appendix 1: chapter 1 appendices - yelm and plans... · 2019-01-07 · appendix 1: chapter 1...

City of Yelm Water System Plan

Use of contents on this sheet is subject to the limitations specified at the end of this document.

APPENDIX 1: CHAPTER 1 APPENDICES

1A: Water Facilities Inventory (WFI)

1B: Yelm Municipal Code Chapter 13.04 – Water

1C: Yelm Development Guidelines Chapter 6 – Water

1D: Yelm Comprehensive Plan Chapter V – Public Facilities and Utilities

1E: Local and Government Consistency Review Checklists

1F: Public Information Materials

1G: Reduced Water Rate Ordinance and Resolution

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Appendix 1A Water Facilities Inventory (WFI) - January 2009 and May 2010

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Appendix 1B Yelm Municipal Code Chapter 13.04 - Water

Chapter 13.04 WATER SYSTEM*

Sections:

13.04.010 Regulations generally.

13.04.020 Definitions.

13.04.030 Service types defined.

13.04.040 Comprehensive plan.

13.04.050 Design standards.

13.04.060 Ownership of mains and service connections.

13.04.070 Abandonment of connection.

13.04.080 Administration and enforcement.

13.04.090 Inspection of premises.

13.04.095 Damaging or interfering with water system.

13.04.096 Wasting water prohibited.

13.04.097 Water shortage provisions.

13.04.100 Service – Application.

13.04.110 Service – Connection – General requirements.

13.04.120 Service – Connection – Hook-up and meter charge.

13.04.130 Service – Connection – Temporary.

13.04.140 Service – Connection – Master meter.

13.04.150 Construction cost assessment.

13.04.160 Construction charge payment.

13.04.170 Substandard mains.

13.04.180 Service – Connection – Installation of main.

13.04.190 Main extension charge.

13.04.200 Water meters.

13.04.210 Service – Reconnection.

13.04.220 Cross-connection and backflow control program.

13.04.230 Unauthorized turn-on.

13.04.240 Turn-off fees.

13.04.250 Water consumption rates.

13.04.255 Adjustment of utility bills.

13.04.260 Repealed.

13.04.265 Sprinkling during fires prohibited.

13.04.270 Service – Cash deposits.

13.04.280 Billing and payments.

13.04.290 Nonpayment of charges.

13.04.300 Rate reduction – Established.

13.04.310 Rate reduction – Eligibility.

13.04.320 Rate reduction – Application procedure.

13.04.330 Annexation requirements.

13.04.340 Violations – Penalties.

*Prior legislation: Ord. 166 as amended by Ords. 183, 195, 205, 262, 273 and 331.

For statutory authority for towns to provide for water supplies and to control, regulate and manage the same, see RCW 35.21.210 and 35.27.370(3).

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13.04.010 Regulations generally.

The rates and regulations set out in this chapter are established for the control of the municipal water supply system of the city. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.020 Definitions.

Whenever used in this chapter:

A. "City" means the city of Yelm, Washington, or as indicated by the context, may mean the water department, water superintendent, city clerk/treasurer, engineer or other employee or agent representing the city in the discharge of his duties.

B. "City engineer" means the professional engineer regularly employed or retained by the city.

C. "Commercial water service" means water service provided to premises utilized for business or industrial purposes.

D. "Consumer" means an individual dwelling unit or individual business which receives water through an individual meter or master meter.

E. "Council" means the city council of the city of Yelm.

F. "Disabled citizen" means a permanently disabled head of household whose income from all sources whatsoever does not exceed the median income as established or amended by resolution of the city council.

G. "Mains" means waterlines designed or used to serve more than one premises.

H. "Master meter" means a meter of any size serving more than one consumer.

I. "Person," "customer," "owner" and "occupant" include natural persons of either sex, associations, copartnerships and corporations, whether acting individually or by a servant, agent or employee; the singular number shall be held to include the plural and the masculine pronoun to include the feminine.

J. "Premises" means a continuous tract of land, building or group of adjacent buildings under a single control with respect to use of water and responsibility for payment therefor. Subdivisions of such use or responsibility shall constitute a division into separate premises as defined in this chapter.

K. "Public works director" means the public works director, or his/her delegated representative in charge of the city of Yelm department of public works.

L. "Residential water service" means domestic water service (including lawn and garden sprinkling) provided to a residential living unit.

