GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY WATER DISTRICT #2
Newsletter for November/December 2021
It has been an eventful year. In addition to normal operations, we have had staff changes, record keeping upgrades, software changes and upgrades, and some staff illnesses. Of course, there are the challenges of maintaining operations during Governor Inslees' emergency proclamations.
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THEY ARE AT THE END OF THIS NEWSLETTER
Web Site
There is important information on the web site. Check it often. There is always new content. https:\\www.centralparkwater.net.
BASIC INFORMATION THAT USED TO APPEAR IN THE NEWSLETTER IS NOW ON THE WEB SITE.
Under "About District 2", check "Basic Information". The whole "About District 2" needs to be re-organized. That will happen.
An addition to the web site was the ability to pay your bill on line. This is a service of the credit card processing company. Because we do not make customer information available anywhere on the internet, current bills, balances, etc., cannot be checked. We are dedicated to limiting the paths by which customer information can be accessed from the internet.
The credit card processing company, not the district, adds a 2.5% processing fee to your payment.
Emergency Notification
If you have not listed your phone number with the County's emergency notification system, please do so.
Conditions of Service
There are conditions attached to the provision of water service. If you don’t have a copy, please request one. We can mail it or email it to you. The Conditions of Service are also posted on the web site.
One element of the Conditions of Service is that the property owner is responsible for all the water that passes through the meter. It is a good idea to check your meter two or three times a year to see if there are any leaks on property side. Basically, if, when all uses are shut off in the home, the meter shows any movement at all, there is a leak.
Special Needs
It is absolutely vital that you inform the District if you have special needs. If you suffer from an immune deficiency or other problem where a lack of water could be life-threatening, we need to know.
Ongoing Maintenance/Repair
Most of the second half of 2021 was devoted to catching up small projects. Some of the things accomplished included raising meter boxes to prevent flooding, moving service meters for various reasons, several challenging new service connections, a lot of water main locates, and, naturally, the long list of daily checks necessary to ensure safe and reliable drinking water.
Staff Change
Earlier in the year the long time District Clerk, Charli Luensman retired. Dali Stires was hired to succeed Charli and has rapidly taken to her duties. An added benefit is that Dali is fluent in Spanish.
Current Projects
These are the projects that currently have our attention:
Project | Status | Next | Estimated | Estimated |
|
| Step | Completion | Cost |
Small Parts Shed | Ordered | Construction/Delivery | 12/31/21 | $7,000 |
Well #5 Source Meter | Awaiting Parts | Installation | 10/31/21 | $8,904 |
Dollar General | County Pre-App Completed | Application for Water | 09/01/21 | $0 |
GHC Transit | County Pre-App Completed | Developer Extension Agreement | 12/31/25 | $0 |
Indefinite Delivery | Awarded and Underway | Solicitate for 2022 | 12/31/21 | $60,000 |
On Site Chlorine Generation | Feasibility Study Underway | Go/No Go Decision | 09/30/21 | $3,000 |
North Bank Re-Coat | Specification Complete | Prepare Bid Documents | 06/30/22 | TBD |
Reynvaan Extension | In Engineering | Prepare Specification | 07/30/22 | $75,000 |
Sunset Road Water Main | Commissioners Decided to Pursue | Prepare for Community Meeting | 12/31/21 | $60,000 |
Hidden Valley Meter | Installed | Complete | 09/30/21 | $0 |
Pape Retail Center | County Pre-App Completed | Developer Extension Agreement | 12/31/22 | $0 |
Shop Fence | On Hold | Discuss with Fire Chief | TBD | TBD |
Clemons Reservoirs Access | In Engineering | Prepare Specification | 09/30/22 | TBD |
North Bank Access | In Engineering | Prepare Specification | 09/30/22 | TBD |
Reynvaan Booster Pumphouse | In Conceptual Stage | Finalize Concept | 07/30/22 | Cost |
These are the projects that are currently underway. There are other projects that the district would like to pursue, such as pressure improvements on Clemons Road, for which there is no funding. The list is very organic. So the status of some of the projects will have changed by the time you read this. Some of the projects relate to new connections in which costs are borne by the property owner.
Rates
As in the past, the November/December newsletter is the one in which we discuss water rates. There are continuing pressures on rates. A big concern this year is inflation. While inflation is always a factor, it is usually fairly predictable and, despite news to the contrary, stable. That is not the case this year.
High inflation is likely to stay with us for awhile. One of the prime drivers of inflation is the cost of energy. It isn’t just the cost of gas at the pump. The entire economy is founded on the availability of abundant energy to manufacture and deliver goods and services that we use. The cost of that energy is a major factor in the cost of those goods and services. All indications are that the current high cost of energy will continue into the foreseeable future.
