Snohomish County PUD’s water utility marks 75th anniversary

By Snohomish County PUD

The PUD was created nearly 85 years ago by a majority vote of the people of Snohomish County and Camano Island. But it wasn’t until Jan. 17, 1946, that service began under the publicly owned utility.

You may not be aware that the first service the PUD provided was actually water service. The PUD started serving customers when its first project, the Lake Stevens Water System, was organized and built 75 years ago this month. The Beverly Park Water System and Sunnyside Water System soon followed. It was another three years until the PUD would get into the electricity business.

This month, the PUD’s Water Utility celebrates its 75th anniversary. The PUD now serves about 22,400 customers over 10 separate water systems spread around Snohomish County, from Lake Stevens to Warm Beach.

Much has changed over that time. The PUD has worked within the community to assume ownership of about 40 struggling public water systems and make necessary improvements. The PUD also now provides safe and reliable drinking water to the cities of Granite Falls, Arlington and Snohomish.

The PUD’s Water Utility employs full-time water specialists who perform regular maintenance and routine testing to assure its customers’ drinking water is safe to drink. Though, among many other things, the PUD is known for its hardy linemen and innovative hydropower projects, it takes great pride in its water utility, water utility employees and the ability to deliver safe, affordable and reliable water to its customers.

Emergencies can happen anytime — even during a pandemic. So, when a well motor on the Warm Beach system failed this past summer, the team jumped into action. Within a week, the PUD’s water team replaced the failed motor, pump and drop pipe without impacting service to more than 600 customers.

The pandemic put a hold on some of the PUD’s water projects in 2020, but the next 12 months promise to be busy. The PUD’s water team will make important improvements to the Warm Beach system, making it more reliable and optimizing water quality, and enact important changes to how it operates the Lake Stevens treatment plant in order to optimize corrosion control.

The PUD is a strong supporter of water conservation. Customers can visit the SnoPUD Marketplace to get rebates on equipment that can save water and money, including bathroom aerators, low-flow showerheads and thermostatic shut-off valves. The PUD also offers rebates on bathroom packs that include showerhead, globe-style LEDs, two aerators and plumbers tape.

Visit marketplace.snopud.com to find information on products and rebates.

We are proud of our 75 years of serving you as a water utility. Whether we serve you as a water or electric customer, we want you to know that you can count on us to be there for you in the years to come.

Operating since 1949, Snohomish County PUD is a customer-owned, not-for-profit electric and water utility that serves more than 360,000 customers in Snohomish County and Camano Island. For more information on conservation programs, visit www.snopud.com.