M. "Senior citizen" means a head of household over the age of 65 who is retired and is below the median income as established by the city.

N. "Service connection" means that portion of the city water supply system connecting the supply system on the premises to the city water distribution main including the tap into the main, the water meter and appurtenances and the service line from the main to the meter and from the meter to the property line. "Service connection" includes connections for fire protection as well as for domestic, commercial and industrial uses.

O. "Standard or permanent mains" means mains which conform to the standard specifications of the city with respect to materials and minimum diameters.

P. "Standard specifications" means the specifications set forth in the current volume of "Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction" prepared and distributed jointly by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and by the Washington State Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the current "Standards" of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Q. "Substandard or temporary mains" means mains which do not conform to the standard specifications of the city with respect to materials and/or minimum diameter.

R. "Superintendent" means the person duly appointed by the mayor of the city as the superintendent of the water department and who is in responsible charge of all day-to-day activities. (Ord. 868 § 1, 2007; Ord. 778 § 1, 2003; Ord. 512 § 1, 1994; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.030 Service types defined.

Whenever used in this chapter:

A. "Regular service" means performance by the city of the following: tapping of the main, installation of the service pipe from the main to the yoke, installation of the yoke, the meter, the meter box and installation of necessary valves and appurtenances.



B. "Duplex service" means performance by the city of the following: regular service as defined above and in addition thereto, a pipe of sufficient size to serve two meters, installations of two meters, two meter boxes, two yokes and two sets of necessary valves and appurtenances.

C. "Pretapped and preplumbed service" means performance by the city of the following: placement of the meter in the meter yoke.

D. "Pretapped only service" means performance by the city of the following: installation of the valves, meter yokes, meter and meter box. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.040 Comprehensive plan.

A comprehensive water system plan shall be prepared for the city by the city engineer and three copies of the same shall be maintained on file in the office of the city clerk/treasurer. The comprehensive plan shall be submitted to and approved by the Department of Social and Health Services. Such plan shall contain, as a minimum, the location and specifications of the existing facilities of the system, recommendations for correction of existing deficiencies and for improvement of the existing system, and proposed locations, standards and specifications of facilities if the system is expanded in the future. The comprehensive water system plan shall be reviewed and updated as deemed necessary by the council but in any event not less than once every five years. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.050 Design standards.

The design standards shall be adopted from time to time by the council upon the recommendation of the water superintendent and the city engineer and three copies of the same shall be maintained on file at the office of the city clerk/treasurer. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.060 Ownership of mains and service connections.

A. The ownership of all mains, service connections and appurtenances in the public street or utility rights-of-way shall be vested fully in the city and the person responsible for the construction of such mains shall relinquish, by bill of sale, or other appropriate instrument of conveyance, all interest in the ownership of such mains upon acceptance by the city; provided, however, that all private systems existing at the time of the passage of the ordinance codified herein shall remain under private ownership unless dedicated to the city provided the private system is constructed to the minimum standards of the city under the provisions of this chapter.

B. The city shall operate, control and maintain all approved and accepted components of the city water system in the public streets or utility rights-of-way up to and including the meter, but shall not be responsible beyond the meter. The owner of the property served shall be responsible for maintenance of all pipe and fittings from the meter to his premises. No alteration shall be made to any connection nor shall any connection be made to the city water system without the approval of the superintendent. All connections or alterations shall be made by the city water department or by contract supervised by the superintendent. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.070 Abandonment of connection.

Any connection remaining unused for a period of five years is deemed abandoned and a new connection shall be applied for when renewal of service is requested. Where such reconnection requires new construction from the property line to the main, but in the same location, the fee for such service shall be the same as identified in YMC 13.04.120. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.080 Administration and enforcement.

A. The public works director or designated representative is charged with administration and enforcement of this chapter. Water service to any premises served by the city water system may be discontinued for any violation or abridgement of the provisions of this chapter after due notice thereof.

B. In the event water service is discontinued for failure to comply with provisions of this chapter it shall remain terminated for the duration of such noncompliance. (Ord. 778 § 2, 2003; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.090 Inspection of premises.

Authorized employees of the water department, properly identified, shall have free access at reasonable hours of the day, to all premises served by the city water system for the purpose of ascertaining conformity to this chapter. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.095 Damaging or interfering with water system.



