Reclaimed water in Sammamish Valley to benefit community

A new reclaimed water permit reminds us to use the right water for the right use

All water on earth is recycled, thanks to nature. Several sewage treatment plants in Washington are using their own process, instead of nature’s, to produce high-quality reclaimed water suitable for local use. Although reclaimed water has been around in Washington for more than 20 years, Ecology issued the state’s first administrative rule last year – the Reclaimed Water Rule (WAC 173-219). All new and reissued permits now follow our new requirements.

Reclaimed — or recycled — water starts out as domestic wastewater, but is then highly-treated through systems designed to produce water that is safe for many beneficial uses. King County’s Brightwater treatment plant is designed to be the largest reclaimed water producer in the state. Brightwater will receive one of the first new permits issued under the new reclaimed water rule and will be effective on May 1, 2019. The permit renews authority we granted to King County in 2011 to produce, distribute, and use reclaimed water. It also adds requirements based on the new rule. King County supplies reclaimed water from the Brightwater treatment plant for landscape irrigation at the Brightwater Education Center, at a golf course, a soccer complex, and a tree farm in the Sammamish valley. Water is also supplied for toilet flushing at the Brightwater Education Center. 

The Brightwater facility serves 67 square miles, stretching from the north end of Lake Sammamish to the City of Mill Creek in Snohomish County. The facility treats sewage from about 205,000 residents as well as wastewater from local businesses and factories. This relatively new facility was built to help with the population growth in the area and to help prevent overflow into Lake Washington.

 

Many facilities are using reclaimed water to meet community water needs

In late December 2018, we reissued a permit under the new rule to the Holmes Harbor Sewer District. This small facility outside of Freeland on Whidbey Island exclusively produces reclaimed water to use for irrigation of the Holmes Harbor Golf Course. During the winter, when the golf course does not need the water, the facility stores the reclaimed water in large lagoons until the summer.   

We currently have 29 facilities across the state producing reclaimed water (see map below) for a variety of irrigation uses, groundwater recharge, and other environmental benefits such as wetland enhancement. Over the next year we will work on renewing the permits for more than half of those facilities. Also, several other communities across the state are looking at adding reclaimed water as one of their tools meet their long-term water needs.

Reclaimed Water Rule first anniversary

After an extensive public process that started in 2006, we finalized the Reclaimed Water Rule in early 2018. This collaborative effort with the State Department of Health (Health) relied on many important partners across the state, including existing reclaimed water producers, tribal representatives, water utility representatives, consultants from engineering and other technical areas, and interested residents. After finalizing the rule, we worked with many of the same partners to complete our guidance manual for reclaimed water facilities – a document we call the Purple Book. 

We work with Heath to protect public health and the environment as we implement the new rule. We work together in reviewing proposals for new reclaimed water projects and in the development of permits for new and existing facilities. Safeguards in the new rule and in the reclaimed water permits are designed to match the water quality requirements with the planned uses. This ensures that water used in public areas is safe for public contact, while allowing use of lower quality water in areas with restricted access. The safeguards also protect drinking water sources by preventing cross-connections for reclaimed water to mix with drinking water supplies.

How is reclaimed water treated so it is safe?

Modern sewage treatment plants do a good job at removing most of the stuff people flush down a toilet or send to a sewer system. They typically remove more than 85% of the solids and biodegradable pollutants that enter the facility and disinfect the water to kill most pathogens. While the treated wastewater is generally safe to discharge and meets appropriate water quality standards, it is not necessarily safe to reuse, especially in areas with direct public contact.

Reclaimed water facilities take the treated domestic wastewater and apply higher levels of treatment to remove more solids and destroy more pathogens. The highest class of reclaimed water – Class A – is processed through filtration systems to remove nearly all solids and disinfected to a level that removes 99.99% of the viruses that may be in treated domestic wastewater. The high level of treatment is enough to turn what was once a wastewater into something that is no longer a waste – it is now a valuable resource ready for a beneficial use.

Brightwater Treatment Plant uses a process called a
Membrane Bioreactor or MBR to produce
Class A reclaimed water.

Reclaimed water treatment processes may differ across the state but there are two common types of treatment – filtration through sand or filter fabrics and filtration using membranes. These systems are followed by disinfection using intense ultraviolet light or chlorine. King County’s Brightwater Treatment Plant uses a process called a Membrane Bioreactor or MBR to produce Class A reclaimed water. This process combines typical treatment processes for a modern sewage treatment plant with an ultrafine membrane to produce water that is free of most pollutants.

