Oregon infrastructure needs funding ‘at much higher level’

Advocates say lawmakers can't just make one-time investments to fund water infrastructure

Oregon cities will need approximately $23 billion over the next 20 years to cover the cost of repairing, replacing, and upgrading water infrastructure, according to a recent survey conducted by the League of Oregon Cities and Portland State University’s Center for Public Service.

The problem is, cities say they don’t have the means to fund necessary projects on their own.

“Our engineering team has identified $3.3 million in upgrades that are necessary just to bring this system up to a point where we can maintain it. That, for a very small town of 650 people, is very unsustainable,” Monroe city administrator Steve Martinenko said during a Oregon House Water Committee meeting on May 20, 2021.

Monroe isn’t alone. City officials in Amity, Oregon also told KOIN 6 News they struggle to pay for upgrades to their water system without the assistance of low-interest loans and grants.

Read more about Oregon's infrastructure here: https://bit.ly/3kKUxMN