For those of us here last December, the “Great Windstorm of 2006” is, thankfully, becoming only a memory as we move into the fall of 2007. With the tremendous amount of property damage and the widespread power outages it brought to the area, the storm is certainly not a memory I particularly cherish. We should, however, never co

mpletely forget last December 14th, nor the days following the storm. The experience serves as a valuable reminder of the need to plan and prepare for our individual and collective responses to future emergency events.

At the present, we are busy wrapping up the final claims for reimbursement of storm expenses from federal and state agencies. Of our total eligible expenses of $167,805.14 from the storm, nearly $150,000 will be reimbursed. This includes a 75% reimbursement share from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a 12.5% share from the State. Our thanks go to these agencies for providing financial assistance with the large expenses associated with the storm. The processing of these claims is a large and complicated undertaking and we also want to thank the numerous employees at the District who were involved in preparing and submitting claims.

In addition to the heroic efforts of our operations staff, the key to being able to keep your water and sewer service running during the storm and its aftermath was the availability of our emergency generators. Without these systems, the power failure could have created catastrophic failures of the water and wastewater pumping systems. These failures would have directly led to severe service disruptions at your homes and businesses, which would have made the circumstances we faced during the power outage significantly more difficult. As part of our emergency preparedness planning, we continue to purchase additional generators to make sure we are even more prepared to meet emergency situations.

In July, the Board toured the King County Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center in Renton.  The Emergency Coordination Center is a focal point for emergency response activities for natural or man-made disasters that occur in the local area. The facility, which is built to be a survivable facility in the event of a disaster, houses 911 and police dispatch operations, communications facilities, administrative offices and emergency coordination rooms. In addition to the facilities operated by King County, the District maintains a small Emergency Operations Center for use in emergencies impacting the District. The primary Emergency Operations Center for localized disasters is housed at Federal Way City Hall.

The District continues to participate with other local agencies in National Incident Management Systems training. This training is intended to coordinate disaster planning and relief efforts between the various public agencies operating in areas impacted by a disaster. Thanks to South King Fire and Rescue for providing the excellent training for this innovative program.

Disasters happen anytime and anywhere. And when disaster strikes, you may not have much time to respond. In the Federal Way area, an earthquake or windstorm could cut off basic services such as gas, water, electricity and telephones for days. Following a disaster, local officials including your water/sewer crews will be on the scene, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. Would your family be prepared to cope with the emergency until help arrives?

After a disaster strikes, account for everyone in your care. Check utilities. Gas, electric and water lines may be broken. If water pipes are leaking, shut off the supply at the main valve, typically located either outside where the water pipe enters the home, or in the garage.

If your water is clear or slightly cloudy and you believe that your water may be contaminated, you can purify it either by boiling, using purification tablets, or adding liquid chlorine bleach. These methods can purify water that may be biologically contaminated, but cannot purify water that is contaminated by excess minerals or hazardous chemicals.

How to Purify Water:

• Boiling: Boil vigorously for 10 minutes.

• Purification Tablets: Follow directions.

• Bleach Purification: Use liquid chlorine bleach. Check the label; it should contain 5-6% chlorine to be effective and safe. Add liquid chlorine bleach to water, using eyedropper, in the amount indicated below. Stir. Wait 30 minutes for water to purify; 60 minutes if the water is cloudy or very cold.

In August, Lakehaven started construction of a new water filtration system for one more existing water production well. The new Well 21 filter system will have the capacity to treat 1.4 million gallons of water per day is expected to remove approximately 95% of the manganese and 85% of the iron minerals that are naturally found in the groundwater from this well. Left at elevated levels, these minerals have a tendency over time to precipitate and deposit in the distribution system and home plumbing systems creating aesthetic problems, such as fixture stains and discolored water. Since 2003, this will be the seventh of eight sites that the District has installed iron and manganese filters to improve overall water quality for our customers. The remaining site is scheduled to receive filters next year.

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Your Board of Commissioners

Don Miller - President
Ron Nowicki - Vice President
Chuck Gibson - Secretary
Beverly J. Tweddle - Commissioner
Ed Stewart - Commissioner