Water woes could crimp utilities

By Mia Penta

Associated Press

SEATTLE — At least 24 utilities in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties could face water shortages in the next 20 years unless they find new supplies or start conserving more, a study released Thursday said.

The rest of the 158 water utilities surveyed in the "2001 Puget Sound Regional Water Supply Outlook" should have sufficient supplies through 2050, the study said.

The two-year study focused on balancing the needs of people and fish. It took into consideration leaving more water in rivers for fish habitat, which could mean less water for utilities.

"If we could do a better job of sharing water in an environmentally responsible manner, we know that we could resolve many water supply problems for people and fish for the foreseeable future without relying on development of expensive new sources of supply," said Ken Merry, superintendent of Tacoma Water.

The projected shortages wouldn’t affect customers, but could restrict further development, said Guillemette Regan, regional water policy manager with Seattle Public Utilities.

Tacoma Water is the biggest utility that could face a shortfall. In Snohomish County, Gold Bar is in the same boat. Others include Kent, Spanaway, Issaquah and North Bend.

However, most of the utilities in danger of running short have started planning to keep that from happening.

In Tacoma, a second pipeline to carry water from the Green River is expected to be completed by 2006 at a cost of about $235 million and should help ensure the utility has enough water through 2050, Merry said.

The pipeline would travel through Kent and Covington, two King County utilities facing shortages, and could help them as well, he said.

Most of the other utilities are small or in significantly growing areas, said Diana Gale, managing director of Seattle Public Utilities.

The study identified potential water supplies from additional conservation, reusing water or using storm water. Everett Public Works is designing a system to use wastewater in cooling systems, said Jim Miller, that utility’s engineering superintendent.

Utilities need to work with the Legislature, Gov. Gary Locke and state agencies to create better laws on water permits, Gale said.

"We do not want to be the next crisis," she said, referring to the Legislature’s stalemate over transportation issues in the state.

But that does not mean shirking environmental responsibilities.

"We have to do that," Merry said. "We’re not suggesting we not meet our environmental obligations."

The study was commissioned by a forum formed in 1998 that includes many of the water utilities and the local governments of the three counties.

The forum will continue to meet to study solutions to the water shortfall.