Input wanted: Cleanup options for BNSF Railway Black Tank Property

From May 22 through June 22, we are gathering public comments on the cleanup methods we’re considering for the BNSF Railway Black Tank Property in the Hillyard neighborhood. BNSF and Marathon Oil Company are responsible for cleanup because of their past activities at the site.

The site housed an above-ground black tank that stored petroleum products, primarily the thick, heavy oil known as bunker C for fueling trains. The site also had an above-ground red tank that was used to store and transfer diesel. Areas of soil are contaminated, and a 7-acre plume of petroleum rests on groundwater 170 feet underground.

Cross-section showing petroleum contamination in soil and groundwater
(Courtesy of  ERM)

Excavation with offsite disposal or capping are proposed for contaminated shallow soil. Five groundwater cleanup options are under consideration: biodegradation, bioventing/biosparging, bioventing/biosparging and manual petroleum removal, bioventing/biosparging and steam-enhanced extraction, and smoldering combustion. Bioventing/biosparging is BNSF and Marathon's preferred cleanup option.

These cleanup methods are summarized in the fact sheet and fully described in the remedial investigation and feasibility study report.

When contamination intersects with a freeway

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is building the North Spokane Corridor (NSC) to connect US Highway 395 with Interstate 90 in Spokane. The Hillyard portion of the NSC is within the Black Tank cleanup site. Ecology, BNSF, Marathon, and WSDOT are working together to keep both projects running smoothly.

BNSF and Marathon have committed to a cleanup timeframe of less than 20 years, and WSDOT is planning freeway construction work to accommodate multi-purpose cleanup infrastructure so cleanup options will not be limited by the presence of the NSC.

Educating the public about the Black Tank site and soliciting your input are important steps in the cleanup process. We have been impressed by the outpouring of public interest, which gave us the opportunity to meet with the community about this cleanup site 17 times since late 2015! The cleanup and the freeway design have and will continue to benefit from meaningful public engagement.

It’s all about the life-giving aquifer

Our business is protecting people and the environment. The Spokane-Valley Rathdrum-Prairie Aquifer provides drinking water to nearly 500,000 residents in the Spokane area. Protecting this vital, sole source of drinking water is our top priority for this site. Not only do we care about your health and the environment, but we drink that water, too!

Because the contamination is a heavy oil, it is staying on top of groundwater with very little mixing occurring (imagine oil and vinegar dressing that isn’t shaken up). Because water wells are not located close to the site, drinking water is not affected by the contamination at this time, and we monitor it regularly.

Next steps

Please submit comments to Jeremy Schmidt online, by email, or mail (4601 N. Monroe, Spokane, 99205) by June 22. We will respond to the comments we receive.

Then we’ll use the data gathered thus far and your feedback to draft a cleanup plan. We will hold a public meeting during the comment period for that cleanup plan.

There is no easy answer, but working together, understanding one another’s values and constraints with a willingness to compromise, we will protect people and the environment, preserve our precious drinking water, and successfully build a freeway.

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.

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

New report compiles information about Washington’s groundwater health

A new report called the Washington Nitrate Prioritization Project identifies groundwater areas in our state that are most vulnerable to nitrate contamination.

Click on this story map to learn more.

It is not new information – but what’s new is that we have compiled it into one location. Previously the information could only be found by searching a number of sources.

Partner agencies sharing their data and helping with the project included the state Departments of Health and Agriculture, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Washington Conservation Commission. Our data came from our Environmental Information System.

What the report highlights

The report highlights areas in Washington that show the highest levels of nitrates in groundwater.

This matters because groundwater is a source of drinking water for many people. Safe, clean drinking water is important.

Cross-section of groundwater shows how it is vulnerable to pollution 

that occurs on the land surface. Image source: USGS

Nitrates in groundwater threaten public health. Pregnant women, infants and small children are most vulnerable. Nitrate-contaminated drinking water can harm the health of babies and lead to blue baby syndrome, which is a decreased ability of the blood to carry oxygen.