It is unlawful for any person to wilfully disturb, break, deface, or damage any fire hydrant, water meter, gate valve, water pipe or other waterworks appurtenance together with the buildings, grounds and improvements thereon belonging to or connected with the water system of the city in any manner whatsoever.

It is unlawful for any person to open, close, turn or interfere with, or attempt to, or to connect with any fire hydrant, valve, or pipe belonging to the city unless authorized by the superintendent in writing; provided, that this rule shall not apply to members of the city department or such other fire department duly authorized to operate fire hydrants while acting in such capacity.

It is unlawful for any person to throw refuse or any substance into any city reservoir or to throw any deleterious matter in or upon any part of the city’s watershed or water supply system. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.096 Wasting water prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to allow water to be wasted at any point beyond the curb-cock or meter by imperfect, faulty or leaking stop-cocks, valves, pipes, closets, faucets or other fixtures and appliances or to use water closets without self-closing valves or to allow any fixtures or appliances to run open for lack of repairs, to permit freezing or to use water for any other purpose other than that set forth in the application upon which charges for water are based, or to use water in violation of the rules and regulations as set forth in this chapter. (Ord. 778 § 3, 2003).

13.04.097 Water shortage provisions.

The city reserves the right in the case of shortage of waters, or for any other cause, to make any order regulating, forbidding or restricting the use of water for irrigation or sprinkling or any other nonessential outside usage. (Ord. 778 § 4, 2003).

13.04.100 Service – Application.

A. All applications for water service shall be made at the office of the city clerk/treasurer or at such other place as the council may hereafter designate by resolution and upon such form as may be prescribed by the superintendent.

B. Every such application shall be made by the owner of the property to be furnished, or by its authorized agent, and the applicant shall state fully and truly all the purposes for which the water may be required. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.110 Service – Connection – General requirements.

A. Except as otherwise provided for herein, no premises shall be connected to the water supply system of the city after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter unless there is a standard main owned by the city in the public right-of-way adjacent thereto.

B. When a permit has been obtained for the installation of water service, the superintendent shall cause the premises described in the application to be connected with the water system by a service pipe extending from the main to the property line and a stopcock and water meter placed within the right-of-way. Every separate premises shall have its own separate meter.

C. Service connections shall be installed by the city at the expense of the property owner, which shall be the prevailing cost of such installation at the time thereof. In case of replacement of new service, no service smaller than three-fourths inch shall be installed.

D. All connections to city service shall conform to the standard specifications and regulations of the city. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.120 Service – Connection – Hook-up and meter charge.

A. All persons connecting to the water system of the city shall pay, in advance of connection to the water system, a hook-up and water charge in accordance with the schedule set forth below in this section. A portion of the fee will be dedicated to necessary capital improvements of the city water system and acquisition of water rights. In every case, title to the water meter, meter box and service connection lines shall be and remain with the city. The hook-up and water meter charge shall be as follows:

Meter Size Regular* Duplex* Pretapped and

Preplumbed

Pretapped Only



5/8 x 3/4" $ 600.00 $ 750.00 $ 300.00 $ 400.00

1" 760.00 985.00 400.00 500.00

1-1/2" 1,600.00 650.00 750.00

2" 2,500.00 1,000.00 1,100.00

3" Cost, plus 15%

4" Cost, plus 15%

6" Cost, plus 15%

8" Cost, plus 15%

*Includes installation of meter box, water meter and service connection line from a water main in the water system to a meter site on or in the public right-of-way adjacent to the property to be served which is not more than 50 feet distant from the water main. Where the water meter site lies more than 50 feet distant from the water main, the charge set forth above shall be increased by $25.00 for each additional foot of service line required.

B. A charge for street crossings will be added to the above fees as determined by the city.

C. “Equivalent residential unit (ERU)” means the unit of measurement determined by that quantity of flow associated with a single residential household defined as follows:

1. ERU measurement shall be an equivalent flow of 900 cubic feet, or less, per month, based on water meter in-flow.

2. With respect to each residential structure, the number of ERUs and associated “base flow” (figured in cubic feet) will be based on Table 1.

Table 1

Type of Unit No.