By using the right water for the right use, reclaimed water is one way that Washington can help preserve our water supplies. If you are interested in receiving updates on reclaimed water in Washington, sign up for our listserv.

Visit King County’s reclaimed water website for more information on their facilities. 

Watching the water supply

Hot, dry conditions put pressure on water supplies

Campbell Creek, the water supply for the community of Ryderwood, is a 

trickle due to a major lack of precipitation in Cowlitz County. Read more

on our statewide conditions webpage. Photo courtesy of Washington State
Department of Health. 

The fall rains can’t come soon enough.

Months of unusually warm and dry weather continue to put pressure on the state’s rivers and streams. Although some areas saw sprinkles earlier this month, rivers across the state continue to recede. In some cases, rivers are hitting new record lows. The Naselle River in southwestern Washington established a new historic low flow when it dropped to 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) this week. That’s roughly half of its normal flow of 37 cfs.

High temps in August

Although wildfire smoke moderated the heat a bit, the average daily temperature during the first half of August was about 3 degrees above normal. This contributed to more days above 90 degrees than usual. The Vancouver airport hit 90 degrees or hotter on 28 days this summer. That’s more than Spokane, which broke 90 degrees on 23 days. The average over the previous 20 years for Vancouver is 11 days. For Spokane, about 19.

Thankfully, this summer, we aren't expecting an official water supply drought emergency to be declared. It's been hot and dry, but water supplies so far haven't met the statutory threshold. Under state law, a drought emergency is defined by a two-prong test:

·          An area has or is expected to receive 75 percent or less of normal supplies AND

·          Undue hardships are likely to occur as a result. 

Official drought declarations provide us flexibility to authorize emergency wells and water withdrawals.

Tracking impacts

We’re working with other state agencies to track impacts from the warm and dry conditions.

The Department of Health tells us that multiple drinking water systems in western Washington have taken measures to reduce demand. Actions range from requesting voluntary or mandatory conservation (e.g., lawn watering restrictions) to more serious measures like hauling water.

Larger municipalities like Seattle and Tacoma say their water supplies should be fine for the season.

For fish, warm water temperatures can block migration. Emergency fishing closures are in effect on parts of the Columbia River to protect fish trying to find refuge in cooler water, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

We are continuing to regulate water users in some parts of the state to protect senior water rights and adopted instream flows. Curtailment notices or orders have been issued in the Chehalis, Walla Walla, Methow, Similkameen, Wenatchee, and Skagit watersheds.

Read about more impacts on our water supply conditions webpage. We update it weekly.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, communications manager

Ecology seeks comments on draft permits for municipal stormwater

Stormwater runoff is a leading pollution threat to lakes, rivers, streams and marine water bodies in urban areas of Washington State. As rain and snowmelt runs off rooftops, paved streets, highways, and parking lots, it increases in speed and volume, and can pick up pollution such as oil, fertilizers, pesticides, soil, trash, and animal manure. These pollutants are carried into local bodies of water, where they can impact water quality and habitat.

Under federal and state laws, the Department of Ecology issues permits to control harmful runoff pollution that can affect rivers, lakes, and groundwater across the state. The most-populated cities and counties have stormwater permits aimed at reducing stormwater pollution at its source, treating it, and controlling volume and flow, so cleaner water goes into our creeks, lakes, groundwater and Puget Sound.

You can submit comments on the draft permits from Aug. 15 through Nov. 14, 2018. Find all draft permits, supporting documents, and information on how to submit comments on our reissuance webpage.

Three stormwater permits

Municipal stormwater permits are divided into three categories: Phase I, Western Washington Phase II, and Eastern Washington Phase II. Permits are divided based on population and by geography. We separate the Phase II permits into east and west because differences in climate and how the land absorbs water require different stormwater management measures. We review and update these permits every five years to add new science and clarify requirements.

What’s changing from the last versions?

Differences from the current permits include adding requirements for comprehensive stormwater planning and controlling sources of stormwater from existing businesses. We also refined language throughout to clarify: operations and maintenance, public education, controlling runoff for new and redevelopment, structural stormwater controls, and improving annual reporting. We also revised and added any new applicable Total Maximum Daily Load requirements.

Listening to stakeholders throughout the process 

We’ve gotten feedback from many stakeholders throughout this update process. In 2016, permittees, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties organized a series of committee meetings to develop recommendations for permit revisions prior to starting the writing process.

From February to April 2017, we hosted listening sessions in both western and eastern Washington, and we gathered email and online comments with more specific input. We considered these comments as we developed the permit revisions.

