Some cities dealing with water shortages because of drought

STARTUP — People here are being asked to conserve water after one of two wells that supply the unincorporated town’s drinking water ran dry.

The Wallace River aquifer provides water for the wells. But it has dropped to historic lows because of the drought this summer. One of Startup’s wells ran dry in June.

Ginny Stern, drought coordinator for the state Department of Health, which monitors drinking water systems across Washington, said Startup is not alone in facing water shortages this summer.

A number of systems in the state are already looking into alternative water sources, she said. People are being asked to be mindful of their use to ensure there’s enough water to last through the hot, dry weather.

“We’re at the front end of what will be a tough couple of months,” Stern said. “Life’s going to get more complicated for some of these smaller systems, and even some of the bigger ones.”

Most people in Washington are served by more stable water systems, such as the one operated by the city of Everett, Stern said. However, she expects some of the smaller systems to run dry by the summer’s end.

The Startup Water District, which serves about 600 people, has declared an emergency. It is now charging customers extra for using more than 7,500 gallons of water a month in an effort to encourage conservation.

The drought may not be solely to blame for problems in Startup, Stern said. She suspects both wells would be dry if the shortage was because of the water level in the aquifer alone. The two wells have similar depths of 30 and 32 feet.

Stern believes the one well might be dry because of a different problem, such as a clogged screen. But the drought is surely adding complications to that issue by putting more stress on the system, she said.

People tend to use more water when the weather is hot and dry. In Startup, water use doubled from 1.1 million gallons of water in May to 2.2 million gallons in June, according to information on the water district’s website.

Officials from the district declined to comment but sent information about the situation in a press release.

The Startup well was built in the early 1960s. It is now in need of repairs, the release said.

Commissioners for the district are looking at options to fix the well. The press release did not give details.

The well has had similar problems in the past. However, that hasn’t previously affected the water supply because it usually runs low in the fall when there’s less demand, the press release said.

This year the well dried up in June because of low snowpack, lack of rain and high usage. The district asked people to conserve because it estimated customers would use 2.7 million gallons in July if immediate steps to save water weren’t taken.

It advised people to cut down on water use by fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, washing full loads of laundry and watering gardens in the early morning or late evening, among other suggestions.

The district is trying to manage its water to get through the summer with one well.

It is also looking for long-term options to remedy the shortage, including hooking up to Sultan’s water system or drilling a third well, according to its website. However, neither of those options are a quick fix and both are costly.

Sultan Fire Chief Merlin Halverson said he expects to see more water problems with the hot, dry weather. With half of Startup’s water supply gone, he’s concerned that there might not be enough to fight fire.

Emergency managers are watching their water supplies across Snohomish County, Halverson said. Although fire engines carry some water supply, the potential for a hydrant to run dry makes fighting a blaze even more dangerous.

Halverson hopes people change their habits to prevent fire and save water.

“There’s a general underappreciation for the problems we’re facing,” he said. “We should be acting like these are problems we’re going to have for a long time.”

Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.