3/10/07 - How safe is our drinking water?

This story was broadly read by the Ives administration after it was published. Shortly after it's publication the City hired a geologist to manage the Wellhead Protection Program; A City FOCUS magazine Public Relations campaign was launched. 1/16/2006

Did you know that almost 40% of our drinking water lies up to 5-20 feet below the surface of the ground? Everyone east of the Sammamish River drinks from our underground "well" water. It's stored in an a large, natural "aquifer" -- formed by an ancient glacial river 10,000 years ago.
The city is doing a pretty good job keeping our ground well water clean but some concerns remain outstanding, as follows:

The city owns and operates 5 wells - 2 near Anderson Park, 1 near Target & Home Depot, 1 at City Hall, and the last one along Avondale Rd. These wells have "wellhead protection zones" classified Zone 1--4 with 1 being most protected.

Multiple housing developments on top of these well protection zones could threaten our water quantity & quality over time.

>>Perrigo Heights - Camwest just proposed building 24 houses on their parcel near Hartman Park. Perrigo Heights sits on a Zone 2 Protection Zone for the Avondale well.
>>Shaunessey Heights - next to Redmond Elementary is proposed for 62 homes. The project will sit on top of a Zone 1 & Zone 2 well protection zone for the Anderson Park well.
>>Avondale Crest - 9 houses were recently approved; the project sits on a Zone 2/1 well protection zone for the Avondale well. Treated stormwater drains into Bear Creek.
>>Tyler Creek - 92 houses are under construction and this project sits on top of a Zone 2 well protection zone for the Avondale well. Treated stormwater drains into Bear Creek.
>>City Hall - was built on a Zone 1 well protection zone adjacent to the city hall well!
>>Mosaic Meadows - is constructing 13 houses on top of a Zone 2 well protection zone for the Avondale well. Stormwater drains into Bear Creek.
>>Redmond Ridge - Zone 2 Wellhead Protection for Avondale well.
>>"Union Hill Industrial" - Zone 1 Wellhead Protection for Avondale well. - recently improved with 2 water treatment detention ponds. Hazardous waste site was discovered by the City and Department of Ecology last year. Untreated stormwater drains into Evan Creek (at this time).
an on....

All these developments meet minimum city construction standards. However, significant impervious surfaces increase with each development. Impervious surfaces reduce the amount of filtrated surface water available to recharge our aquifers with clean water.

Detention ponds are now being replaced by "wet vaults" for stormwater run-off treatment. Wet vaults do NOT remove all the phosphates, nitrates, and heavy metals that run-off of roofs and lawns. Some of these toxic chemicals eventually may soak into our aquifer and wells.

At Perrigo Heights plat a wet vault will be installed next to Perrigo Creek. Toxic chemicals will spill directly into Perrigo Creek and soak into the Hartman Wetlands. The wetlands will eutrify from a mitigated water supply and stormwater toxins.

Each development by itself probably won't have a significant impact to our well water quality. However, as development continues & aggregates our quality & quantity of potable (drinking)water is likely to decline.

60% of our potable water is piped in from the Tolt Reservoir. It costs more than well water.

The Cascade Water Alliance has secured a $55M bond to supply eastern King County water needs. (350,000 are expected to move into King County withing 20 years.) Drinking water will be piped in from the White River (fed by Emmons Glacier on Mt. Ranier) and Cedar River near Tacoma and stored in Lake Tapps. The Mayor of Kirkland first told me of this alliance. He said it was really a big deal. Council member John Marchione attends the Cascade Water Alliance meetings as a Board member for Redmond. The mayor of Bellevue is Chair. Mr. Marchione addresses Redmond's role in the alliance on his campaign webpage. The White River - Lake Tapps pipe in 20 years out.

CASCADE WATER ALLIANCE WEBSITE: www.cascadewater.org/
CITY WELLHEAD PROTECTION MAIN PAGE : www.redmond.gov/groundwater.