumpout and floating restroom projects as well as outreach programs that inform boaters about the location of pump-out and dump stations.
Of the funds the Port of Port Townsend received, $123,905 will go toward the annual operations and maintenance of a vessel that will act as a mobile pumpout station for the next three years.
“We’re outfitting a port boat with mobile pumping gear and we will be staffing to send the boat out to provide pumping services for vessels at Boat Haven Point Hudson,” said Executive Director Eron Berg.
The remaining $116,635 given to the Port of Port Townsend will be put toward four dock-side pumpout systems and transfer pumps.
“We’re also going to be purchasing four new dock-based pump stations for vessel holding tanks and one cart-based system that person could just wheel down to their vessel,” Berg said.
The grant funding will cover 75 percent of the costs of these projects and requires a 25 percent match from the Port of Port Townsend, Berg said.
“It fundamentally recognizes that people are people, and the easier you make it to do the right thing, the cleaner the water of the state will be,” Berg said.
“For us, that is really where our motivation lies. … We just want to ensure that our marinas are clean, and we are doing everything we can do to contribute to the cleanest Salish Sea possible,” Berg said.
Last year, the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program awarded more than $400,000 in grants for the annual operating and maintenance expenses of more than 100 pumpout and dump station facilities across the state.
“Functional and well-placed public pumpout facilities are critical for boaters to safely and legally dispose of their vessel sewage,” said Catherine Buchalski Smith, CVA grant program manager.
“Boating is hugely popular in our parks, and we are especially pleased to see our colleagues in state parks working toward expanding sewage disposal facilities where they are needed most.”
Other recipients of this grant funding include the ports of Bremerton, Kingston, and Poulsbo; West Sound Marina; Tyee Marina; City of Chelan and Washington State Parks.
Puget Sound No Discharge Zone laws were enacted in May 2018.
To locate pumpout and dump stations across the state, boaters can visit PumpoutWashington.org, or download the free Pumpout Nav app on the Apple Store or Google Play.
To learn more about the CVA Grant Program, visit https://parks.state.wa.us/758/Clean-Vessel-Act-Grant-Program.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission administers the CVA grant program after federal funding is awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For more information about the CVA program, contact Smith at 360-902-8659 or Catherine.BuchalskiSmith@parks.wa.gov.
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Reporter Ken Park can be reached at kpark@peninsuladailynews.com.
