LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
$18 Million Upgrade For Water On Table
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Spending $18 million for a filtration system for a secondary water source at this time would help ensure the city has safe drinking water during an emergency dam shutdown, and save the city funds in the long run.
That was the message at a Tuesday work session from city staff members who have been working toward the construction of a secondary filtration plant for Sitka’s drinking water.
Sitka has a “filtration avoidance waiver” for Blue Lake that allows the city to disinfect but not filter its water. But it faces losing the waiver due to the increase in turbidity incidents in recent years.
The Assembly on Aug. 30 approved a resolution for a loan application for the $18 million project on a 4-2 vote, but also approved a second motion to come back to the Assembly before a contract was awarded.
The Assembly next Tuesday will consider entering into a Compliance Order by Consent with the Department of Environmental Conservation, and authorize spending on the project.
City Public Works Director Michael Harmon reviewed a flow chart that outlined the benefits of building the plant now, and the consequences of not building it.
By the end of the meeting, a number of Assembly members weighed in with how they plan to vote, with some saying they weren’t enthusiastic about it, but they didn’t see any other options.
“I feel a regulatory cannon is being held to us,” Steven Eisenbeisz said. “We don’t absolutely have to do it but these implications are far greater.” He said he wanted it clear that the Assembly is “not trying to spend money (just) to spend money.”
Aaron Bean said today he is looking forward to the conversation next week, but at this time does not support building a new $18 million plant.
“It’s no until it has to be a yes,” he said at the work session.
Asked whether all the options have been explored to change regulations, City Administrator Keith Brady said the city had tried all avenues, including talking to legislators, and pointed out that other communities fighting the same regulations had spent millions before finally complying with regulations.
Mayor Gary Paxton said based on the conversations he has had, the city has a better chance of financial help than of changing regulations.
Brady commented: “Trying to change policy is near impossible but pursuing money is not. We’re talking with Sen. Murkowski and Sullivan on funding for this project.”
If the Assembly on Tuesday approves the motion for funding, the city will:
– design and construct a secondary water plant by 2020.
– retain its filtration avoidance waiver.
– complete the dam waterway inspections in 2020 without interruption to drinking water.
– spend $18 million to build the plant without raising rates further.
– maintain drinking water during an emergency penstock shutdown.
The proposed pieces of new infrastructure are the river intake delivering SMC water to the filtration plant when the penstock is shut down, and the filtration plant, located next to the UV filtration plant at the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park.
Asked whether there were other options for the city’s secondary water supply, Harmon said Starrigavan and Indian River were considered but were more costly.
“We recommended the cheapest and most cost-effective way to go,” he said. Sawmill Creek has a higher quality of water.
If the Assembly votes no, Harmon said, the city will:
– likely lose its filtration avoidance waiver, and have to develop a new secondary source.
– the cost of building the plant will go up by about $1 million a year for each year the project is put off.
– the city will have to pay $256,000 more in operating costs for 24-7 filtration.
– citizens will have to boil water anytime the penstock is shut down unless a filtration plant is constructed.
Other ramifications will come when the electric department has to do its waterway testing and inspections next year.
Environmental Superintendent Shilo Williams was asked about the increase in turbidity in recent years, and whether it presented an actual public health risk.
She said turbidity itself does not pose a public health risk but it is an indicator of microbial organisms, so treatment is required to address turbidity.
“Our most important goal is to protect the public health and that’s what the regulations are in place to do,” Williams said today.
“Our current system is compliant,” she told the Assembly Tuesday. “That changes if we lose that waiver. Then we have to comply with a different set of regulations. ... It would be really unfortunate to lose that waiver and to have to filter our water full-time (which costs) hundreds of thousands more (a year in operational costs).”
She added that the city has been looking for options for a secondary water supply for about a decade. Regulations changed in 2006, no longer allowing the city to use Indian River water without installing costly filtration and chlorination facilities. The last time the city used Indian River was during the dam project, when the city rented filtration and chlorination equipment at a cost of $4 million.
Harmon also was asked how certain the city is about the costs.
“My record is good on cost estimates,” he said. He said the biggest risk is time: the longer the city waits, the more the project will end up costing. “Inflation in construction costs is disturbing.”
City Attorney Brian Hanson said as someone concerned with risk to the city, the issue is about more than money.
“It’s health and safety too,” he said. “The decision you make today puts us at a greater health and safety risk ... To delay has considerable risk in that regard.”
Kevin Knox also raised concerns about the risk to the public if the city does not pick the option on the table.
“We put ourselves at risk because we’ve chosen not to go down the road open to us,” he said.
Kevin Mosher said he was leaning more toward yes on the project, but was concerned about the costs, particularly if Sitka loses ratepayers.
Commenting on the meeting today, Richard Wein said, “I am aware of the importance of protecting our water supply but at the end of the day I still feel pressured into this decision.”
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.