MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake commissioners cut ribbons Monday for two upgrades to the port’s wastewater reuse system. The total cost of both projects was about $8 million combined. 

Milton Miller, port facilities director, detailed the upgrades as he showed them to port commissioners. Miller said the new 13-acre storage pond on the west side of port property can hold up to 70 million gallons of water that’s been used, treated and discharged by port customers. The total cost was about $6 million, Miller said.  

The water in the reuse system is used in operations at businesses throughout the port, from Genie to Okanagan Apple to AstaReal, Miller said. 

The treated water is used to irrigate alfalfa fields along Road G Northeast, also on port property. Water from a new well, pump and pumphouse will be used to flush the fields during the growing season. Miller said the total cost was about $1.9 million, about $700,000 for the well and approximately $1.2 million for the pump and pump house. 

The 750-horsepower pump can pump up to 2,800 gallons per minute, he said.  

The new storage pond is the third on the site and will be used mostly during winter, Miller said. The two existing ponds hold about 30 million gallons each and store water year-round; in the summer water is pumped from the existing ponds to alfalfa fields. 

The businesses at the port are treating and discharging water year-round, though, and the existing ponds were too small to hold the water being pumped into them all winter. Between them, the three ponds will accommodate a winter’s worth of water, which will then be used for spring irrigation.  

    Port of Moses Lake Facilities Director Milton Miller, left and port Executive Director Dan Roach, right, hold the ribbon as commissioners Darrin Jackson, second from left, Kent Jones, third from left, and Stroud Kunkle, second from right, cut it to commemorate upgrades to the port’s water reuse system.