PUD report

Wahkiakum PUD met on the morning of July 2 and received the welcome news that the department of ecology fully funded the engineering project to extend the Westend water system over the Grays River bridge to Salme Hill. This grant for $395,000 will get the ball rolling, and has been a top priority for residents on the Westend of Wahkiakum county.

The PUD shared pictures of the finished looping project that has taken place on Puget Island. Wahkiakum PUD tied water mains together to make the system more resilient. The next part of the project will be to find a contractor to drill the well.

Discussion about consolidating the Town of Cathlamet and Puget Island’s water systems took up a large part of the meeting. Essentially, the PUD received a grant from Department of Health to complete an analysis for the feasibility of consolidating the two water systems. A similar study took place in 2016, though it was never completed. The new study will build on the previous work and includes updated information. The study will describe the condition of the Towns sewer facilities, and provide conclusions and recommendations.

Currently, the Town of Cathlamet provides all of the water to the PUD customers on Pudget Island. The water is delivered through an 8” diameter pipe along the Puget Island Bridge. The study will assess the costs and benefits of a potential consolidation which raises the question of whether the Cathlamet sewer system should continue to be operated by the Town or also be acquired by the PUD.

The study will analyze the technical, administrative, and financial issues that will need to be addressed in a consolidation. The town of Cathlamet and Wahkiakum PUD both operate water utilities in the Cathlamet area. The town of Cathlamet also operates a sewer utility that provides waste water collection and treatment. The water and sewer utilities are in good condition however, improvements to both utilities will be obligatory over the next 5 to 10 years to repair and replace aging infrastructure and to keep them operating effectively.

Consolidation of these utilities could mean lower prices for consumers and greater efficiencies for utility operators.