In western Washington, we also provided an additional public review opportunity in the fall of 2017 with an informal public comment session on preliminary draft permit language for specific topics. This extra step in the public process provided valuable input from a wide range of interested parties. We considered those comments as we developed these draft permits.

How to comment

Now we’ve begun our formal comment period, and we invite comments on the formal draft documents from Aug. 15 through Nov. 14, 2018. You can find all three draft permits and supporting documents, as well as information on how to submit comments, on our reissuance webpage.

We will also be holding a series of workshops and public hearings. Information on workshops and public hearings can be found on our public events page.

Once we end the comment period, we will review and respond to comments. Our response to comments will be included in the final permit documents. We intend to reissue the final permits July 1, 2019.

Watching the water supply

Snow is piling up at Paradise on Mt. Rainier. Photo: National Park Service webcam

This blog post is part of an ongoing series about water supply. Please click here to read the previous post. If you want to learn more, visit our Washington water supply information page.

It’s a new year and a good time to check in on our statewide water supply. Winter usually puts less pressure on our water supply because of reduced demand for water in homes and less agricultural irrigation. But communities and farms are already starting to plan for the drier and warmer months -- and experts are watching the conditions closely.

Looking back at 2016

For Washington state as a whole, 2016 was a slightly warmer, wetter-than-normal year. Temperature-wise, the state was 1 to 2 degrees warmer than average annually, and March through May tied 1992 for record warmth.

The balmy spring caused our snowpack to melt at record rates. In early April, the state snowpack was slightly above normal. By late May, it was less than 50 percent of normal. This raised some concern that water supplies might be pinched later in the summer, but a switch to wetter conditions and more moderate temperatures in June and July made things manageable. Still, there were some watersheds in southwest Washington where dry conditions caused total runoff during the spring and summer to be even lower than 2015 – a drought year.

This fall, the warmth returned along with long stretches of rainy days. Averaged statewide, October and November were the second-warmest on record (3.3 degrees above normal) and wettest on record (6.61 inches above normal). The pattern changed in December, though, when cooler, drier weather swept in. Most of the state was chilly – with many areas a few degrees below normal – for the first few weeks of the month.

Status of our supplies

We’re starting 2017 with good snowpack. Let’s take a closer look at water supply as of Jan. 5 and forecasts for the future:

The sun peeks out over a snowy scene on Hurricane Ridge. 

The Olympic Mountains have 126 percent of normal snowpack
for this time of year. Photo: National Park Service webcam

Weather and outlook | Looking ahead, state climatologists are expecting La Niña conditions (cool and wet) to shape our regional climate, but there’s a good chance we’ll switch into neutral conditions (neither La Niña nor El Niño) later this winter. Forecast models aren’t clear on temperature heading into spring, but they are predicting wetter-than-normal weather. Beyond spring, the forecast models aren’t saying much.

Mountain snowpack | Mountain snow is critical because it serves as a reservoir during spring and summer, gradually melting and feeding rivers and streams. Our mountain snowpack got a late start this year but is currently looking good. The lower Columbia, central Puget Sound and Olympic regions, in particular, are doing great with more than 125 percent of normal snowpack for this time of year. The mountains near Spokane are somewhat behind schedule, but they’re still looking decent with 77 percent of normal snowpack.

Rivers and streams | Experts are seeing typical conditions for our state’s rivers and streams. Daily streamflows are mostly in the normal range. Flows are dropping below normal during cold snaps, when snowmelt stops.

Agriculture | The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reports that storage levels at the five reservoirs in the Yakima River basin, a major agricultural center, are at 107 percent of normal. Precipitation from October to the end of December is about 94 percent of normal in the Yakima region.

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies in our state’s big cities are in good shape. At the beginning of September, Everett’s water storage was 110 percent of normal for that time of year. Seattle’s combined reservoir storage is also above normal for this time of year. Tacoma reports that both precipitation and snowpack levels are above normal at the Lynn Lake monitoring site near the Howard Hanson Reservoir.

How you can help

We all have a role to play in conserving water, even in winter! Here one way you can make a difference:

• Insulate outdoor spigots to prevent them from freezing and bursting. If you have an outdoor garden hose, remove and drain it. This video from the Saving Water Partnership has more information.

For more tips, visit our water conservation page.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

Watching the water supply

This blog post is part of an ongoing series about water supply conditions. Please click here to read the previous post. If you want to learn more, visit our Washington water supply information page.