ERUs

Base

Flow

Inside City

Cost

Outside

City Cost

Single-family residence 1.00 900cf. $1,500 $2,000

Duplex dwelling unit 1.00 900cf. 1,500 2,000

Triplex dwelling unit 0.90 810cf. 1,350 1,800

Fourplex dwelling unit 0.80 720cf. 1,200 1,600

Residential structures > four units

0.75 675cf. 1,125 1,500

Nonresidential unit 1.00 900cf. 1,500 2,000

3. With respect to uses other than residential, one ERU shall be designated for each 900 cubic feet or less of water consumed per month.

4. Ordinance 540 (1995 budget) is amended to create a water capital improvement fund where collected ERU water fees will be placed to be utilized for emergency repairs, capital improvement projects and acquisition of water rights.

D. Irrigation Meters. If a meter is installed separately and solely for the purpose of irrigation, the established water connection fee (ERU) will apply plus the cost of the meter will be paid at the time of application. The meter will be read and billed on a monthly basis and charged according to the established water rates as set by the city council. Irrigation meters



shall have a double check valve assembly, approved by the city, and approved for installation in Washington State. (Ord. 778 §§ 5, 6, 2003; Ord. 748 §§ 3, 5 – 8, 2001; Ord. 645 § 1, 1999; Ord. 553 § 1, 1995; Ord. 504 §§ 1 – 3, 1994; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.130 Service – Connection – Temporary.

A. Water service may be supplied to premises on a temporary basis during the construction of a building thereon or during the construction of a standard main to service such premises. Applications for temporary service shall state fully the purposes for which temporary service is requested. All water shall be metered, and costs required for installation and removal of such temporary service shall be paid by the applicant prior to approval of such application.

B. Upon cessation of the need for which the temporary service was requested, the owner shall immediately notify the superintendent thereof and such temporary service shall forthwith be terminated or converted to permanent service. The meter shall be read and the owner of the temporary service shall be billed accordingly for the water used. (Ord. 778 § 7, 2003; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.140 Service – Connection – Master meter.

A. The public works director or designated representative may authorize water service to a community or group of individual consumers to be furnished through a common master meter upon finding that service through individual meters is not practicable. Where service through a common master meter is authorized, the master meter shall thereafter be maintained, owned and controlled by the city.

B. Application for water service under the provisions of this section shall be made on the forms furnished by the city for that purpose, which shall include as a minimum, a detailed description of the premises to be served, the name and nature of the person or entity to be responsible for the service and connection charges, the circumstances precluding service by individual meters and such other information as the council may deem necessary.

C. Detailed plans of all community water systems to be served by a master meter, and all modifications thereof, shall, prior to connection, be submitted for review by the city engineer.

D. Community water service as provided for in this section shall be limited to those premises described in the application therefor. Service to additional premises shall require a separate application and approval.

E. The ownership, operation and maintenance of a community water system beyond the master meter shall be vested in and the responsibility of the members of such group so serviced.

F. Monthly charges as currently established or hereafter amended shall be applied to each compound or traditional meter serving as a master meter and shall include for each account the following monthly fees:

1. One service fee corresponding to the size of the master meter from the monthly base rate charges table in YMC 13.04.250(A), shall be applied monthly to each master meter; and

2. One monthly service fee shall be applied to each built dwelling or individual business unit connected to the water line served by the master meter. The monthly fee shall be applied at the rate charged for the smallest diameter water line listed in the base rate table in YMC 13.04.250(A); and

3. Water use charges shall be applied to the registered consumption or usage amount for each master meter from the monthly consumption charges table in YMC 13.04.250(B). (Ord. 832 § 1, 2005; Ord. 778 § 8, 2003; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.150 Construction cost assessment.

A. Each premises to be served by the water supply system shall be assessed its proportionate share of the cost of design and construction of a standard main in the street right-of-way, or easement, abutting such property.

B. Prior to approval of an application for water service, the city clerk/treasurer shall determine whether the premises have previously contributed or been assessed their proportionate share of the construction costs. If such assessment or contribution has not previously been paid, the applicant shall pay the same prior to the approval of the application. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.160 Construction charge payment.

The standard main construction charge may be paid either in cash at the time of application or pursuant to a deferred payment contract with the city in such form as may be approved by the council. Such contract may provide for interest on any unpaid balance, for discontinuance of service in the event of default in payment, and for the creation of a lien upon the premises covered thereby. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.170 Substandard mains.



No substandard or temporary mains shall be installed and connected to the water supply system after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Existing substandard mains shall not be extended to service additional customers. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.180 Service – Connection – Installation of main.

