Spring is here and our gardens beckon us to get out and clean, prepare and plant for the new season. We love our berries and fruits, but a fresh, ripe tomato may take the prize. We are fortunate in the Northwest to have cooler temperatures in the spring when we plant, and warm, (mostly) sunny summer days to energize the plants during the growing season. This gives us some of the best fruits and vegetables anywhere. We also enjoy a good climate for growing healthy lawns in the summer. With children and grandchildren around for family gatherings, we enjoy watching them running through sprinklers and having water balloon battles, fun activities that a nice green lawn allows us to enjoy. It also provides great memories and photo opportunities with our growing family.
Whether it is to take care of a lawn or a garden, we know you need an ample supply of water, particularly in the hotter periods of the summer. While we do encourage you to use your water wisely (remember drip lines and timed sprinklers that go on at night or the early morning), we have invested a large amount of infrastructure dollars in water supply facilities to make sure we can meet all of your water needs.
The original source of water to meet demand in our service area came from wells that tap the several underground aquifers in the area. These aquifers hold billions of gallons of water. We currently have twenty-three active wells that are capable of delivering all of the supply needed to meet average and peak daily demand. Water pumped out of the ground is stored above ground in the twelve storage tanks you see throughout the District. We also invested in a supply of water from the headwaters of the Green River, which is delivered to us through the Regional Water Supply System, a joint pipeline project we built with Tacoma, Kent and the Covington Water District. This water, which is treated at the source, is capable of delivering, on an interruptible basis, nearly thirteen million gallons of water per day. When water is available from the Green River, it helps us reserve groundwater to maximize its availability when less river water is available. As an additional source of supply, the Howard Hanson Dam, located above the Green River, stores a large quantity of winter water to be released into the Green River in the summer months, when flows are typically lower in the river. This makes the Green River water more available during the low flow season. With all of these sources of water, we can be assured that water will be available for many decades to come.
It is a pleasure to serve you!