Have we seen the last of summer’s high temperatures? The arrival of more moderate weather may feel like fall for many of us across the state. As we begin to transition into the next season, let’s check in on our statewide water supply conditions.

Status of our supplies

Weather impacts | Cooler and wetter weather is on the way. Over the next 10 days, Washington will receive much-needed rain. While the amount may be modest, it will help our rivers and streams rebuild to higher levels while lowering water temperatures.

The Walla Walla River in southeast Washington ran low in

August. 

Rivers and streams | This is the time of year when rivers and streams are at their lowest levels. The snowpack is long gone and rain has been infrequent, so rivers and streams are relying on groundwater. Currently, about 48 percent of our streams and rivers are at below-average levels compared to historical flows. Most of these are in the western half the state, though southeast Washington also has a number of low rivers. These dry areas have gone without their usual share of precipitation since early spring.

Last year, we experienced a record-setting drought that resulted in 70 to 80 percent of our rivers being below-average for most of the summer. But in mid- and late August, the weather turned cooler and thunderstorms rolled across the state, dropping the percent of rivers flowing at below-average conditions to 40 percent. Compared to last summer at the end of August, our rivers are actually faring worse because we haven’t had those big storms yet.

Agriculture | Most of Washington’s agricultural areas experienced a dry and hot August. Crops are doing well for the most part, but farm ponds and reservoirs are getting low. The large federal reservoirs used for irrigation in the Yakima River Basin are at about normal levels, which is good for farms and fish. Farmers in the Yakima region holding junior water rights are receiving 94 percent of a full water supply. Senior users have 100 percent.

Bull trout in Bumping Lake, a reservoir in Yakima County,

are heading up tributaries to spawn. Photo: WDFW

Fish | Low flow levels in rivers and streams can be tough for fish, but cooler overnight temperatures are helping. In the Puget Sound area, streams are averaging 1 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than in 2015. To the north, the South Fork Nooksack River is about the same temperature as last year. The Chehalis River and nearby southwest Washington streams are running very low compared to normal. Good news can be found in the Upper Yakima and Naches river basins, where bull trout have started moving out of Bumping Lake and into streams to spawn. That’s encouraging after what happened last summer, when low lake levels prevented the fish from moving into Deep Creek, an important bull trout stronghold.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to watch for recreational rock dams that might impede upstream adult salmon passage.

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies are doing well. Seattle, Everett and Tacoma report normal or above-average water supplies.

How you can help

We all have a role to play in conserving water. Here are two ways you can make a difference:

• When washing your hands, turn off the water while you lather up.
• Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket. Even better, use a leak-free, high-efficiency toilet. Toilets are by far the main source of water use in our homes – they account for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption.

For more tips, visit our water conservation page.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

Watching the water supply

This blog post is part of an ongoing series about water supply conditions. Please click here to read the previous post. If you want to learn more, visit our Washington water supply information page.

Goodbye hoodies, hello flip-flops – summer temperatures are here! Despite the heat, our water supplies continue to be in good shape statewide. We can thank the recent cool, wet “Jultober” conditions for reducing water demand and improving water supplies. Those moderate conditions felt much different from last summer, when we were in a statewide drought emergency.

Status of our supplies

Weather impacts | If late June and early July felt cooler than usual to you, you’re not wrong. Average temperatures for the last month were within 2 degrees of average statewide, with most of the state being below average. Things changed late last week when the heat set in, especially on the east side. Yakima hit 102 on Monday, tying the record high for that day. Looking ahead, the weather is expected to cool off a bit in the coming days.

Precipitation amounts have been varied, depending on the region. Over the past 30 days, the north Olympic Peninsula has been drier than average while the eastern slope of the Cascades and southeast Washington have been wetter than average. Record daily rainfalls were recorded recently in Seattle, Kennewick and near Walla Walla. Flash flooding even caused some road closures in Chelan and Douglas counties.

Rivers and streams | As of today, 28 percent of rivers are below normal. Our rivers, in an aggregated sense, are just shy of normal flows. That said, in a few rivers – about 7 percent – flows are much lower than average or are at record low conditions.

Agriculture | The Yakima River Basin, our drought bellwether, continues to have a good water supply. Junior water users are being prorated to 90 percent of full supply. Last year, it was 46 percent. Summer storms have helped rivers in some areas, especially on the east side, and reduced the need for continual irrigation.

