Commissioner's
Corner
Don Miller
HELLO NEIGHBORS!
As a customer of Lakehaven Utility
District, you can be assured that you receive a level of service that
reflects the best efforts of our staff. With help from agencies such as the
American Water Works Association and the Water Environmental Federation, we
are constantly evaluating the standards for water quality and effluent
discharge. Many years ago, the District coordinated its efforts with other
South King County water agencies, and the City of Tacoma, to develop a new
source of supply that will guarantee a supply of water for our area for
several generations into the future. With the Second Supply Pipeline (SSP)
now essentially complete, the District is studying ways to further enhance
the supply of water through a program called OASIS. This system involves
injecting winter water from the SSP into the aquifer through injection
wells. This water can be withdrawn later during the dry months. One well
will accept up to 1,800 gallons per minute! Water can also be transferred
between aquifers, which will enable the District to better manage water for
peak demand, which typically occurs in the summer. Several injection wells
are in various stages of development at this time.
In addition to ensuring a supply of
water, we want to make certain that the supply we provide meets the
standards for water quality. Filters are being installed at most of our well
sites to make certain that water quality is maintained at high levels.
Because of these efforts, you, your children and your grandchildren, will
enjoy a reliable source of high quality water well into the future.
Also, all of us in the Puget Sound Area
are concerned about the quality of the marine environment. To be responsible
stewards of the public interest, the District is in the process of
contracting to have the outfall line from the Redondo Wastewater Treatment
Plant extended farther out into the Sound. The District is also
participating with the Puget Sound Partnership to study the possible
extension of the Lakota Treatment Plant outfall. The extension of the
outfalls will move the point of discharge farther from the tidal areas and
improve the dispersion of the effluent. Although these projects are
expensive, we want to do our part to help preserve the Puget Sound for the
enjoyment of many future generations to come.
This newsletter is our way of keeping in
touch with you our customers, as well as your children (see the Kids Corner
on the back of the newsletter). If you have suggestions for us, please call
the main office at 253-941-1516 or email us at www.Lakehaven.org. We will
reply as soon as possible.
Best Regards.
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SEWER RATES FOR
COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS
The District’s
sewer rates for commercial customers are based, in part, on the strength of
the waste stream entering the sewer system. Significantly more treatment is
required for discharges with higher levels of suspended solids and
biological oxygen demand (BOD). Accordingly, commercial customers are rated
according to the amount of these loading components discharged to the sewer
system.
The District recognizes five Standard
Industrial Classifications (SIC), with SIC 1 having the least amount of
suspended solids and BOD and SIC 5 having the highest. By reducing the
loading to the sewer system, customers can lower their rating by utilizing
pretreatment practices. By lowering the strength of the discharge, a
pretreatment program can save the District and customer money.
If you would like more information on
your SIC rating and/or pretreatment, please contact Brian Asbury at
253-946-5407.
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FILTRATION FOR WELLS 17, 17A & 17B
In November, Lakehaven began
construction of a new water filtration system for three more existing water
production wells. The new Well 17/17A/17B filter system will have the
capacity to treat 3.8 million gallons of water per day and is expected to
remove approximately 95% of the manganese and 85% of the iron minerals that
are naturally found in the groundwater from these wells. 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. Having started
building filtration facilities in 2003 to improve overall water quality,
this will be the last of eight sites that the District had selected for iron
and manganese reduction. This multi-year project is expected to reach final
completion in the spring of 2008.
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FAREWELL TO EMPLOYEES
It is with sadness that we
say goodbye to two District employees.
Dan Kuipers was hired in December of 1982
as a Maintenance Person and was assigned to field operations. He progressed
through the ranks to become a Maintenance Electrician working with the
Electrical & Instrumentation group. Dan was very respected by his peers and
he will be greatly missed.
Jim Fleming was hired in June of 2005 as
the Operations Supervisor overseeing day to day operations of the District’s
two treatment plants, the Maintenance Division, Lab Group, and Electrical &
Instrumentation. We will miss Jim’s professionalism and his warm sense of
humor.
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WELL 32 DRILLING
OASIS PROJECT
Lakehaven Utility
District will be drilling its first aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) well
named Well 32 this year. The project, as one portion of “OASIS”, involves
the development of a local aquifer called the “Mirror Lake Aquifer”. The
aquifer will eventually serve as an underground reservoir facility capable
of delivering nearly 10 billion gallons of water during a high demand summer
season.
ASR is a type of
groundwater recharge in which water is injected into an aquifer for storage
and later extracted from the same well. The project relies on the injection
of an equivalent amount of water during the lower water demand seasons to
replenish water levels prior to the next production season.
The OASIS project is
proposed for development in two 6-year pilot phases and then followed by six
6-year operational phases. The first phase portion of OASIS pilot testing
program is scheduled between 2006 to 2012. Phase 1 will test the validity of
the results of earlier ASR testing from the early and mid-1990s. One
component of the OASIS project is the construction and testing of Well 32.
The Well 32 project began
in 2007 with the development of technical specifications by the consultant
firm of Robinson, Noble & Saltbush Inc. The well will be located on the
District’s office campus property at 31627 First Avenue South, Federal Way,
Washington. Well 32 will be drilled to a depth of 700-feet with a 24-inch
diameter steel casing. Upon completion, the well will be capable of
injecting or producing a minimum of 3,000 gallons per minute (GPM).
Anticipated well
completion should be in mid-summer. Once the well has been drilled, the well
will be tested to establish the production and injection characteristics of
the aquifer and to establish the background water quality. The project is
estimated at $500,000 and is funded through local funds.
If you have any questions,
please contact Tim Osborne, Project Manager at (253) 945-1582 or
tosborne@lakehaven.org.
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KIDS CORNER - Make a
Terrarium
 |
Materials: A jar or
glass, plants, spray bottle of water, soil, sand, and small
rocks.
Directions: Fill jar or glass as shown and put in a sunny
place. Mist the soil when it is dry. |
 |
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TIPS TO SAVE/CONSERVE WATER
- Install water saving faucet aerator and save an average of 5
gallons of water per day.
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WATER
CONSERVATION ACTIVITY
Water Festival for 4th & 5th grade students on March 26th and 27th at
Highline Community College.
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Your Board of
Commissioners
Ron Nowicki - President
Chuck Gibson - Vice President
Ed Stewart - Secretary
Beverly J. Tweddle - Commissioner
Don Miller - 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. |
