Alongside customers, community partners, and state and federal representatives, Washington State’s Mason County PUD No. 1 recently celebrated the completion of its new Manzanita Campus.
The utility campus in Union is home to the PUD’s new Manzanita Substation, energized in October 2025, and the Manzanita Water Storage Project, which is wrapping up this month.
During a brief welcome speech, PUD General Manager Kristin Masteller recognized utility staff for their dedication and perseverance in completing two major infrastructure projects back-to-back.
“These projects were not easy to get across the finish line, but you all worked together to get them done for our customers,” Masteller said. “When you look at our mapping system, you can see the different eras of infrastructure buildout over the last 90 years as communities grew along the Hood Canal, as well as periods of reinvestment into our power and water systems. You can also see decades where little investment occurred because leadership was trying to keep rates affordable for a small customer base,” she said.
“I want future generations of PUD 1 to look back on our era and say, ‘Wow, that team built a lot of infrastructure’ and the best part is that, thanks to our partners, many of whom are here today, we have been able to build most of it with grant funds and a small amount of low-interest financing, securing more than $40 million total to date.”
Masteller also recognized PUD 1’s Engineering Manager Jeremiah Waugh and Water Resource Manager Brandy Milroy for their leadership on the respective projects before inviting them to perform the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
The Manzanita Campus project began in 2015 and was developed incrementally over the last decade.
The site now includes a 20 MVA electric distribution substation serving the Union area and providing backup power to Skokomish Valley and Potlatch.
The campus also hosts more than 200,000 gallons of water storage capacity for both the Union Regional Water System and Mason County Fire District 6 for fire suppression purposes.
Together, the new utility infrastructure will support the Union area’s power and water needs for decades to come.
The water storage project was financed through the Washington State Public Works Assistance Account, utilizing an 85% low-interest loan and 15% grant funding package.
Representatives from the Public Works Board were in attendance and recognized for their partnership on the project.