A bull trout navigates an upper tributary of the 

Yakima River. Photo: William Meyers/WDFW

Fish | Our fish are doing alright, despite some areas of high water temperatures. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is monitoring conditions closely and may take action to protect vulnerable fish populations. Visit their website to learn more. Overall, the toughest part of the year for fish was spring, but this summer so far is better than last year.

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies in Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are in good shape.

What’s next

The Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) will hold its monthly meeting on Aug. 11. This committee is a team of experts from state and national agencies who review data and discuss potential water shortages. If conditions warrant, this committee can convene the Executive Water Emergency Committee (EWEC), which is made of state agency leaders with a stake in water supplies. These leaders assess findings from WSAC and determine whether water users in affected areas will likely incur undue hardships. EWEC can recommend the governor consider an emergency drought declaration.

How you can help

It’s easy to make water conservation part of your daily routine. Here are two tips that will save water and money:

• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level/load size selection on the washing machine.
• Want a nice, cold glass of water? Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.

For more tips, visit our water conservation page.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

Watching the water supply

This blog post is part of an ongoing series about water supply conditions. Please click here to read the previous post. If you want to learn more, visit our Washington water supply information page.

Did you grab a jacket or sweater while celebrating the Fourth of July? The weather felt different from last year for lots of folks across the state. Our water supply situation is different, too.

In summer 2015, we were in the midst of a drought emergency. This winter, plenty of snow and rain helped reduce impacts from the drought, but a hot and dry spring concerned experts. Luckily, the recent run of normal-ish temperatures and precipitation have improved our statewide water supplies.

Status of our supplies

Here’s the latest on our water supply conditions as of July 6:

Weather impacts | Over the past two weeks, precipitation has been about normal statewide – within 1.5 inches of average. But the coast and northeast parts of the state, already dry from spring, have stayed on the below-average side.

Average statewide temperatures for the past 14 days have stayed within 0 to 4 degrees above normal. Water use is declining due to more moderate temperatures compared to last month. In Seattle, the city’s public utility reports that daily demand is down nearly 50 million gallons per day from last year.

This USGS map compares current (July 6) and historical stream flows in
Washington. Click here to see more.

Rivers and streams | Rivers are naturally at their lowest flows during summer, but our rivers are experiencing – and will continue to experience – the effect of drier-than-normal spring weather and rapid snowpack melt. Statewide, about 58 percent of rivers are below average. This is an improvement over the beginning of June, when 77 percent were below average. (This doesn’t mean river flows are getting higher. Rather, compared to the same time of year for the period of record, we are closer to average now than we were in early June.) Looking back, 79 percent of our rivers were below normal last year around this time.

 

Agriculture | The Bureau of Reclamation manages several large reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin, an important agricultural center, and releases forecasts of how much water farmers can expect from those reservoirs. Currently, the areas with junior water rights are expecting 86 percent. Last year, they were at 47 percent. Senior water right holders are expecting a full forecast.

Managers of sockeye salmon fisheries are closely watching water
temperatures. Photo: William Meyers/WDFW

Fish | River temperatures are on the rise, but we’re still better off than last year, when sockeye salmon and sturgeon mortalities were being reported. This year, enough sockeye have entered the Columbia River and migrated upstream from McNary Dam for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to open sockeye fisheries. Due to the debilitating losses of almost all spawning sockeye in the Okanogan River in 2015, fisheries managers are proceeding conservatively until it’s confirmed enough spawning fish make it into the Wenatchee and Okanogan rivers. As the run progresses upriver, sockeye seasons above Priest Rapids Dam are likely as long as water temperatures stay cool. Anglers should visit WDFW's website for more information.  

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies are not currently projected to be affected by shortages. Contact your local municipal water system to learn more.

What’s next

Tomorrow, the Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) will hold its monthly meeting. This committee is a team of experts from state and national agencies who review data and discuss potential water shortages. If conditions warrant, this committee can convene the Executive Water Emergency Committee (EWEC), which is made of state agency leaders with a stake in water supplies. These leaders assess findings from WSAC and determine whether water users in affected areas will likely incur undue hardships. EWEC can recommend the governor consider an emergency drought declaration.

How you can help

Outdoor water use accounts for nearly a third of daily water use by U.S. households. You can conserve water – and save money – by making a few tweaks to your outdoor routine:

• Purchase an inexpensive hose timer to avoid over-watering. Soaker hoses are also a great option for avoiding evaporation.
• Use a broom or electric blower to clean driveways and sidewalks, rather than hosing them off.

For more tips, visit our water conservation page. 