Even though we are not the state’s drinking water experts – that’s the Department of Health – we are experts in protecting water quality, and we are working on solutions to reduce and prevent groundwater pollution.

Where nitrates come from

Nitrates can get into groundwater from many sources, including fertilizers, manure on the land, and liquid waste discharged from septic tanks. Natural bacteria in soil can convert various forms of nitrogen into nitrate. Nitrates make a good fertilizer for plants, but when there is more fertilizer than plants can use, rain or irrigation water can carry nitrates down through the soil into groundwater.

Our state is seeing a rise in nitrate contamination in groundwater. Both public water supply wells and individual residential wells have been contaminated in some areas of the state. Among others, these include the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer in Whatcom County, the Lower Yakima Valley and the Columbia Basin. Millions of dollars have been spent to deal with nitrate contamination of groundwater.

Helpful information

 

The Washington Nitrate Prioritization Project consolidates existing nitrate level information in groundwater areas in Washington. Our goal is to help the public – as well as local and state health and government decision-makers – be better informed about risk. Having access to this data in one location supports our efforts to protect the problem areas.

Keeping an eye on our groundwater health is important because once aquifers are contaminated, it is difficult for them to recover.

Prevention is far cheaper than cleanup. Treatment can cost millions of dollars. Public drinking water systems spend tax dollars to install treatment systems that remove the water contamination. Private drinking water wells have fewer options. They must test and treat their own water to make sure it is safe to drink.

Ecology's Laurie Morgan, report author.

We hope everybody can help us protect groundwater, especially vulnerable groundwater that is shallow or already contaminated.

If you are interested in more details, we invite you to read the Department of Health Office of Drinking Water fact sheet Nitrate in Drinking Water and the Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units fact sheet Nitrates, Blue Baby Syndrome, and Drinking Water: A Factsheet for Families. And, you may visit our website.

Let us know what you think

If you have comments or questions, you may contact Laurie Morgan, the report’s author, at 360-407- 6483 or laurie.morgan@ecy.wa.gov.

By Sandy Howard, Water Quality 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

Lots of thoughtful feedback received as we update the CAFO permit

By Heather Bartlett, Water Quality Program Manager

We appreciate that so many citizens, producers, groups and organizations took a considerable amount of their time to give us thoughtful comments on the permit we’re updating for concentrated animal feeding operations, the CAFO permit.


Ecology listening session in Zillah in April 2015.

This permit covers animal feeding operations that confine large numbers of animals in a small area, creating lots of manure. CAFOs are one of many sources that pose a pollution risk to the health of our waters, our shellfish beaches, and the groundwater we drink.

Public input is essential in helping us update the permit with meaningful protection for water quality that is manageable for livestock producers to implement.

At the moment, the permit is a preliminary draft. This is a step we added to the process so that we could share our goals and initial thoughts and receive feedback before starting to write the permit.

CAFO permit is important to many
As you can imagine, this permit update is important to a lot of people. That’s why we’ve spent months meeting with livestock producers, dairies, businesses, environmental organizations and other stakeholders to learn what’s important to them and understand how they’d like to see the permit crafted.

Thousands of pages of comments
We received 91 letters signed by 168 people and groups, amounting to about 5,000 pages of comments and material. We’re reading through all of it, and will use it to inform our decisions as we develop the next permit draft.

We value the agriculture and dairy industries
One of our guiding principles throughout this process is believing that Washington’s agriculture and dairy industries are vitally important to our state. At the same time, we also believe that livestock, agriculture and clean water can co-exist and even thrive together.




Agriculture and dairy industries are vitally important to our state.

Working to avoid impacts on small dairies
We understand that dairies, especially small and medium-sized dairies, are under tremendous competitive pressure. The trend in the dairy industry has been toward fewer but larger dairies. As we update the permit, we are committed to doing what we can to mitigate the impact on small dairies.

