Council makes tough water utility decisions

The Milton City Council continued discussion on the future of the city’s water utility on June 15. Over the past several months, the council has heard presentations from water utilities and companies interested in taking control of Milton’s water utility.

Public Works Director Letticia Neal requested direction on outsourcing management and options for selling the city’s utility, but she urged the council to carefully consider all their options before making any final decisions.

“Neither of the choices are absolute solutions,” Neal said. “If the council does decide to sell the utility, depending on numerous factors, it could certainly take five years but that is just an estimate.”

Currently, the city of Milton has two inter-tie agreements – one with Mountain View-Edgewood Water Company and one with Lakehaven Utility District – which help supply extra water to residents in the city. The Mountain View-Edgewood inter-tie is the newest, with an agreement dated 2006. Both inter-ties are for emergency purposes, and are not intended to be permanent sources of water. Neal suggested the council amend the existing inter-tie agreement with Mountain View-Edgewood Water Company, so that it is no longer for emergency purposes only, but can be used to supplement the city’s water supply until a treatment solution for the Corridor Wells water is in place.

The Corridor Wells project, which includes two wells, was initiated in the early 1980s, and construction on the facility was completed last summer. Early testing indicated that iron and manganese levels could be a problem with this water source.  After completion of the facility, regular pumping and subsequent testing confirmed that iron and manganese were indeed present in the water, at levels that contribute to taste and odor issues and could also cause staining in plumbing fixtures. The Tacoma/Pierce County Department of Health lists iron and manganese as secondary contaminants and states they do not pose an acute health risk.

Neal explained that the Corridor Wells facility functions as designed, but that the city has not utilized the facility as a full-time water source since approximately November of last year. This is why city officials outsourced water usage to the Mountain View-Edgewood Water Company, on an emergency basis.

“The city has a number of wells,” Neal explained. “The issue now revolves around the Corridor Wells site. If the wells are not utilized as a water source, the city may experience a shortage of water during our peak usage period, which is typically in the summer months.”

But as the pressure mounts to find another water source for Milton, some council members were adamant about Milton keeping control over its own water utility.

“What’s the urgency? We are not running out of water,” said Councilmember Maggie Drotz. “We ought to go ahead and find the means to develop and treat the well we have for now. I don’t want to give our water district away. It would be a tragedy.”

The total cost of treating the well for the iron and manganese contamination is approximately $500,000. Council members gasped at the possible price tag, but Neal assured them there could be many upcoming opportunities to apply for assistance through grants from state and federal agencies.

“I think the city actually has a really good shot,” Neal said.

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