Other factors include the usual suspects. Along with general inflation, there are costs specific to the water district that increase every year. Specifically, insurance, water quality testing, and the district’s continuing efforts to accumulate sufficient reserves. One of the steps we have taken is to specify and quantify reserve categories. As examples, we have identified reserves for the annual USDA loan payment, and we have an up and running capital replacement reserve program. An example is the district’s copier. The current one is at the end of it’s service life. Instead of having to scratch around and try and figure out where the money for a replacement will come from, the money is ear marked and in the bank over the life-span of the existing copier.
The Capital Replacement Fund includes, not surprisingly, capital assets such as vehicles, buildings, pumps, and similar items. While water mains and reservoirs are included in the program, they have not been monetized. To do so would at least quadruple water rates. There are only two ways to fund major infrastructure replacement: Build the reserves or borrow the money. Both involve higher water rates than this (and most) water districts are charging. This district would like to build reserves and not borrow money. But the commissioners recognize that a rate increase sufficient to fund future major asset replacements is just not possible.
So we are choosing not to monetize those assets but continue to contribute reserves for the Major Repair Fund. The purpose of this fund is to pay for, again not surprisingly, major repairs. As examples, in 2020 we had to replace about 1,200 feet of water main along Highway 12 and replace the Well #5 pump. Those repairs sucked up about $300,000 out of that fund. Not only does that money need to be replaced in order to be ready for the next big thing, whatever it is, we are striving to have a rolling balance of about one million dollars. One big water main break, particularly along Highway 12, could blaze through that much money in one working day. And, yes. The Highway 12 replacement and the Well #5 pump are now a part of the Asset Management Program. So when those items come due for replacement in future years, the funds will be available.
Smaller expenditures happen on a regular basis that are not quite so spectacular, but still eat into reserves. A good example is a recent service lateral replacement on Central Park Drive. Central Park Drive is a particular problem because it is the old Olympic Highway. There is literally a century of paving, repaving, gravel fill, and dirt compaction that make working there very challenging. The particular service lateral replacement came in at just over $17,000.00. For a small water district it doesn't take too many of those expenditures before, as the saying goes, you are talking about real money. Unfortunately, service laterals in this district are in poor condition. While most do not cost anywhere near the example, there are a lot of them and the cost in parts and labor adds up. On average we repair/replace one service later per day.
Noted above in the “projects” paragraph is a statement about projects that need doing for which the money is not available. Included in this category are pressure improvements on Clemons Road, and water main replacement in Fairway Terrace and Hill Road south of Central Park Drive. Eventually those projects will have to be done. Currently, we don’t have the money.
The industry, as a whole, is aware that water utility rates, nationwide, are insufficient to operate and maintain water service on a continuing basis. The cost of operating and maintaining the millions of dollars of infrastructure of even small water utilities such as this one stretches budgets to the limit, let alone the cost of replacing worn out equipment and facilities. Current rates cost you just over a penny a gallon. Compare that to bottled water which has way less infrastructure to support. We have examined including major infrastructure (water mains, reservoirs) in the Capital Replacement Fund, but to do so would quadruple water rates. The rate payers cannot afford that.
The water district has historically billed every other month. The reason is that we bill about half of the customers every month. We do that because we hand read most meters. The exception being meters along Highway 12. We like hand reading because someone walks the entire water system every two months. Meter reading always generates work orders as problems in the system are identified. We use remote reading meters along the highway for safety reasons.
Having reviewed all the issues, the commissioners decided to raise the residential base rate from $99.00 for two months ($46.50/month) to $109.00 for two months ($54.50/month). That is an increase of $10 over two months ($5.00/month). The usage rate will stay at $2.75 per 100 cubic feet over 1,200 cubic feet. As usual, billing periods will cover two months.
Commercial and multi-family rates will increase by similar increments. The full 2021 rate sheet should be on the web site by the time you read this.
Tours
The District is offering a very limited number of system tours. We can only accommodate two people at a time and tours are limited to one per week. A full tour takes about two hours. If you are interested call the office for scheduling. Tour availability is subject to operational and weather considerations and adherence to the “Stay Safe, Stay Home” requirements. You must be physically able to get into and out of a pickup truck.
Emergencies
There are water district staff available to address water emergency situations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have an emergency, or even think you might have an emergency, do not be bashful about using the emergency contact numbers.
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Water district staff technicians are not in a position to answer billing or other account related questions.
Thank You
Thank you for wading through all this information. If you have questions, or there are issues that we have not addressed in this newsletter, please feel free to call the office (360-532-1828) during posted hours, or email the General Manager (reg@centralparkwater.net). You are also always welcome at commissioners' meetings held at 7:00PM on the second Wednesday of each month in the District office, once the “Stay Safe” initiative is lifted. You can learn a lot at commissioners' meetings. The District office is located on East Cross Road just off of Hill Road.
The monthly Manager’s Reports are posted on the web site following each month’s meeting. There is a lot of good information in those reports about the operation of your water district.
Feel free to call or email if you have questions or concerns. We love to talk with you.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
360-580-2172
360-589-6007
360-591-1649
DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL.
Grays Harbor County Water District #2 is an equal opportunity provider and employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, or religion.