Replacement Well 5: After an eight year wait for permission from the Department of Ecology to transfer an unused portion of our well 7 water right to the well 5 site, we have completed drilling the replacement well for the failing 1962 original well 5. The combination of the newly authorized transferred and previous water right for well 5 permits a withdrawal up to 1,750 gallons per minute (GPM). When the new 16” diameter, 392 foot deep well was pump tested we found a production capacity of up to 2,000 GPM. After pumping at 1,650 GPM for twenty-four hours, the water level in the well had only dropped nine feet. This will be a very productive well with good water quality requiring only slight pH adjustment.
The well, when engineering, design, permitting, and construction are completed will provide approximately one fourth of our total production capacity. The estimated full development cost of $914,000 will be funded from fees charged to new growth. If engineering and permitting proceed without delays, we anticipate the well being place “on-line” by the summer of 2008.
New Well 6: Final engineering, design, site development and building permitting requirements have been completed. Once building permits are received, final construction will begin. Subject to the permit approvals, we anticipate having this well fully on line by next summer.
Old Office Sale: The old office has been sold and will be converted to a day care facility. The final sales price was $460,000 and reflected the costs we incurred to complete the installation of the sewer main extension required due to the proximity of the 176th St. sewer. With this sale, in conjunction with the sale of the property across the street from the old shop/well #5 site the existing systems customers’ contribution toward the current office/shop facility are fully funded.
DOT Pacific Avenue Project: As everyone is aware, the State Department of Transportation’s SR7/Pacific Ave. project is progressing. The Company’s costs related to the project were relatively small due to the Company’s efforts to limit the amount of infrastructure located in the State right-of-way. Only three relocations or removals of water mains or fire hydrants were required for a total cost of less than $50,000. This is in contrast to Parkland Light and Water’s costs in excess of $1,400,000 for relocation work. We continue to follow the policy of requiring easements for any work needed along Pacific Avenue. This policy avoids costly relocations when State projects require utility relocations.
“C” Street S. and Lakeside Drive Main and Fire Hydrant Work: A new eight-inch main has been installed on “C” St. S from 171st to 174th streets. This work was completed as detailed in previous water system plans to meet zoning requirements, provide fire flows, and reduce long dead end mains. New fire hydrants are now present and the general area flows have increased from less than 750 GPM to over 2,000 GPM. Similarly, the Lakeside main from 162nd to 165th Streets eliminated dead ends and increased fire flows from 880 to over 2,000 GPM. Both these projects related to the existing water system and were funded from the capital projects fees included in water customers billings.
176th Reconstruction: The County project to widen 176th Street east of “B” Street is planned in several phases beginning in 2009. The roadway as currently designed will be widened to two lanes in each direction with curbs, gutters, sidewalks, a center median, and periodic U-turn locations rather than a center turn lane. We have expressed concern about the median limiting fire truck access on and off 176th St., traffic congestion caused by the use of U-turn, and limiting access to both Camus Prairie Elementary School and Fir Lane Memorial Park. We encourage you to voice your comments to Pierce County on the road design. Due to this road project, the existing 176th St. water mains will have to be relocated from “B” St to 16th Ave Ct. and at the 176th fire station.
The costs for these relocations, as replacements for existing facilities will be paid from the capital projects fees seen on routine water bills. The need to address the estimated cost of $534,000 for this work began to be incorporated into the capital projects fees beginning in 2005 and are anticipated to increase to $7.00 per bill in 2007. Concurrent with the road reconstruction, new 12” mains will be installed from 16th Ave. Ct. to 36th Ave. This portion of the main work ($489,000) relates to future growth and will be funded from fees charged to new growth. As you can see, county road projects and other capital projects can have a major impact on both physical work required and fiscal planning.
