At the August, 2008 meeting, Brown & Caldwell provided “Proposed January 2009″ residential water rates, showing reductions ranging from 6 to 18 percent.

City Council did not change water rates, in 2009.

In November, council did approve a new water rate study by Brown & Caldwell, which would factor in the $6 million in water system funding (half that does not have to be paid back, half at 1 percent interest).  Originally, the results of the new water rate study (factoring in the $3 million grant and $3 million at 1 percent interest loan) were to be delivered to City Council by the end of 2009, based on water superintendent Miles Beach’s presentation at the beginning of November. Beach later said via email that “The contract for the rate  update was changed from 30 to 45 working days for completion, in  consideration of the holidays. With that said, we should have the update by mid January with a formal report to council in February.”

A “Water System Capital Improvement Plan” that spells out the costs of the $16 million drinking water upgrade ($7 million 2010-2012, $3.5 million 2013-2016, $3 million 2017-2020, $3 million 2024-2025) is on the agenda, for Monday night’s council meeting.

The new water rate study is not on the agenda.

Originally, the results of the new water rate study (factoring in the $3 million grant and $3 million at 1 percent interest loan) were to be delivered to City Council by the end of the year, based on water superintendent Miles Beach’s presentation at the beginning of November. The dates have been pushed back, says Beach via email:

“The contract for the rate  update was changed from 30 to 45 working days for completion, in  consideration of the holidays. With that said, we should have the update by mid January with a formal report to council in February.”

As I write, I’m sipping on a 0% proof, right-out-of-the-pipe Hogan’s Corner water. Tastes good to me. But why take my word for it? Drive over to the 76 station, where last week they switched from a private well to the county/Hogan’s Corner water, and ask for a sample. (Kathy over there said it would be OK.) And then report back, please!

Anybody in Oyehut/Hogan’s Corner drinking the new water from the County’s wells at Hogan’s Corner, yet?

This from Mike Olden, the County’s water consultant:

hogan's corner file web

“The Hogan’s Corner Water supply has been operational for about a week and half.  Currently, we are about 90% functional.  The remaining 10% is related to some minor pipe installation, installing standby power, adjusting telemetry and making some operational adjustments.  The new water has made it to about every part of the system as of today (from Hogan’s Corner to Oyehut).  There will be some subsequent flushing in the next couple weeks.  Already, folks in the northern part of Oyehut have made comments to me regarding how good the new water is.  Some homeowners and businesses in the Hogan’s Corner Area have already connected to the new system . . .”

Original posting on Tuesday morning: $2.2 million more needed for water distribution . . . According to Miles Beach, Ocean Shores’ water superintendent. This is in addition to the $7.5 million previously committed (which includes a $3 million grant. the rest to be paid back at 1 percent, over 20 years). At a post-speed limit “Town Hall” last night, Beach gave a presentation to city council and the remaining audience.

From councilman French:

Clarification: There was also 1.9 million added to the Treatment Plant Project in addition to the 2.2 million distribution number. This was presented as a “we’ll do this if the bids come in low”. But, recognize that this is on the “to do” list.
Also, the 2.2 million is about 25% of distribution project costs in the 2005 Water System Plan. Distribution problems are a combination of flow, circulation, undersized pipe (2″ and 4″) and iron bacteria growth in the system. The 2.2 million only addresses fire flow fixes in the north and central part of the city (see projects 1 and 2, items 8 and 10, in the 2005 plan).

Published in the WaterTech e-newsletter:

Press Release

Release Date: September 17, 2009

OCEAN SHORES, Washington — Thanks to $6M in Stimulus funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Ocean Shores, a city of approximately 4,500 permanent residents on Washington State’s Pacific coast, will finally get the water treatment plant it has needed for over 20 years.

After years of struggling to find a cure for its taste and odor and disinfection by-product problems caused by high organics, hydrogen sulfide, iron, manganese and ammonia in its groundwater supply, the City recently completed a successful pilot plant study that identified a solution. Greensand filtration followed by the MIEX^® Ion exchange process was selected as the most cost effective treatment option. However the City, which is part of a state-designated economically depressed area, had insufficient funding to implement this solution. The federal economic recovery program provided the catalyst to address the urgent need for a new treatment plant, allowing the City to decisively turn its pilot study results into a “shovel-ready project,” taking advantage of the new funding opportunity.

First correct answer gets one (1) bottle of Hogan’s Corner water.

An 8-pager titled “City of Ocean Shores Water Department 2008 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report” has been mailed out to residents (received mine yesterday). 

“We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements,” it says.

Have not had the chance to go through the 76-line “test results” data, but this did jump out at me, on the last page/summary:

“Thank you for allowing us to provide your family with clean, quality water this year.”

By “quality,” I’m assuming the City was using this criteria:

-It is wet

-It won’t kill you

-If you hold your nose, it tastes great!

Guests, left to right: Garland French, Ocean Shores councilman; Al Carter, County commissioner; and Kevin Varness, County engineer. (Edson Engel, president of the citizens group, at the microphone.)

Is City-County water debate (finally) over? To paraphrase Monty Python, it’s not dead yet . . .