Water District Commissioners Reply to Criticism

In January 2008, Ms Virginia Watson sent a letter to the Watch asking for donations to save Squalicum Mountain. She attached an article stating that the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (LWWSD) is using the Lake Whatcom Residential Treatment Center (LWRTC) water system upgrade as a vehicle to serve a wider area of the North Shore. This characterization of the project is not true. Our intent to serve the LWRTC is unrelated to any other project and stands on its own, as the following history of the LWRTC problems and the proposed solutions will bear out.

The LWRTC is a non-profit residential mental health facility that provides full-time care for nearly 70 chronically mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients. Over the years the LWRTC has dealt with positive test results for coliform, insufficient water supply during summer months, and increasing regulatory compliance requirements. With each challenge, the LWRTC and the District have evaluated the ramifications of merging their systems.

Since 1996, the LWRTC water system had six positive test results for total coliform, and one positive test result for E. coli (January, 2003). The system was flushed. The chlorination system was repaired, and there have been no additional positive test results for E. coli.

The original well for the water system was drilled in 1976, but does not produce sufficient water for the LWRTC during the dry summer months. A second well was drilled in 2001 to provide supplemental summer flow. This well is high in iron, manganese and sulfur but the health department (DOH) did not require treatment due to the classification as a seasonal, low use well.

The existing water system has only 8,000 gallons of potable water storage capacity, which is insufficient to provide any storage for fire flow, and neither well pumps nor the well capacity would be able to provide any meaningful quantity of water for firefighting. Located in remote, heavily wooded and brushy surroundings, there is a real potential for forest fires during dry summer months.

Currently, the Center is forced to rely on its abandoned swimming pool for fire flow. While the pool is apparently an approved fire-fighting source, it is not the best solution considering the mental status of residents. The pool presents some safety risks for the residents, and the fire sprinkler system could be affected by poor water quality (algal growth) in the pool. For these reasons, the Center would definitely prefer to increase its residents’ safety by improving the fire flow storage and delivery.

The District’s Agate Heights water system abuts the LWRTC property. However, the fees, District charges, and construction costs made consolidation prohibitively expensive.

Early in 2005, the District began to work with the LWRTC to find a way to provide a safe and reliable source of water. It was at this point that the District agreed to acquire the LWRTC water system and consolidate it with its Agate Heights Water System.

Part of this agreement included a request for a grant from the Washington State Department of Health for construction of a new reservoir. This reservoir was to be sized to provide fire flow, standby storage, and operational storage for the LWRTC. The grant request states, “All of the project elements are exclusively for the benefit of the Lake Whatcom Residential treatment Center.” This grant application is dated July 13, 2005.

It wasn’t until September of 2005 that the District was approached by the Vineyard Development Group to provide water for their proposed construction. With no intent that this Vineyard project be necessarily linked to the LWRTC project, in February 2006 the District approved a Developer’s Extension Agreement for the Vineyard Development which was subject to very specific conditions which are described in Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Resolution #705 and are specifically:

• First, final provision of service is conditioned upon Whatcom County’s determination that the provision of water and sewer service to the proposed development complies with the Washington State Growth Management Act, Ch. 36.70A RCW.

• Second, final provision of service is also conditioned upon the successful adoption of water and sewer Comprehensive Plan Amendment(s) to include serving the Vineyard Development property.

• Third, final provision of service is also conditioned upon Vineyard’s 136 acres within existing District boundaries being restricted from future development by Whatcom County.

To date, none of these conditions has been met. Upon expiration of this agreement in February 2009, should they wish to proceed with this project, Vineyard will be required to reapply to the District and this project will be evaluated as a new proposal that will require a sewer comprehensive plan amendment and will require multi-agency approval.

Contrary to Ms. Watson’s claim, there is no map on the wall of our conference room showing the LWRTC installation continuing to the Vineyard. We have many maps showing different areas of the District and the areas that surround it. We can only believe that one of these maps was misinterpreted.

Separate from consideration to adjacent District systems and any future system integration, the engineering design for the LWRTC project incorporates District standards, approved by Whatcom County, as needed to provide clean water and fire flow protection to the Lake Whatcom Residential Treatment Center as a project standing on its own. A Conditional Use Permit was approved for this project by Whatcom County. We believe that the Squalicum Valley Community Association members are misguided in their attempt to prevent residents of the LWRTC from obtaining the clean water and fire protection to which they are entitled. §

Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Commissioners

Deb Lambert, President

Leslie McRoberts, Secretary

Tom Hadd

Todd Citron

Blair Ford