By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A company from southern California is forming plans to start shipping out Blue Lake water, but the bulk water enterprise is still in the early stages, the Gary Paxton Industrial Park was told Monday.
Eckert Fine Beverages has purchased 330 gallons of raw water for a small-scale bottling run. The company plans to use 20-foot containers for future bulk shipments.
“They’re starting small,” White said today.
He is currently working with them to start designing a water-loading system for the larger containers.
Ultimately, the company plans to process Sitka’s water for sale as a high-end product in glass bottles, White said.
White said he’s also been in contact with a Costa Rican company that is investigating possibilities for bottling in Sitka, and other companies interested in Sitka’s raw water for bulk export.
In updates at the meeting on raw water, Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association General Manager Steve Reifenstuhl said he has submitted engineer’s drawings for the raw water valve house, with proposed modifications to pipes, valves and pressure-reducing valves that would double the current raw water in the bulk water line.
“This relatively simple fix solves two existing hurdles – bulk water for sale and additional water for NSRAA’s new hatchery,” Reifenstuhl wrote to the board. “In order to accomplish this work in the tight space we will need to ask public works if we can modify several components of the fire line. In 2014, NSRAA modified plumbing in the valve house at our expense. NSRAA is offering to pay for the current proposed modification as well, which will benefit the city in knowable water volume for bulk water sales, but more importantly benefit the community of processors, fishermen and merchants when NSRAA’s (Sawmill Creek) hatchery expansion comes online in two years.”
Reifenstuhl said this work should not interfere with the electric department’s long-term plan to deliver industrial-use water from the Blue Lake turbine tailrace.
“It does provide a near term solution that the City needs and NSRAA requires for production increases, at no cost to the City,” he said in his email to White and the board.
Reifenstuhl said he’s waiting for a response from public works on his proposal before seeking funding for the modifications.
NSRAA is planning to use the water to expand the Sawmill Creek hatchery and increase chum production; to increase the Crawfish Inlet chum production; and Chinook production.
Also at the meeting, board members approved a list of priorities for a barge and vessel haulout facility, since funds aren’t currently available for a complete facility.
The top priority item is a water treatment plant for vessel washdown water, followed by a washdown pad, installing a concrete ramp, improvements to the uplands, a timber float and boat haulout equipment. Northline Seafoods built the barge haulout, which is to be turned over to the city in a year.
Also at the meeting, the board voted 3-0 to give the city six months to remove the low-value overburden and rock from three lots at the industrial park, or GPIP will start charging the electric department for use of the property. The rock has been on the site since 2013, when the dam was built. The debris was moved onto the lots during the dam construction project.
The motion was for the city to remove the debris and regrade three lots so they can be leased, or pay the lease cost to the GPIP enterprise fund.
In the updates at the beginning of the meeting, White said he is still working on cleanup plans for Sawmill Creek Farm.
