The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—A town hall meeting to discuss Dayton’s wastewater treatment plant upgrade project will be held Thursday, June 2 at 6 p.m. in the Dayton Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room. A panel will be on hand to present the history of the upgrade project and plans going forward, and to discuss state requirements. The panel will also take questions from the public.

Panelists will include:

• Department of Ecology- Lucy Peterson

• Department of Commerce- Cynthia Wall-Fuller

• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation - Anton Chiono

• Anderson Perry & Assoc. – Jake Hollopeter

• Washington Water Trust- Ethan Lockwood

• City of Dayton – Mayor Zac Weatherford

Neighbors United for Progress, a local Political Action Committee, has organized and sponsored the Town Hall Meeting.

On April 12, the Dayton City Council voted down a proposal to purchase two parcels of land downstream from the current treatment plant on the northwest edge of Dayton.

Dayton’s current treatment plant does not currently meet Department of Ecology standards for releasing effluent into the Touchet River. The city has been working on plans to upgrade the facility since 2007. City officials said that the rejection of the land purchase is a major setback to the upgrade plans and the city’s ability to meet requirements and avoid being fined by the state.

“Hosting a Town Hall creates the opportunity for people to ask questions and professionals to give educated answers,” said Elise Severe, chair of NUP. “Giving Dayton residents access to the professional team behind the wastewater project will help to build trust and understanding when moving forward with the project.”

The town hall will also be accessible on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82574569313.