Oregon secures $100 million for water, wastewater, buried infrastructure projects
(UI) — More than $100 million in federal funding has been secured for water, wastewater and other infrastructure projects across Oregon, following congressional approval of Fiscal Year 2026 spending packages, according to Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.
The funding supports 54 community-initiated projects statewide, totaling $102.7 million, with investments spanning water transmission, wastewater treatment, buried irrigation pipelines, substations, dam rehabilitation and flood-control infrastructure. Projects are distributed across nearly every Oregon county.
“Community-initiated projects are rooted in the fact that no one knows the unique needs of communities across Oregon like the folks living and working in them. The communities identified top projects, and we fought for them,” Merkley said. “Together with Senator Wyden and members of Oregon’s House delegation, we secured funding for 54 of these important homegrown projects that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come.”
Wyden said local input shaped how the funds were allocated. “No-one knows what a local community needs more than the local community itself. That’s why I hold town halls and meetings in every nook and cranny of the state: to hear directly from Oregonians about their needs and bring that back to D.C. to fight for these critical projects,” Wyden said. “I am gratified to work alongside Senator Merkley and our Oregon delegation to bring home these federal investments to help communities throughout Oregon thrive.”
Among the utility-related projects funded are water transmission line replacements in Tillamook, construction of a secondary water transmission intertie in Beaverton, wastewater treatment upgrades in Gresham, Sandy and John Day, and multiple efforts to replace open irrigation canals with buried pipelines in Hood River County and Central Oregon irrigation districts.
Several projects also target aging or capacity-constrained infrastructure, including substation upgrades, dam rehabilitation, flood-risk reduction systems and groundwater monitoring wells in nitrate-impacted regions of eastern Oregon.
Merkley’s role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, including his leadership on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, played a key role in securing the funding, according to the senators’ offices. The projects were included in the first two FY26 spending packages approved by Congress.
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