Partnering with Department of Agriculture
Today, the Washington Department of Agriculture and Ecology both have roles in overseeing animal agriculture. Both agencies believe that the current regulatory framework should continue as it is, but that it can be improved for better water quality protections. The Department of Agriculture will continue to play an important role as we update the permit.

Concerns shared with us
Here is a sampling of concerns we received:

• Requiring a permit for all producers with unlined lagoons is not necessary or warranted. Others believe permits should be required for all medium and large CAFOs. 
• This permit should not be required unless the producer is proven to be causing pollution.
• The current dairy nutrient management program protects water quality. Others believe it does not protect waters. 
• The proposed permit is Ecology’s attempt to bring the regulation of dairies back under their control. 
• The proposed permit needlessly adds regulatory burdens for little or no environmental benefit. Others believe environmental protections in the proposed permit are inadequate and need to be made significantly more protective.

Responding to some of the concerns
We appreciate the opportunity during this stage of the permit process to hear, share and respond to concerns that we have received. Two areas we wanted to respond to directly are the role of a permit and the pace for changes at facilities when a new permit goes into effect.

1. Permit coverage does not automatically mean an operation is polluting. 
Comments we received through the preliminary draft suggest that some perceive coverage under a CAFO permit means they have polluted. Both state and federal law require a water quality discharge permit for a discharge that reaches water or groundwater. They are not required because pollution is happening.

Our preliminary draft permit concluded that unlined manure lagoons seep and that seepage results in discharges to groundwater. Having CAFO permit coverage feels new for livestock operations, but the requirement to have a permit due to a discharge to water is not unique. In fact, more than 6,000 industries in Washington have to have discharge permits.

2. Permit coverage would not require changes to manure lagoons.
Under our preliminary proposal, all operations with manure lagoons would need to obtain CAFO permit coverage. However, we are not requiring lagoons to be retrofitted with synthetic liners during the permit term. There are prudent reasons for operations to consider modernizing their manure lagoon liners, but that would be a decision for the producer.

We’ll incorporate your feedback as we update the draft permit
We are still receiving comments, but we already know we have more work to do in a few areas, including:

• When and why a CAFO permit is required
• Addressing rainfall differences between eastern and western Washington
• Manure and soil sampling requirements
• Manure application restrictions and buffers

We are keeping an open mind 
The comments we received raised a lot of great questions and points. We are keeping an open mind as we update the permit. There will be another public comment period on a draft permit in the coming months. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with all who are touched by this permit.

We invite you to visit our website to see all of the comments we received.

Drought in the City

by Lindsey Desmul, Drought Response Specialist, Northwest Regional Office

While summer is drawing to a close and the crisp, cool weather of fall is returning, we are still in the midst of the worst drought in state history. Because of the large storage areas and conservation measures taken by municipal water suppliers, it can seem like cities have an endless supply of water. The ability to turn on the tap and magically have water is a modern-day miracle most of us take for granted. But customers can feel disconnected from their water source, and this can make it hard to understand the difficulties our state is facing during this record-setting drought.

Cities such as Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma are still calling for a 10% reduction in water usage from its customers, and Seattle residents are setting a great example. They have taken the city’s call for conservation seriously and reduced water consumption to levels below average. The graph (at the end of this blog) shows Seattle’s average 7-day water consumption as of September 8 and historically.

But we all need to do more to conserve water.

Why conserve municipal water?

Did you know that only 1 percent of earth’s water supply is drinkable?

In Washington, where we are surrounded by large rivers fed by glacial ice and snow melt, water seems abundant. However, our warmer and drier winter led to a severe lack of snow melt going into rivers. Just weeks ago the entire state was classified as being in a “severe drought.”

This has impacted our state in many ways, such as limiting recreational opportunities like fishing and skiing. This not only reduces our fun but affects our state economy. More than 1 million people go fishing in Washington each year, bringing in a total of $1.1 billion annually from sport fishing alone. Likewise, winter tourism added $348 million to the state’s economy in 2009/2010, employing more than 6,000 people.

