Whitworth Water District No. 2 plans to start construction next week of a new $4.3 million administration and operations facility, says Tim Murrell, general manager for the district.

The facility will be located at 17401 N. Newport Highway, in the Mead area north of Spokane. The new facility will have a total of 23,300 square feet of space, including 5,900 square feet of office space, a 12,400-square-foot shop, and a 5,000-square-foot storage building, says Murrell. 

Murrell says the water district has outgrown its current 5,500-square-foot office and shop space, which it has occupied for almost 50 years at 10828 N. Waikiki, just west of Whitworth University.

The new facility will “have all of our administration and operation equipment in the same space,” says Murrell. 

Whitworth Water District has 15 full-time employees. The new facility will feature storage areas for vehicles and motorized equipment, wash bays for those vehicles, and house a shop for water meter repair and testing, he says.

Construction is projected to continue through January, says Murrell. Bernardo|Wills Architects PC, of Spokane, and Western States Construction Inc., of Spokane, are the architect and general contractor, respectively.

Established in the 1930s, the Whitworth Water District provides water services to northern Spokane County, from Country Holmes Boulevard up to Chattaroy, says Murrell. The district serves 32,000 customers in all.