PUD water system losses hit record low

Wahkiakum County PUD General Manager David Tramblie shared his thoughts on future projects with the board of commissioners at their meeting Tuesday.

He had some good news. A report showed that unaccounted water system losses fell below 10 percent in both Puget Island and Western Wahkiakum water systems in September.

“It’s a good thing,” Tramblie said. “That’s the first time ever. I’d like to think it’s not only the effort of the people at the PUD, I think it’s our customers’ efforts, it’s Lia Sealund’s efforts putting the word out to conserve water, it’s customers calling us up when they see something out of the ordinary in the field, and the guys really trying to get the pipes replaced where they can. It’s really a community effort.”

“They’re doing a darn good job,” Commissioner Dennis Reid said. “That’s a big accomplishment.”

Tramblie shared that the preliminary design from consultants Brown and Kysar for upgrades to the Grays River system. He said a group would be trying to get this project moving in January.

“The transformer down there now is close to 70 years old,” Tramblie said. “The spare transformer that we have sitting in the yard, that we purchased around ’08 to protect us in case of emergency is somewhere close to 40 years old. I’m going to ask B & K to include a new transformer in their estimate when we do this project. It’s also going to require a portable substation that we would rent from BPA which would cost between $25,000 and $50,000 dollars depending on construction timeline.”

Tramblie shifted to automated meter reading.

“We can spend a few hundred thousand dollars or we can spend whatever you’d like,” Tramblie said. “The more technologically advanced equipment we choose, the higher the maintenance cost. I’m interested in the drive by equipment, which should reduce meter reading man hour days from 12 days to one.”

The new technology would require the PUD to replace meters and update other meters throughout the county.

“The scary thing about these new meters is that they are not going to last 40 or 50 years like the old mechanical meters,” Tramblie said. “I’m told they are only going to last 15 to 20 years.”

Reid pointed out the PUD might consider developing a policy to address any concerns from customers who do not want the new technology on their property.

Tramblie mentioned that he had put out a request for a generator for the western Wahkiakum water system, in the event that they lose power for an extended amount of time. He has had one reply, but it would require the PUD to do all the work. The generator was new and would cost $25,000.

“The problem is the WWWS does not have that kind of money available for that purpose,” Tramblie said. “Those are the kinds of things that keep me awake at night.”

“It would be a good emergency plan,” Reid said. “The system can’t afford it but it needs it.”

Reid said he would keep his ears open for a program that might pay for the project.

Auditor Erin Wilson said that the PUD online payment program was active.