Water situation
Note: the following section was written by Derek Pell, a member of our Water Resources
Committee and an expert in small water systems like our own.
Spring in Pine Forest brings wildflowers and greenery. Patterson Lake is full and the rivers
are wide. The Valley is lush thanks to the melting snow on the peaks above. We all know that
this doesn't last long. As high elevation snow disappears and the temperature climbs, the
Valley dries out and the roads get dusty.
As a community, we rely on our water system to meet our expectations; expectations that there
will always be enough water and that it will be fairly distributed. This past year, our Pine
Forest Board of Directors assembled a Water Committee to help better understand our water
system's capacity and to begin a discussion on how best to fairly distribute the water.
It's really all about supply and demand. How much water is there? When do we need the water?
How much are we willing to spend to meet our collective expectations?
How much water is there (supply)? To answer this question, we need to consider three
parameters. First, our legal right (Department of Ecology water right) to use the water -
we have sufficient water to serve all lots in Pine Forest provided that we use the water
wisely. Second, the amount of water available in the local aquifer - preliminary tests
suggest that the aquifer is able to provide all the water that is granted in our water
right certificate provided that we withdraw the water wisely. Third, our ability to draw
the water from the ground and distribute it to lot owners - with current pumps and pipes,
we can meet our short-term needs provided that we use the water wisely; however, we need to
better understand our demand for water to meet the long-term need.
When do we need the water (demand)? This question has short-term and long-term components.
First, short-term - almost 90% of the homes constructed in Pine Forest are vacation properties (part-time use); the largest demand for water occurs on weekends and holidays when most of
the homes are occupied. Our Water Manager, Charle Segale, has reported dangerously low tank
levels in past summers - emphasizing the need to use water wisely. Second, long-term -
currently only 68 homes are built on a total of about 142 build able lots (48%). Additional
demands will be placed on our system as additional lots are built upon and as part-time users
become full-time residents. We do not have good data on our water demands. Currently, all
new home constructed in Pine Forest are required to install water meters. The Board is
considering installing meters on the remaining homes and developing a meter reading program
to better define our water system demands.
How much are we willing to spend to meet our collective expectations? This is the proverbial
million dollar question. One can state with confidence that most folks want to spend as
little as it takes to meet their water quantity and quality expectations. However, there are
probably as many different expectations about our water system as there are homes connected
to the system. Our challenge is to find a balance between our collective expectations and
our willingness to pay what it takes to meet them.
Significant work has been completed on the water system in the past year. Last summer's
water main replacement consisted of replacing the pipe in Summer Road and helped reduce the
amount of water lost to leakage in that area. In addition, two new wells were drilled in the
north well field to make up for the declining capacity in the existing wells. There is still
much work to be done to replace the remaining portions of sub-standard water mains initially
installed in the development and determine necessary improvements needed to assure a safe and
reliable drinking water supply for all lots in the Pine Forest development. The Board is
submitting an application for a long-term, low interest State loan to complete the water main
replacement and make other distribution system improvements (including meters for the existing
unmetered homes).
In short, our water supply appears to be sufficient for our immediate needs and moderate
short-term growth if we use water wisely. The Water Committee is collecting information to
assist the Board in developing a long-term water supply strategy. Please join members of the
Water Committee for a question and answer session following the May 29th annual Pine Forest
meeting at Sun Mountain Lodge.
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