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

Watching the water supply

As the recent cool-down gives way to warmer, drier summer weather, we are closely monitoring our water supplies. Last year, a lack of snowpack and spring rain led to a drought that had statewide impacts. This year, our water supplies are currently stronger across the state but we’re watching areas of concern.

There are two groups that keep close tabs on our state’s water supply. The Water Supply Availability Committee (WSAC) is a team of experts from state and national agencies who meet monthly to review data and discuss potential water shortages. If challenging conditions are identified or projected, they will bring the information to the Executive Water Emergency Committee (EWEC). This committee is made of state agency leaders with a stake in water supplies (Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health, Natural Resources, Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, etc.). These leaders assess findings from WSAC and determine whether water users within affected areas will likely incur undue hardships.

At its meeting in early June, EWEC did not issue an emergency drought recommendation to the governor, which they did in 2015. The group discussed areas of concern and will continue to monitor water supplies. They will meet again should conditions change.

To help keep you informed, we’ll be sharing regular water supply updates on this blog. (Click here to read an earlier post on this topic.)

Status of our supplies

Here’s a look at water supply conditions as of June 17:

Paradise on Mt. Rainier received a few inches of snow
this week (June 7 top; June 14 below), but most mountain
snowpack monitoring  stations are currently snow-free.
Photos: National Park  Service webcam

Weather impacts | Cooler, wetter weather helped improve river flows in on the west side of the state where spring rains were in short supply this year. Today, about 56 percent of stream gauges are at below-normal levels. A couple weeks ago, about 75 percent of our gauges were below normal. The eastern side of the state did not benefit as much from rain. Rivers fed by melting snow (the Methow, Wenatchee and Okanogan rivers, for example) were running high due to early melt but are now below normal. While snow fell at higher elevations this week, most of our snowpack monitoring stations are currently snow-free.

Agriculture | The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manages several large reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin, an important agricultural center, to help farmers irrigate through the dry summer months. As of Saturday, the Bureau began releasing water – about a week earlier than average – from the reservoirs to downstream irrigators. Last year, this action began in mid-April. The Yakima reservoirs are fuller this year – at 98 percent capacity.

Drinking water | Drinking water supplies are in good shape and aren’t currently projected to be affected by shortages. Contact your local municipal water system for information specific to your community.

Cle Elum Lake is a reservoir managed by the U.S. Bureau 

of Reclamation.  

More information | Visit our Washington water supply information page to read about streamflow, snowpack, precipitation, forecasts and more. 

Focus on fish

Fishery populations across the state face challenges again this year. Low flows in some streams and rivers are stressing migrating juvenile salmon, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery teams are already responding to warm water conditions. Water temperatures in the Columbia River are higher than average, even exceeding 2015 temperatures on some days earlier this spring. WDFW staff remain on alert for low-flow fish migration blockages and high water temperatures as we move into July.

How you can help

Water is a shared resource and we all have a responsibility to protect it. Here are two easy water conservation tips you can use at home:

• About 30 percent of our water use across the state goes to outdoor watering. When planting your landscape, consider drought-tolerant native plants and check to see a plant’s watering needs before you schedule your sprinklers.

• You can significantly reduce water use by simply repairing leaks in fixtures (faucets and showerheads), pipes and toilets. A leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. That would be like flushing your toilet more than 50 times for no reason!

Check out this page for more tips.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

Water supplies in better shape than last year

Lack of rain creating challenges in some parts of state

With summer around the corner and memories of last year’s drought still fresh, many people are curious about the state’s water supply. The good news is we are currently in better shape than last year, but we are closely monitoring parts of our state that are already experiencing challenging conditions.

Remember that spell of what felt like summer weather in April? Those record-warm temperatures led to record melting of our snowpack in the mountains. And we rely on that snowpack to feed many of our rivers and streams.

Snowpack takes a hit

Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains
Photo: National Park Service webcam

On April 1, the state’s snowpack was 111 percent of average! But today it’s 46 percent of average. Compare that to this time last year, when our snowpack was a measly 8 percent of average. We’ve lost a lot of snow the past two months, but we’re still in much better shape than we were at this time last year.

 “This winter, we had good snowpack overall and outstanding snowpack in north and central Washington. Then we lost – and are losing – that snowpack,” said Jeff Marti, environmental planner for the Dept. of Ecology Water Resources Program. “A number of the lower-elevation areas have melted completely. For example, data from the Walla Walla area is showing that it’s melted completely, which is the first area of state to melt. This area does usually melt sooner than other basins, but it’s a couple weeks earlier this year.”

