January / February 2009
Commissioner's
Corner
Donald L.P. Miller
 2009 looks like it will be a good year
to remind ourselves of the benefits of “practical living”.
Being practical can be as simple as
remembering the good advice given us during our life by parents, teachers,
friends and employers. Being thrifty is a good habit to have during these
times. The advantages of saving a little and prioritizing expenditures will
provide a cushion for our family budgets. By practicing good maintenance of
our equipment (e.g. don’t forget to change the car oil) and household goods,
we can extend the life of the items we purchase. I like to use a team and
family approach to getting projects completed. Gardening is an inexpensive
way to improve the look of your home and the bonding with family and friends
who join to help is very fulfilling.
As our budget at the District grows
tighter, we have been focusing on “practical living” as an approach to
managing the utility. With my background in the National Guard and
experience and training in Emergency Management, I have been keenly
interested in emergency preparedness. We currently have an excellent system
of back-up generators and supplies available to help us meet our needs
during emergencies. Our coordination with the City of Federal Way, South
King Fire and Rescue and the Federal Way School District gives the public
agencies that serve you access to additional resources to benefit the
greater community.
I recently read a book on the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake and fire. The book describes this famous natural
disaster in San Francisco and other great calamities that have taken their
toll on the physical infrastructure. I think the best parts of the stories
are the descriptions of how the forces of humanitarian cooperation have been
engaged to repair the tremendous damage brought about by these catastrophes.
When we, as caring people, work together for the common good, we shine and
fulfill the call to serve our neighbors.
As we begin 2009, please know that
many dedicated people in our community are doing their best to make this a
better place to live and work. I am happy to be a part of the team here at
Lakehaven Utility District! The Board and our staff are always open to your
thoughts and questions. Best regards for the upcoming year.
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DRINKING WATER –
EMERGENCY TIPS
It is not possible to predict
how long water service will be impacted during an emergency. However, it is
likely that it could take several days after an earthquake to restore the
water distribution system back to “normal” operating conditions.
-
Store one gallon of drinking
water per day per person to last at least 72 hours.
-
If unsure whether your water
is safe to drink, boil the water for one minute (after it reaches
boiling). Before boiling, strain it through a clean cloth to remove any
sediment, floating matter or glass.
-
If you cannot boil the
water, you can disinfect water with common household liquid chlorine
bleach. This will kill bacteria in the water. Add eight drops of bleach
per gallon with an eyedropper for clear and 16 drops per gallon if the
water is cloudy. Shake and let stand for 30 minutes before using. A
slight chlorine odor should be detectible in the water.
-
Store emergency drinking
water in strong plastic containers (such as pop bottles) in a cool dry
place away from sunlight. Sterilize the container and disinfect the
water after filling (see above) to slow possible bacteria growth that
can occur in stored water. Make sure to label and date the container.
Replace every 3-4 months. Water stored longer than that should be
disinfected before use.
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EMERGENCY GENERATOR POWER POJECTS
| As part of the District’s
Comprehensive Water System Plan and to provide for greater
system reliability, emergency power generators were recommended
for the Well 17/17A/17B and Well 19/19A sites. These two sites
have “multiple wells” that are capable of providing
approximately 8.4 million gallons of drinking water, which is
nearly equivalent to the District’s average daily winter water
demand. The emergency generator power projects were completed in
2008 and include a 1,000 Kilowatt diesel powered generator for
the Wells 17/17A/17B site and a 500 Kilowatt diesel powered
generator for the Well 19/19A site. With completion of these
projects, Lakehaven Utility District is better prepared to
provide an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water during
power outages and other emergency periods when commercial power
is not available. |
 |
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BOARD ADOPTS WATER AND SEWER RATE
INCREASES
With the adoption of the
District’s 2009-2010 Biennial Budget, the Board of Commissioners found in
necessary to increase the 2009 water and sewer rates to meet the increase in
operating expenditures and reduce the rate at which the reserve is being
depleted. The Board approved an additional 2% increase to the previously
approved 8% increase in water rates and 5% increase in sewer rates. The
increase will mean an increase of approximately $2.10 per month for the
average residential water customer and approximately $1.77 per month for the
average residential sewer customer.
In another rate matter, the
Board also changed policy to stop subsidies. Due to topography, a small but
significant portion of Lakehaven customers have sewage which flows directly
to other surrounding utilities that Lakehaven has been subsidizing.
Beginning in July 2009, customers in the King County/Metro drainage basin
will pay an additional $3.00 per month base charge plus $0.52 per hundred
cubic feet of water consumed. Customers with flows going to Pierce County
will pay an additional $1.75 per month base charge plus $0.30 per hundred
cubic feet of water consumed. In 2010, these rates will be increased further
to collect the full amount of the additional cost of sewer treatment
services charged by these agencies. The increases were necessary to recover
the extra costs of sewer service to customers with sewage flows treated
outside of the District treatment system. A map will be posted on the
District’s website (www.lakehaven.org) to detail the areas
impacted by these increases. The Board will also host public meetings to
directly address those customers impacted by this change.
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12TH AVENUE SW/MARINE VIEW DR. WATER
LINE REPLACEMENT
Work on the 12th Avenue SW &
Marine View Drive Water Line Replacement project started in January ‘09. The
construction contract was awarded to RP&Company, Inc., the low bidder and
the project will replace 4,700 LF of aging, undersized 4” AC water main.
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KIDS CORNER
|
TAF ACADEMY
STUDENTS TOUR CONSERVATION GARDEN
AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT |
|
 |
 |
| Sixth Grade students from the
Federal Way Public School’s Technology Access Foundation Academy
tour the District’s Water Conservation Garden (31531 1st Ave.
South) as part of their science curriculum. |
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WATER
CONSERVATION EVENT
- Applications for the Water
Conservation Calendar poster contest will be mailed to elementary
schools in February. Please contact the District at 253-946-5446 if
you would like an application for your student.
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Your Board of
Commissioners
Chuck Gibson -
President
Ed Stewart
- Vice President
Beverly J. Tweddle -
Secretary
Don Miller -
Commissioner
Ron Nowicki - 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. |
