Commissioner's
Corner
Beverly J. Tweddle
After the fall and winter we went through
this year, I’m sure many of you will share my sentiments that spring can’t
get here soon enough. The extreme weather, and particularly the widespread
and prolonged power outages in December, created many challenges for the
operation of the water and sewer systems. Thanks to the hard work and
dedication of our staff, the District was able to keep the services running
without interruption.
In December, we adopted a biennial
(2007-08) O&M budget and an aggressive capital program budget. This is the
time that we normally review and update our rates and capital facilities
charges for the upcoming year. This year, however, the Board decided to hold
off on making any changes until we could put our rate and capital facilities
charges through the most comprehensive and detailed analysis possible.
In the general sense, the water and sewer
rates are the charges that we collect from customers to recover the costs of
operating and maintaining the water and sewer systems. Like many water
utilities, the District rate includes both a base charge, which covers the
connection to the system, and a commodity charge, which corresponds to the
actual use of water. The commodity rates increase as higher amounts of water
are consumed. This reflects both the goal to create an incentive for
conservation and the fact that the extra units of capacity are more
expensive to provide.
Single family residential sewer rates are
charged on the basis of water consumed by a customer during the fall and
winter months, when irrigation uses are typically dormant. This isolates
water used for irrigation, which doesn’t flow to the sewer system, from the
calculation of sewer demand.
Because use patterns vary by type of
customer, the cost to provide water and sewer service differs between
customers in different classes of use, such as between residential and
commercial customers. The key is to match the cost of service with the rate.
This requires a considerable amount of research and data analysis to ensure
that the allocation is appropriate. There is also a significant amount of
interest in revenue stability, particularly for the water system, where
demand, and thus revenues, tends to follow weather patterns.
For a number of years now, we have been
paying considerable attention to how we charge customers for their share of
the capital costs of the water and sewer systems. In order to be fair, the
charge, which we have designated as a “Capital Facility Charge”, must
reflect the demand that a particular parcel of property places on the
facilities of general benefit to the respective systems. One of the
difficulties in administering these charges fairly is that many times the
use of the property, and correspondingly its demand on the water and/or
sewer system, changes over time.
The Board is confident that our current
system of rates and charges is fair and balanced. There is, however, a
shared belief among the Board members that there may be different and better
ways to achieve the desired result of equitably spreading the cost of water
and sewer service among our customers. To assist us in our review, we have
retained consultants highly respected in the business of establishing
utility rate and charges. With the additional assistance of staff, we hope
to complete our review in May.
Thank you for your interest in the
District.
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DISTRICT ENCOURAGES CAUTION!
The District was informed of an incident
in which a homeowner in our service area was contacted by an individual
claiming to be a District employee and asking to be allowed into the
residence to check for a water leak. Fortunately, the homeowner did not
allow the person entry into the home and contacted the District to advise us
of the incident. We confirmed that the person was not a District employee
and contacted the police.
If you are contacted by a person
representing himself or herself as a District employee, please do not let
the person in your home until you have checked their identification. All
District field employees wear uniforms consisting of a green shirt and blue
coat, both of which bear the District’s logo. These employees also carry a
Lakehaven Utility District picture identification card. District vehicles
are primarily white with a blue logo on the driver side.
If you question whether a person, or
persons, claiming to be a District employee is actually a District employee,
do not allow the person or persons into your home and call Lakehaven Utility
District Customer Service at telephone number 253-941-1516 or 253-927-2922.
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LONG-TIME EMPLOYEE TO RETIRE
The District’s Human
Resource Coordinator and Board Clerk, Linda Mogensen, will be retiring at
the end of April after more than twenty eight years of employment with the
District. Linda, a Federal Way resident for many years, began her career
with the District in April 1979. She began her career as a Customer Service
Representative and was appointed as the Administrative Assistant to the
Director of Finance in 1984. In 1992 Linda added the role as Clerk of the
Board of Commissioners to her job duties, a position she continues to hold.
In 2002, she began her service as the District’s HR Coordinator.
Linda will be greatly
missed by all at the District. With her willingness to tackle any assignment
with enthusiasm and dependability, she has been an invaluable asset to the
Board and staff during her tenure. Linda and her husband Gary, a longtime
teacher in the Federal Way School District, plan to spend more time with
grandchildren and at their vacation home in Eastern Washington.
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BIO-SOLIDS DRYER PROJECT
Due to a number of factors
making the plan to dry bio-solids less feasible than originally planned, the
Board voted earlier this year to approve the cancellation of the Lakota
Bio-Solids Dryer Project in January. The dryer would have permitted the
District to “cook” bio-solids produced at the Lakota and Redondo Wastewater
Treatment plants. Once processed through the dryer facility, the composted
bio-solids would be safe for use in landscape applications. With the large
amounts of fuel energy required to dry the bio-solids, the rising cost of
natural gas, as well as increases in equipment and construction costs, made
the project less viable as an alternative to the current method of re-using
the bio-solids at agricultural sites in Eastern Washington. The District has
retained some of the equipment manufactured for the project which can be
used to dry bio-solids if the project becomes feasible in the future.
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2006 WINDSTORM
|
The December
windstorm had a tremendous impact to both the people of this
community and the public and private facilities that serve them.
The storm, with the
resultant power failures throughout the area, posed significant
challenges to the operation of the water and sewer systems that
are so vital to the health, safety and convenience of our
residents.
The Board of
Commissioners wishes to recognize the great contributions of
those employees who worked long hours in demanding conditions to
ensure that the water and sewer systems remained operational.
The
contributions of the employees to the effort to ensure that the
District’s ratepayers were not without water and sewer service
during the storm, and its prolonged aftermath, serve as a great
example of the way teamwork and commitment can overcome a great
challenge. |
 |
|
DECEMBER ‘06
WINDSTORM
District Employee Paul Stoermer with uprooted tree in French
Lake Park |
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KIDS CORNER
 |
The month of April is
earthquake preparedness month. Remember to “Drop, Cover, and
Hold” wherever you are if you feel the ground start to shake. Go
under a desk or sturdy table and stay away from windows or
objects that could fall. Hold onto the desk or table. And
remember; do not run, stay where you are and “Drop, Cover, and
Hold”. |
WATER FESTIVAL
The 8th annual regional Water Festival was held at
Highline Community College on March 28th & 29th. The Festival is held each
year to teach students about water quality. This year, 71 students from
Federal Way Elementary Schools attended the event and the District paid for
their transportation in addition to hiring a consultant to teach some of the
classes.
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TIPS TO
SAVE/CONSERVE WATER
- Repair a dripping faucet by
replacing the washer. A faucet dripping at the rate of one drop per
second wastes many gallons per year.
WATER
CONSERVATION ACTIVITY
The District is offering a new program
for Federal Way elementary school teachers to educate the children about
the importance of water conservation. Please call 253-946-5446 if you
are interested in scheduling a class.
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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
Regular Board of Commissioners meetings are held
the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.
These meetings are held at the Lakehaven Center at:
Lakehaven Center
31531 First Ave. S.
Federal Way at 6 p.m. |
