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Fall 2011 NewsletterWelcome to Vista Vu Water Users Association's newsletter. Our purpose is to keep you informed about important activities and projects that your Board of Trustees is undertaking on your behalf. Domestic System Expansion Completed
On October 12th, a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) connected to our new domestic well pump was turned on. This act marked the completion of a major domestic system upgrade that began three years ago. Mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, we were required to install an arsenic removal system in the domestic pump-house. Our arsenic readings had been acceptable until the threshold for human health concerns was lowered to 10 parts per billion (ppb) from the previous limit of 50 ppb. We also doubled our storage capacity with two above-ground 10,000 gallon tanks to permit additional hook-ups on Jack Crane's house lots on Engh Road and other legal subdivision of large lots. Since most of our pumping equipment was nearing the end of its useful life, we included a new domestic well pump and motor in the project. The wisdom of this decision became clear when our old well-pump motor burned out on August 16th. When we examined the failed unit that had been in place for twenty-five years, the corrosion was so bad that the motor was hanging on by only a couple of threads and was ready to fall down the well! We have also replaced the old single domestic booster pump and motor in the domestic pump-house with a new dual unit running on its own internal VFD. Your Board has nothing but praise for our prime contractor, Shannon Industrial Contractors, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. They were easy to work with and did first class work. Their bid was lower than we had expected and tasks that had been placed on hold due to budget limitations were included in a change order late in the project. As a result we have had Shannon install meters every parcel except Vanderstoep, Harrison, Stenberg and Elsbree properties. These will be located in one concrete tile and work completed by volunteers when the ground thaws in the Spring of 2012. Marsh will install his own and Shove's meters. Oestreich and Truitt are on one meter because we could not locate where Oestreich's line splits off. His meter has been purchased and will need to be installed when he can locate his line. Old corroded shut-off valves were removed as the pit-set meter boxes have their own lockable internal valves. With the exception of some unforseen electrical work, all the contracted work was paid out of our Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan. At an interest rate of 1% on a 20-year loan this is very cheap money. But it must be paid back out of our operating budget, hook-up fees and, perhaps, water sales (see below). The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and related equipment to control the main irrigation pump have been functioning as designed through our 2011 irrigation season, now coming to a close. The reduction in the work-load and levels of frustration among the volunteer Board members who manage the irrigation system has been huge. Instead of running back and forth to the river several times a day to manually adjust pressure as owners turn their lines on and off, we turn the pumps on at the start of each set and ignore them until it's time to turn them off. Last November the State Supreme Court handed down an Opinion in Lummi Nation v. State of Washington that affects us in
a beneficial way. Small water systems like ours with 15 or more
connections will be able to distribute water anywhere within their
service areas just as a municipality can. We will no longer be limited
to just 25 connections, nor restricted as to where they may be
installed. Further, we will be able to lease or sell domestic water to
downstream users for either replacement of interruptible supplies or for
project mitigation. Our ground-water right is no longer subject to relinquishment for non-use of water. This year, more so than for many years, the burdens of managing and upgrading your water systems have fallen on just a few shoulders. The administrative load quadrupled as a consequence of the bidding, contract management and flood of paperwork required by State agencies; and this was on top of your Treasurer's regular work-load of budgeting, billing, banking, book-keeping and chasing down overdue water payments. To Roscoe Howard for his helpful ideas and welding skills. He solved a vexing problem when starting the river pumps and was always there with good technical advice when we needed it. Roscoe also took his turns starting the pumps. Volunteers are needed this Friday, October 14th, to help remove the raft and pumps from the river. Work starts at 8:00 a.m. The boom truck is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. We should be finished before noon. For further information contact: Stu
Skidmore, President; Doug Marsh, Vice President;
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