Elwood Koenig tests his water for nitrate levels at his home in Umatilla on Aug. 23, 2023. The Morrow County Clean Water Consortium considers next steps for the Nitrate Water Project during its July 8, 2025, meeting in Boardman. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian, File)

BOARDMAN — The Morrow County Clean Water Consortium considers next steps for the Nitrate Water Project during its regular meeting Tuesday, July 8, at the Port of Morrow in Boardman.

The Oregon Legislature as part of House Bill 5006 allocated $2.86 million to support ongoing efforts to reduce nitrate levels in local water supplies.

Morrow County Administrator Matt Jensen said the county expects to use the $2.85 million in state funding to help communities connect to municipal water systems and address nitrate contamination.

The consortium, which works to expand access to safe drinking water in areas nitrate contamination effects, will weigh in on the West Glen Technical Feasibility Project, a feasibility study evaluating options for clean drinking water and centralized wastewater services in the unincorporated community of West Glen, which  relies on domestic wells and septic systems. Many of those wells test well above the federal safe drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter of nitrate.

“If not West Glen, the funds will go to similar communities that can directly connect to a municipal water source,” Jensen said.

The funding aims to provide long-term solutions for residents dealing with nitrate-related water quality concerns.

According to the West Glen Technical Feasibility Project request for proposals, the study will develop a concept for a drinking water network in the West Glen area, including a plan-view drawing of the system alignment and technical specifications sufficient to produce a feasibility-level cost estimate. It also will review implementation considerations, including administration and ownership, operation and maintenance and responsibilities for residents/customers.

Morrow County awarded a contract to Meier Architects and Engineers to conduct the technical study for both water and sewer infrastructure.

In addition, the Rural Engagement and Vitality Center—a joint initiative between Eastern Oregon University and Wallowa Resources—is managing community outreach efforts. The REV Center, based at Eastern Oregon University, serves as a nonprofit focused on regional engagement.

“The biggest thing is that the clean consortium is really boots on the ground on this issue,” Jensen said. “While we’re lining up funding, we’re going to see actual changes that impact people’s access to clean water. That’s going to be huge.”

The Morrow County Clean Water Consortium also plans to discuss the Irrigon Water Infrastructure Project and contracts with consulting engineer GSI and grant consultant Ducote Consulting LLC during the meeting.

“There’s a lot of talk about what causes the issues and who’s polluting the water, but our goal is to get pipe in the ground and deliver drinking water to those affected. We look forward to continued community engagement to ensure we address the issues as needed.”

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Wells Spring Conference Room at the Port of Morrow Riverfront Center, at 2 Marine Drive NE, Boardman.