Southwest Washington Fairgrounds installs new water main, adds meters to detect leaks

Tianna Velasquez, fair and events manager at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, opened the presentation and introduced the facility improvements planned and completed at the grounds.

Matt Butana, capital infrastructure specialist, said a central focus this year was replacing a failing line. "1 of the major projects that we've worked on this year is the water main project," he said, adding that the new line "will hold up to corrosion much better." Butana described installing meters to monitor losses and to enable crews to isolate subsections for repairs without disrupting other operations: "We have expanded out and put in meters to tell us if we're losing water." The project team credited commitments from the state, the county and volunteer support, and identified ARPA funding and collaboration from the city of Centralia as partners in logistics and financing.

The upgrade also included resurfacing and stormwater work in high‑use areas—particularly the Midway—after repeated floods and ongoing safety problems related to uneven surfaces used during fair activities. Officials said the improvements reduced water costs and made routine maintenance easier going forward.