A. Whenever application is made for water service to premises with no main in the adjacent street, a standard main must be installed prior to connection. The installation of such standard mains shall conform to the comprehensive water plan for the city.

B. A standard main may be installed by and at the expense of the owner(s) of the premises to be served thereby, pursuant to plans reviewed by the superintendent and approved by the city engineer. In such cases the city will contract with the owner(s) to provide for reimbursement of the costs of design and construction of such main over a period not to exceed 15 years pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 35.92 RCW. The actual cost must be approved by the city showing the method of determining benefit cost. The contract shall be recorded in the office of the county auditor upon acceptance of construction of the main by the council.

C. The owner may elect to have a standard main installed by the city upon making payment to the city of the appropriate main extension charges as provided for in this chapter. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.190 Main extension charge.

Whenever a main is installed within the corporate limits of the city as provided in this chapter, the main extension charge to be paid by the owner(s) of the premises so served shall be determined by the council on the advice of the city engineer based upon the actual costs for design of the necessary material, labor and equipment required, and in accordance with current practices and the comprehensive water plan, based upon the acreage or front footage to be served or a combination of acreage and the front footage to be served. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.200 Water meters.

A. All service connections to the city system shall be metered. Water meters shall be sized to provide adequate domestic water to the customer. Minimum water meter sizes shall ordinarily be determined from the number of units served as follows:

All water meters shall be American Water Works Association (AWWA) approved.

1. 1 unit 3/4'' meter

2. 2 units 1'' meter

3. 3 – 10 units 1-1/2'' meter

4. 11 – 20 units 2'' meter

B. All requests for service to more than 20 units through a single meter shall be subject to approval by the council upon review and recommendation of the city engineer.

C. Water meters for services larger than 20 units shall be sized by developer’s engineer and reviewed by the superintendent and approved by the city engineer. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.210 Service – Reconnection.

A. A service reconnection initiated by application of an owner desiring to increase the size or change the location of an existing connection shall be deemed an original connection and the cost thereof shall be borne by the owner of the premises served by such connection.

B. A service reconnection necessitated by the installation of a new main in the vicinity of a premises served by an existing main shall be made by the superintendent after notifying the owner or tenant thereof, without charge to the owner served by such connection and at the same time the old service connection shall be removed. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.220 Cross-connection and backflow control program.

The purpose of this section is to protect the health of the user and the potability of the water in the water system, by requiring the inspection and regulation of all actual or potential cross-connections between potable and nonpotable water systems in order to minimize the danger of contamination or pollution of the public water supply. Controlling and preventing cross-



connection is accomplished by either installing an approved backflow prevention assembly or removing the cross-connection.

A. Authority.

1. The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and the statutes of the State of Washington RCW Title 43 and Chapter 248-54 WAC require purveyors to “protect public water systems from contamination due to cross-connections.”

2. This section prohibits the presence of cross-connections.

3. The city of Yelm’s water comprehensive plan includes cross-connection requirements.

B. Definition of Responsibilities. The city shall require the installation of backflow prevention devices on any premises being served by the water system when in the judgment of the public works director or designated cross-connection control specialist the nature and extent of activities on the premises would present an immediate and/or dangerous hazard to health should a cross-connection occur.

C. Definitions. The following terms are defined for purposes of this chapter:

1. “Air gap separation” means the physical vertical separation between the free flowing discharge end of a potable water supply pipe line and the open or nonpressure receiving vessel. The air gap is to be twice the diameter of the supply piping measured vertically from the overflow rim of the receiving vessel.

2. “Approved backflow prevention assembly” means an assembly which has been approved by the state of Washington and the city of Yelm for preventing backflow.

3. “Atmospheric vacuum breaker” (also known as an “anti-siphon valve”) means a device consisting of a single check valve in the supply line that opens to the atmosphere when the pressure in the line drops to atmospheric.

4. “Auxiliary water supply” means any supply of water used to augment the supply obtained through the purveyor’s water system which serves the premises in question.

5. “Backflow” means the flow of water or other fluids in the direction opposite to the normal flow.

6. “Backflow prevention assembly tester” means an individual who is certified by the state of Washington and approved by the city of Yelm to test backflow prevention assemblies.

7. “Check valve” means a valve that permits flow in only one direction.

