Nonprofit helps extend Oregon’s Clean Water Loan program
By Terry Murry on Friday, January 30th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – Oregon’s Clean Water Loan program is running out of funding to provide emergency loans to repair and replace septic systems. Craft3, a nonprofit community lender with offices throughout Oregon and Washington, is contributing $1 million to keep the program operating until March.
The company has also identified Environmental Protection Agency funds that could support the program over the long haul. Meanwhile, a bipartisan effort is underway to get the Oregon Legislature to provide $2 million in bridge funding to sustain the program through June 2027. Since 2016, a partnership between the state of Oregon and Craft3 has provided funding supporting the completion of 350 septic projects. Loans carry affordable interest rates with an operations and maintenance reserve to help homeowners avoid future problems by setting aside money for system upkeep.
“The Clean Water Loan program is a smart, cost-effective investment that helps rural Oregonians fund emergency repairs while protecting groundwater and public health,” Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo) said. “It’s a program that works, carries no financial risk to the state, and deserves continued funding so families in Eastern Oregon can stay in their homes.
Robin DeLong, the owner of a small dairy farm in Malheur County, is one person who benefitted from the loan program. Her family’s septic system began showing signs of failure a decade ago, requiring an increasing number of calls to pump the tank.
“Eventually, sewage began backing up into our bathtub and across the bathroom floor,” she said.
It would cost about $28,000 to fix DeLong’s septic system – money they didn’t have. Then, a local contractor connected the DeLongs to Craft3.
“We now have a safe, modern septic system that protects our home, our land, and the creek that runs nearby,” DeLong wrote. “I’m deeply grateful for the support my family received, but we shouldn’t leave the next family without the same lifeline.”
