Council approves water plan update

In a special meeting last Friday afternoon, members of the Cathlamet town council approved their updated comprehensive water plan.

The plan is required by state regulations administered by the Department of Health (DOH).

The council also approved a resolution establishing goals for water production and conservation.

Besides being a normal part of the plan, the water plant improvements and conservation goals are needed to keep the DOH from imposing restrictions on the number of new connections for both the Cathlamet and Puget Island water systems.

"The state has indicated they would do that if we aren't working on a new water intake," said town Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank.

At the council's September 21 meeting, the council authorized staff to issue requests for qualifications for engineering services; council members said first duties of the engineers would be to lead a project to add a second intake to the water plant on the Elochoman River.

Pages of the plan filled what seemed to be a 3-inch binder which was in Cruickshank's possession. Council members had the document on compact discs. A two page summary of the plan was presented at the September 21 council meeting.

Deficiencies identified in the plan include:

--The raw water capacity is expected to be exceeded in 2016;

--Over the last three years, distribution system leakage has ranged from 18.6 percent to 23.7 percent;

--Infrastructure deficiencies include water plant structures and equipment; the Elochoman Valley Road water main, and distribution system valves, and

--There are fire flow deficiencies on Maple, 2nd and 3rd streets.

Proposed goals for improving water use efficiency include:

--Reducing distribution system leakage to less than 10 percent, and

-Reducing per capita residential consumption by 2 percent over the next six years.

These would be accomplished by promotion, assisting customers with identifying and fixing leaks, and, possibly, a rate structure designed to promote conservation.

The six-year capital improvement list includes projects that would correct the identified deficiencies, including replacing the raw water intake.

The 20-year list includes developing alternative water supply sources, including a new well and/or surface water treatment plant, constructing a new reservoir in the Elochoman Valley; replacing mains along Front Street, Una Avenue and Greenwood Road, and extending distribution mains.

Discussion during Friday's meeting showed concern for the Elochoman plant's capacity to meet demand.

Citizen Craig Brown asked if the plant would be able to meet demand if this year's drought continued.

"There's no other alternative for the town to turn to to get water in a reasonable time," Cruickshank replied.

Clerk/treasurer Tina Schubert added that the town's water rights would allow the plant to take much more water than it is currently capable of drafting.

"The intake limits the amount that can be sucked from the river," Cruickshank said.

Council Member Wally Wright suggested the town quickly move to develop a well or other source.

He reminded the council that a natural gas exploration drilling crew found an artesian source a few years ago about six miles up the Elochoman Valley.

The town also has water rights on Cougar and Abe creeks east of town, and a reservoir there was once the water system source.

It's important to have another source than the Elochoman, he said, for a hazardous chemical spill could shut down the plant indefinitely.

Cruickshank responded that developing a new source and adding mains will be expensive.

"Nothing is cheap in dealing with water," he said.

He added that the state might rescind the unused water rights on Cougar and Abe creeks.

Council members said they had reviewed the plan and were satisfied with it.

"I think it's a good plan," said Council Member Andy Lea, council liaison for public works. "It shows what we can afford, and it shows what makes sense."

The council members present--Lea, Wright, Bill Talbott, and Hannah Booth-Watts--voted unanimously to adopt the plan and to adopt the conservation goals in the plan.

The meeting was Talbott's last; he resigned effective September 30 to care for his wife, who is ill.