It’s lack of precipitation

Some parts of our state, especially southwest Washington and the Olympic Peninsula, are experiencing dry conditions and rain-fed streams are being affected. Currently, 62 percent of stream gauges in state rivers are flowing at below-normal levels, mostly on the west side. The city of Forks, usually reliably rainy, is experiencing a 10-inch deficit of precipitation since April 1.

“Last year, we started with a snowpack drought and the watersheds dependent on snow were hurting. Then, in the spring, we dried out and incurred a precipitation-deficit drought. This year, conditions are manifesting with lack of precipitation. So far, conditions on snowpack-fed rivers are OK, but that’s because of the strong snowmelt. Over the next few weeks, our snowmelt rivers will transition from above normal to below normal conditions. They’re going to get lower just like our rain-fed rivers currently are,” Marti said.

Monitoring water supply

We are closely monitoring the state’s water supply and working with people across the state to protect water. While irrigation may be affected as we move into summer, we don’t expect to see any drinking water shortages.

Looking ahead, we are convening water experts in early June to discuss the current supply and whether additional action is needed. Check back to learn about the outcomes of those meetings.

Learn more

To read more about Washington’s water supply conditions, visit our water supply information page.

By Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, Water Resources Program communications manager

End of the Drought? I think Not!

by Mark Guthrie, Landscape Water Conservation Program Manager, Seattle Public Utilities

In Washington, when it rains, it often pours! But that hasn’t happened yet, and the drought is not over. We’ve had some rain, but Seattle’s reservoirs have not refilled, and there are predictions that the fall, winter, and next spring may be warmer and drier than normal. So keep conserving water! Conservation is important— and not just for drinking water from our reservoirs, but also for healthy fish habitat. Now is the time of year when salmon return and need higher river levels and stream flows to spawn successfully.

Here are some tips to help you conserve water in your landscape this fall and winter:

Stop watering

As temperatures become cooler and the days shorter, plants enter the initial phase of dormancy when no water is needed. This is the time to adjust your irrigation system for the cooler seasons.

• Fix leaky sprinkler heads and broken nozzles.
• Turn off your automatic irrigation timer.
• Before it freezes, turn off the water supply to your irrigation system, drain water (if possible), and insulate above-ground pipes.
• Remove the cup or bowl of your irrigation system’s rain sensor and place a cover over the remaining rain sensor.

Weed and mulch

After your fall clean-up and weeding, add a 2–3 inch layer of mulch to the soil surface. Arborist wood chips work best around woody plants and trees, while fall leaves or compost should go around perennials. Mulch helps protect plant roots during freezing weather. Mulch also helps reduce water evaporation, blocks weeds, prevents erosion by winter rains and feeds the soil. If next spring is warm and dry, your mulching will be much appreciated!

Water young trees efficiently

We’re getting some rain, but not quite enough for our trees, especially after the record hot, dry summer. Young trees planted within the last 5 years should still be watered once per week. Save our water and our trees by watering efficiently with a 15 or 20 gallon water bag.

  

Questions?

Contact the Garden Hotline for free answers to your gardening questions!
(206) 633‑0224 or www.gardenhotline.org

Visit www.savingwater.org for more watering tips and lots of information about environmentally friendly lawn and garden care.

Can we afford to keep letting water go down the drain?

By Lynne Geller, Communication and Outreach, Water Resources Program

What’s easy, uncontroversial, saves money, gives you a good feeling and you can start doing today?

Stop wasting water.

Come on. There is no downside here. I know you don’t think wasting water is a good thing.

But you may think, “What difference can I make?” Of course, no one person can solve the daunting problem of growing demands on a finite resource. But this is a case of the power of collective impact: each of us making small changes results in big changes. 

So what can one person do? You may be surprised that a simple action like turning off the water when shaving or brushing your teeth can save up to 4 gallons a minute – or up to 200 gallons a week for a family of four! Multiply that by hundreds of thousands of households and we are talking a lot of water.

It’s all about using water wisely. No one is asking you to go without. Rather, it is all about using the water we have efficiently and avoid wasting it.

And watching your water bill go down is a wonderful additional benefit!

