Some Frequently Asked Questions:
Newest questions at top
Q. Is the water safe to drink? Has it been tested at the spigots?
Upon completion of the work, the water in the new line was sanitized and pressure tested. There is no reason to suspect that the water should not be consumed. Any home on any water system that has not used their water for an extended period of time would be wise to flush their lines to remove the stagnant water. We have not tested the water at every home, but we have tested it on each branch and all recent tests have been found to be satisfactory.
Q. What pressures should we expect at the tap? Is there a design point for this? Right now it's got very little pressure.
When we did the pressure test on the new line, the static pressure on the waterline along the lower north road, the static pressure was about 35 psi. However, the gravity line has a hump in it as it comes out of the reservoir, which creates an air-lock over time, causing the water pressure to fall. We will likely put in an air-relief valve at this location sometime this year. In the meantime, if water pressure is too low, please call Miles at 360-580-7838 and he will repressurize the line.
Q: I thought there were certain requirements CRMBA had to meet before they could file a Tariff, if so, how is this going and can you file before you meet the requirements.
We have been working with the UTC for some time. We have sent them preliminary documents which they informally reviewed and commented on. This is the first time we have had any experience with this an it has been quite a learning curve. We will make a formal submittal shortly.
You may be thinking about the Department of Health requirements. To determine how much water storage we need, we need an accurate measure of our water usage. We have pretty much had continual leaks for many years and have been leaking more than we actually use. Thus, installing the new water lines where the leaks have traditionally been was our first goal. The preliminary readings have indicated our total water usage has dropped by about 2/3. We will be doing some additional testing to find any other smaller leaks that may be happening. Meanwhile we are reading the well meter regularly to document usage. Once we have several months of usage including some summer months, we will be able to size the storage tanks. Once that is done we need to submit an engineering report to the state for approval. Once they give approval, we can put in the new reservoir. We would like to do it next year, but that may be optimistic.
Q: When did billing start and how many have we had?
We took over the water system on June 1, 2010 and have been billing in arrears. So the first bill went out on July 1 and was for water service during June. I sometimes forget to check the date under Service for Month Ending.
In summary, we have had 5 invoices so far. This latest dated 10/31 (or at least should have been) is for service in October. Hopefully that will clear up any confusion and we will watch the dates closer.
Q: What about existing meters?
We will only be installing meters for those who do not already have one. We have not done any on the south lower road yet. The work recently completed was on the upper south lane and lower north lane.
Q: Why is this work being done now?
A: It would have been better to have done this work in August for sure, but we feel this was important to get done before winter. We just couldn’t get everything in place any earlier. We had two leaks, one on the upper south lane near Helen R.’s place, and one on the lower north lane. We didn’t want to spend money to repair these leaks but rather replace the entire line. Also, we need several months of water usage data without leaks to assess how much water the community uses. This information is critical in determining the appropriate amount of water storage we need to have. We hope to install a new reservoir next year. We are under a Department of Health Order to replace the existing reservoir. They have been patient for quite some time, but we need to move forward with this.
We did not give the contractor notice to proceed until everything was ready, and the weather report looked good. We then had him do the upper south lane. The following week the weather report was also good, and he nearly finished the lower north lane. All currently tasked work will be complete by 29 October, and we should not have too much more truck traffic. We have been very lucky with the weather.
Q: What water lines are being replaced?
Our current plans are to replace those lines where we have historically had problems. To my knowledge we have not had any leaks in the south line other than on the upper section in the 8 years I have been involved in the water system. Unless it becomes cost effective to replace that part of the line, we do not plan to replace it. Same goes for the pressure line on the upper north lane. Fixing the problem areas means reduced repair expenses for all. Replacing a section of line that is working and has no repair expenses costs more for all with no benefit. Our philosophy is to base our decisions on benefit to rate payers in the long run.
Q: What size line, and what’s next?
We did end up using a 4” line for the replacement. The cost differential was quite low.
We will be implementing a meter installation program for the upper north and lower south lanes in the coming year. When we have a repair plan for the road we will coordinate the water line replacement for that section.
After that, our most urgent concern is replacement of the reservoir. We hope to do that next year.
Q: Does my past balance from Northwest Water System transfer to the new association?
A: None of the outstanding balances transfer to the new association. The fees and assessments charged were Voluntary because there was no legal entity in place. But for those that have used water all of these years without paying, it only seems fair and equitable to pay any outstanding balances. This money will go to reduce future rates charged by the new association.
Q: Has the new proposed tariff been filed with the WUTC?
A: Not yet. We are working on it and hope to submit by the end of June. Customers will be notified prior to the tariff being submitted and will be notified when accepted buy the UTC. All submittals will be available for download on the UTC web site. You can find the link to the UTC website on the links section.
Q: How were the rates calculated and was affordability considered for the rates?
A: The new $75 per month rate was based on the 23 people who generally pay their bill. It accounts for typical operating expenses plus money to start replacing distribution lines and adding meters where needed. The more we can self finance the cheaper the cost. Running an efficient operation and running lean is definitely a priority, however there is a lot of deferred maintenance that must be taken care of, so costs will remain high until the cost of system repairs and updates are paid for.
Q: How much has it cost to run the system and what was the income?
A: Income and expenses for the past three years are shown below. These are just water system related and not related to setting up the new association:
------------------2007----------------2008--------------2009
Income--------17,171.45---------10,928.42--------9,736.58
Expenses-----14,684.21---------10,950.98--------9,355.65
Q: Who was in charge and responsible for the operation of the Bankrupt CRWA?
A: The bankrupt CRWRA has been inactive since it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The Association was administratively dissolved by the WA Secretary of State around 2002. Chevy Chase has been in charge of and responsible for hiring NWS to operate the water system, to be our water system manager and to set the rates that NWS has billed. This was also voted on and agreed to at a community meeting years ago.
Q: Have there been any special arrangements made or discussed with any property owners?
A: Yes, we are negotiating a settlement with a property owner who had a special contractual agreement with the old association. We are trying to honor that agreement in principal. This has resulted in a separate class of member to recognize the old agreement which exempts that property from participating in costs of the distribution system downstream of the reservoir.
Q: Have there been any new lease arrangements made with Merrill Ring so that we have a long term lease at the actual well site?
A: We are currently negotiating a long term lease with Merrill Ring. We have sent them proposed language and are awaiting response.
Q: Are there any plans being made or discussed for expanding the water service area?
A: We have been approached by the property owner to the north of our system has expressed interest in joining the water service area. We have had discussions, but nothing will be decided until we have established our customers in the current service area and know how much water we have available. It most likely will be put off until the new reservoir is built, after which we will have more connections.
Q: Do the proposed rates include payment for past or future attorney fees?
A: The rate we will propose to the UTC will likely not include past attorney fees, but will be submitted as owner’s equity in the water system. Future attorney fees would likely be accepted by the UTC as water system expenses.
Q: In the new proposed rates you added class "B" members. In that view, can others install their own water lines so as to become class"B" members?
A: Typically, when new customers need to extend distribution lines to their property, the customer is required to pay for and install the lines in conformance with the water system’s standards. Once installed and approved, the water system takes ownership (along with appropriate easements) and charges the new customer the standard rate. It may be possible to allow new developers to own and maintain these new lines, If that somehow benefited the other rate payers, and is allowed by the UTC, we would consider it.