MATTAWA — The Mattawa City Council voted to accept a $500,000, zero percent interest loan from the state Department of Ecology to help repair the wastewater treatment facility that was destroyed by fire on Jan. 9.

The city is eligible for the loan through a program that the Department of Ecology is currently starting. Because the city has an existing agreement with Ecology, the loan will be added to the agreement. Nancy Wetch, of Gray and Osborne Inc., the city’s engineering firm, recommended that the city take advantage of the loan because it is unknown when the city will receive reimbursement from its insurance provider.

“If you don’t use it all or only need a portion, you can give it back and say, ‘thank you!’” Wetch said.

Wetch said that what the Department of Ecology is concerned about is if the city will have enough money in reserves to cover the rebuilding of the wastewater treatment facility.

“This bridges the gap,” Wetch said. “If you can cover it out of reserves, then just return it.”

Juan Ledezma, Mattawa Public Works director, told the council that a third-party investigator had been sent out by the insurance company to inspect for the cause of the fire. The report probably won’t be finalized until mid- to late February. In the meantime, staff will be looking into the different options available for rebuilding the facility.

During the meeting, the council passed a resolution declaring the fire and aftermath an emergency. This allows the city to continue with the repairs at the facility without having to send the work out to bid and to continue to use the contractors who initially responded on the day of the fire.