Simple, easy, no-fuss actions you can start today for good habits tomorrow

One great thing about conserving water is that no special equipment is needed. At first it is just a matter of remembering. Start by choosing just one or two small actions. Tape a reminder note on the bathroom mirror, near your kitchen sink, or wherever you want to start saving water. After you do these actions for a short while, they will begin to be habits. And then you won’t have to think about them at all. You’ll save water and money without giving it a thought. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Here are some easy things you can begin doing today:

• Keep your shower under 5 minutes and you’ll save up to 1,000 gallons a month. 
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Grab a wrench and fix a leaky faucet, and you can save 140 gallons a week. Household water leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons per year.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way every drop goes down you and not the drain.
• Drop tissues in the trash instead of flushing them. Toilets account for nearly 30 percent of water used in the home. Older models can use up to 6 gallons per flush; newer low-flow toilets use from 1.6 to 3.5 gallons. Putting trash in the wastebasket uses none. 

Don’t forget that outdoor water uses account for approximately 30 percent of total household water use. There are lots of easy things you can do to use less water outside. You can find dozens of tips on-line.

Every day is a good day to save water

You are hearing about the drought currently affecting parts of our state. Looking at the potential impact of limited water on homes, farms, businesses, and the environment is a sobering reminder that we can’t take water for granted. It is a precious resource – we can’t live without it. Conserving water is not just for water-short times. It’s important to do all year, every year.

No new water is being made. We still have the same amount of water as we did when dinosaurs wandered the Earth. And yet the demands on water continue to increase. Our state population is predicted to grow to 8.8 million by 2040, and there still needs to be enough water for fish, wildlife, and the environment. There can be enough water for all the many demands on it, now and into the future, if we choose to be water smart.

Learn more at Ecology’s Water Conservation page. Links to additional resources are included. 

Passing SUP, love and happiness on to our kids

Reflections of a stand up paddle board journey
By Linda Kent, communication manager, Southwest Region

As I listen to the flop-chop of water passing below my board I realize—this is happiness.

It’s my moment of Zen.

And I feel it every time I paddle out on Lake Tapps, standing atop Big Blue (aka my standup paddle board).

No two paddle outings are the same.

On summer days, I can smell the sunburn. The water’s smooth as glass. And I’m quietly happy.

More often, my fingers are so cold they burn, and I’m paddling hard into the wind to keep forward momentum. I’m still happy.

In a state of Zen, it’s easy to clear your mind and think. To ponder. To focus on what’s really important in life. I think about how I can preserve the things I love, the things that are important, and pass them on to my kids. Teaching them to paddle on the lake comes to mind, but it goes much deeper than that.

Protecting and preserving this little part of the earth that I connect with each and every chance I get—that’s the heart of it.

Be the change

There are hands-on things that I can teach my kids today. Ways we can be the change. Small things. Things that ultimately add up and make a big difference:

• We can wash our car on the grass instead of in the driveway because this ensures less pollution reaches the lake.
• We can choose not to drip and drive – fixing a leaky car means less oil and other automotive fluids wash into waterways (and it also saves money in the long run).
• We can make sure boat gas goes in the tank, not the lake.
• We can use weed killer and fertilizer in the right amounts – and at the right times. This not only helps protect fish and other critters, it lessens problems with algae.
• We can scoop pet poop -- when it rains, dog poop melts away and runoff carries it to waterways, storm drains, ditches and streams. It’s nice to have clean shoes, too.

The big picture

Then there’s the bigger picture – plans crafted to protect water-dependent uses like paddling and boating, not to mention the lake’s water quality and integrity into the future (which, as I see it, ultimately also protects property values). These shoreline master programs are crafted by cities and counties at local level and then reviewed by Ecology.

I know my kids won’t be all that interested in the planning process, but the end goal will ultimately matter to them, because they will be able to enjoy the lake into the future.

These may seem like strange things to think about as I dip my paddle into the water, but they matter.

Balance matters too – and not just the kind that keeps me on my board.

There’s more to this modern world than the environment. Nurturing growth in the economy and our communities, protecting property values and supporting all of the other things that help provide the security and success important to families like mine are just as essential as protecting our water, earth and air.

So my thoughts turn to teaching my children this: In today’s world, we can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment.

Innovative partnerships and working together to find solutions – these are the things that help us catch waves.

It may not always be an easy journey. It can get choppy as concerns arise, and it may be difficult to achieve balance at times. 

But with the old “economy versus environment” thinking (so very 1980), we risk paddling into a wind that pushes us backward. We risk losing our balance.

How we pass it on

So I want them to learn that how we preserve our environment, the way we work to protect our livelihoods -- these things are just as important as what we seek to achieve. This is how we find sustainable results.

As I ply my paddle and watch water curl past the nose of Big Blue, I hope to pass much more to my children than a moment of SUP-love and happiness.

Earth…pass it on.

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