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closeIn 2003, the state Legislature passed the Municipal Water Law to address the increasing demand on our state's water resources. This law directed the Department of Health to adopt a Water Use Efficiency (WUE) Rule to use water efficiently in exchange for certainty and flexibility in the exercise of water rights. This program became effective on January 22, 2007.
The rule applies to all water systems that are considered municipal water suppliers. Municipal water suppliers include community water systems with 15 or more residential connections and non-community water systems that use water in a residential manner.
The rule requires that municipal water suppliers use water efficiently and demonstrate that they are doing so.
The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District is meeting these requirements in the following areas.
- Establish water saving goals through a public process:
A legal notice was published in the Bellingham Herald on February 27 announcing the meeting time and location and stating that the Water Use Efficiency Plan goal setting will take place. At their regular March meeting, the water district commissioners devoted considerable discussion to the goals that will be established and adopted a plan. Earlier this year, a discussion of the Municipal Water Law was also sent to all ratepayers in a newsletter along with their bills.
- Install service meters within 10 years:
The district already meets requirements for installing water meters for both production (source) and service (consumption). We also perform on-going calibration of these meters.
- Meet a distribution system leakage standard:
Municipal water suppliers must strive to meet a state distribution system leakage standard of less than 10 percent in order to minimize water loss in the distribution system. This leakage is defined as water use that is not accounted for.
Examples include fire use, system flushing, and construction use as well as actual leakage from breaks in water mains and service lines. These are all unmetered uses but can be planned for by defining estimated amounts for uses other than true system leaks. The district has analyzed leakage in its service areas and is working to reduce this amount.
- Develop a water use efficiency program:
Our billing structure encourages water conservation by charging for the amount of water used, not a flat rate regardless of consumption. Water bills also show consumption history.
- Report annually on progress towards meeting goals and using water efficiently:
The district's water use efficiency data is analyzed once a year and includes the following - number of water services renovated, frequency of water conservation bill inserts, average daily demand for each distinct area, maximum daily demand for each distinct area, and distribution system losses for each distinct area.
The district has met requirements for municipal water suppliers which were due July 1. They include the collection of production and consumption data, the inclusion of their WUE in planning documents, setting WUE goals, and submitting a first annual performance report.
The district also meets the requirement for submitting a service meter installation schedule. Part of our ongoing capital improvement plan includes replacing service meters for condominiums and other larger service meters that weren't replaced under the radio-read meter program.
Future deadlines include meeting distribution leakage standards (based on a three-year rolling average) by July 1, 2010. The requirement to complete installation of all service meters by Jan. 22, 2017 has already been met.
Copies of the district's Water Use Efficiency Plan are available online at: http://www.lwwsd.org/info/engdocs.asp.
Leslie McRoberts is a commissioner of the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District.
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Caregivers
The Courtyard -
Accounts Receivable - Contracts Manager
Sicklesteel Cranes, Inc. -
Finance Director
WTA -
Research & Development Engineer
Samson Rope -
Contracts Assistant, Financial Services
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
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