The drought is also decreasing our hydroelectric capabilities. Currently, hydroelectricity accounts for more than 60 percent of Washington’s power source! If the drought continues, dirtier and more expensive fossil-fuels will have to be used, increasing pollution (especially in larger cities) and costing each energy customer more money. Higher prices for dirtier fuel? No thanks!

In places like Everett, where Spada Lake is already showing impacts of this year’s drought, the growing stress may put municipal supplies in danger if the drought continues into next summer. Shallow domestic wells have begun to go dry in locations such as the Yakima Valley and the Startup Water District, and populations in these and other smaller communities may need to begin purchasing water from a municipal supply.

In Seattle, the municipal water system relies on water from the Cedar and Tolt River reservoirs. If we continue to experience low snowpack years, the water flowing into the reservoirs is expected to decline by 6 percent per decade during the hot summer months. That decline will be magnified by the city’s population growth, which is currently the highest it’s been since the Gold Rush! How much water is available in the municipal supply depends largely on the customers themselves and the conservation measures taken.

Start conserving water now for the future

People use more water in the summer season when gardens and grass are thirsty, but this is also the time when water conservation is most important. Outdoor water use in the summer months can be as high as 70 percent of our total water use, and up to 50 percent of that water is wasted from inefficient watering methods! Instead of struggling to keep those lawns green during the hottest months of the year, consider

Dormant lawn in August
Photo by Ecoyards

letting them go dormant. Depending on the type of grass in your yard, many dormant lawns only require ½ inch of water every two weeks to stay alive. That means that if the average American lawn was allowed to go dormant, the amount of water conserved could supply a family of 4 with drinking water for over 34 years!

This winter is expected to be warmer and drier than normal due to the lasting effects of El Niño and the infamous blob on our Pacific Ocean shores. Following last year’s winter of low snow pack, the effects of another drought could be life-altering for Washington state residents. If we all make changes now in how we use water, we can avoid the complications of another dry summer. So when you see news articles and public service announcements about water conservation in cities, pay close attention – every little bit of water saved can mean a lot for our future.

Courtesy of Seattle Public Utilities. As of Sept. 8, 2015

Drinking-water wells need to be protected in fire areas

Lessons from Carlton Complex fire prompts urgency for inspections

by Joye Redfield-Wilder, Central Regional communications manager

Homeowners affected

Well inspection can be a dirty job

by wildfire are encouraged to inspect their drinking-water wells now to protect groundwater and their investment.

We learned several lessons about the impacts of forest fires on wells after the devastating Carlton Complex Fire of 2014.

Forest fires melted aluminum and plastic well caps, leaving the well exposed to environmental hazards. Uncapped wells can fill with rocks, mud and debris rendering the well unusable.

“The intense rain storms that followed the Carlton Complex Fire caused mudslides in burned areas, destroying a number of wells that could not be repaired or properly decommissioned,” explained Avery Richardson, Ecology’s well coordinator in the Central Regional Office.

Wells that had  tight fitting caps were undamaged by the debris flows, as the materials largely passed over them.

How to protect your well 

·         Inspect your well as soon as you can safely return to your property.

·         Check to see if your well cap is still in place.  Make sure it is tightly bolted and the vent hole or conduit hole is plugged. This helps prevent insects, ash or debris from entering your well.

·         If your well cap was destroyed, seek advice from a local well driller or pump installer to purchase another one. Installation is generally simple.

·         While these professionals are busy at this time, it is imperative that you get your well capped as soon as possible.

 

Other information is available on the state Department of Health’s drinking-water and wildfire webpage.

We're Looking for a Few (well, actually, a whole "lotta") Good Photos

by Tim Hill, Office of the Columbia River

Do you have photos depicting Eastern Washington water use at home, at work, on the farm, or at your favorite fishing spot? Please consider submitting them to Ecology's new Flickr photo pool, "Water for People, Food, and Fish."

Good examples might include a person using water around the house; xeriscaping; efficient irrigation of crops, and photos of fish (especially, salmon, steelhead, and bull trout) in their natural environment (streams, rivers, and lakes located in Eastern Washington.)

Please include a description and the location where your photo was taken. In addition to showing off your mad skilz* on Flickr, we'll use your photos in publications, videos, on the web and in other electronic media, providing you with the proper credit.

*Is it still hip to say that, or am I embarrassing my grandson, again?

---

Nuclear Waste Program “Scene” at Sturgeon Festival 2010

By Erika Bronson, Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist, Nuclear Waste Program

On September 18, I had the opportunity to participate in the Sturgeon Festival at the Water Resources Education Center in Vancouver, Wash. This educational, annual family event celebrates the ecosystems of the Columbia River.

Our exhibit featured the Hanford-specific groundwater model that demonstrates how contamination enters the groundwater and soil beneath the nuclear reservation. But it’s also a great tool for showing kids why it’s important to keep our groundwater clean.

For adults, we offered invitations to upcoming public workshops on Hanford’s radioactive solid waste burial grounds and the opportunity to sign up for the Hanford Public Involvement mailing lists.
We also asked attendees to identify which Hanford issues are most important to them. The top three responses were:

• Protecting the Columbia River from Hanford contaminants
• Finding a long-term storage solution for high-level nuclear waste now that progress on the Yucca Mountain Project has halted
• Ensuring that the public is informed and included in the decision-making process.

We also participated in the Water Center’s “Scene a Sturgeon Lately?” photo challenge, entering in the “Sturgeon and You Go Green” category. Our sturgeon sets a clean, green example by recycling and bringing a reusable water bottle!

 

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What can you do when the power goes out?

By Dustin Bilhimer, Water Quality Program

A recent power outage at our office lasted several hours and prompted me to think about this very question. Most everything I do at work centers around having electricity to power my computer in which all my work resides. I originally drafted this post with paper and pencil.

So, aside from ensuring my loved ones are safe during a blackout, what should I do with this time without electricity? How about contemplating how I could accomplish the most important things I need to do (provide water, food, shelter, and security) in the event I lose power for an extended period of time?

These are some of the questions I’ve asked myself:

1. How will I get water if the municipal water system doesn’t have electricity to pump water to my house? How do I keep my food from spoiling without a refrigerator?
   
2. How do I meet my needs for shelter if I have no heat during the winter? How about cooking my food? How can I add solar power to my house (possibly tied to the larger power grid) to provide my critical electricity needs?
   
3. If power did not come back on for days, weeks, or months, everyone is going to have problems with the first two issues and they will be desperate to meet those needs. Under the worst case scenario, how can I protect my family from dangerously desperate and very hungry people?

So what are the solutions to these top three issues of food and water, shelter, and security? Here are my thoughts.

In the past few years my family has been learning to grow vegetables and save seed. We have expanded our garden to the point where we provide a little more than half of the total food we need during the growing season on a 0.17 acre city lot. We’ve also started canning and freezing our garden bounty to save food for the rest of the year (begin to learn how, click here). This part has been especially fun, and I feel good knowing that I have a pantry full of good wholesome food that I’ve grown and that I won’t need to rely on buying as much from a grocery store.

To address my personal security issues, I’ve gotten to know my neighbors better and I feel confident knowing that there is strength and security in working together with them if we need to. History has proven that survival is easier when people work together for the common good rather than as individuals trying to “go it alone”.

However, without the availability of clean water I will not survive long regardless of how well I’m meeting my other needs. If I can’t get water from my tap, there is a community well I can walk to and carry water home from. But if that wasn’t available, or the ground water contaminated, my family and I would not be able to stay in our home.

Without the easy access to clean water that the Departments of Ecology and Health, and countless citizens, work to protect every day, our culture and our communities that rely on public or private water utilities would cease to function as they are now. Everyone needs to do everything we can to protect and support our life-support system, our water.

Ecology has some information on what you can do to help protect water quality (click here) and lists of other references that can help you be more sustainable (click here). You can also find information on protecting your water from EPA (click here).