8. “Contaminant” mean any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water which may render the water nonpotable, according to Washington State regulations.

9. “Cross-connection” means any link or channel between piping which carries potable drinking water and the piping fixtures which carry nonpotable water or other substances.

10. “Cross-connection control program” means a program included in the overall water comprehensive plan which fulfills the requirements of the state of Washington cross-connection regulations and is approved by the city of Yelm.

11. “Cross-connection specialist” means an individual certified by the state of Washington and approved by the city of Yelm to inspect for cross-connections.

12. “Customer system” means all plumbing, piping, and appurtenances on the customer’s side of the point of metering or connection.

13. “Public works director” means the public works director, or his/her designated representative.

14. “Double check valve assembly” means an assembly of two independently acting check valves with a shut-off valve on each side of the two check valves. The assembly also has test ports for checking the water tightness of each check valve. Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved for installation in Washington State.

15. “Double detector check valve assembly” means the same as a double check valve assembly with the addition of a water meter and an additional double check valve assembly bypassing the main line assembly for the purpose of measuring low or proportional flow. Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved for installation in Washington State.

16. “Facility survey” means an on-site review of the water source, facilities, equipment, operation, and maintenance for the purpose of evaluating the hazards to the drinking water supply.

17. “Owner” means any person who has legal title to or license to operate or occupy a property upon which a cross-connection inspection will be made or upon which a cross-connection is present.

18. “Pressure vacuum breaker assembly” means a mechanical assembly consisting of one spring loaded check valve in the supply line and a spring loaded air inlet on the downstream side of the check valve which will open to atmosphere when the pressure in the assembly drops below one pound per square inch. The complete assembly consists of two shut-off valves and two test ports for checking water tightness of the check valve. Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved for installation in Washington State.

19. “Reduced pressure backflow prevention assembly (RP)” means an assembly for preventing backflow



incorporating two check valves, a differential relief valve located between the two check valves, two shut-off valves, one on each end of the assembly, test ports for checking water tightness of the check valves and the operation of the relief valve. Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved for installation in Washington State.

20. “Reduced pressure detector assembly (RPD)” means the same as RP assembly with the addition of a water meter and an additional RP assembly bypassing the main line assembly for the purpose of measuring low or proportional flow. Backflow prevention assemblies must be approved for installation in Washington State.

21. “Safe drinking water (potable water)” means water which has sufficiently low concentrations of microbiological, inorganic chemical, organic chemical, radiological or physical substances so that individuals drinking water at normal levels of consumption will not be exposed to disease organisms or other substances which may produce harmful physical effects.

22. “Secondary contaminant” means a contaminant which at levels generally found in drinking water does not present unreasonable risks to health, but does adversely affect taste, odor, and color.

23. “Service connection” means the point of delivery of water at or near the property line, generally at the water meter.

D. Cross-Connection Program Requirements. The city will operate a cross-connection control program which fulfills the requirements of the state of Washington cross-connection regulations and is approved by the city of Yelm.

1. The owners shall allow their property to be inspected for possible cross-connections and shall follow the provisions of the city’s program if a cross-connection is permitted.

2. If the city requires that the public supply be protected by containment, the owner shall be responsible for water quality and for thermal expansion protection beyond the outlet end of the containment device and should utilize fixture outlet protection for that purpose. Fixture outlet devices shall be installed in accordance with the Uniform Plumbing Code. A plumbing permit and inspections may be required.

3. On new installations the city will provide on-site evaluation and/or inspection of plans in order to determine the type of backflow preventor, if any, that will be required. In any case, a minimum of a meter setter check valve will be required on any new construction.

4. For premises existing prior to the start of this program, the city will perform evaluations and inspections of plans or premises and inform the owner by letter of any corrective action deemed necessary, the method of achieving the correction, and the time allowed for the correction to be made.

Premises will be inspected on or after the expiration date of required action to correct a cross-connection. Premises failing to comply with the city’s request shall receive written notice that water service to the premises will be terminated within a period not to exceed 30 calendar days. In the event the owner informs the city of extenuating circumstances as to why the correction has not been completed, the city may grant a time extension up to 30 days.

5. The city will not allow any cross-connection to remain unless it is protected by an approved backflow preventor for which a permit has been issued and which will be regularly tested to ensure satisfactory operation.

6. If the city determines at any time that a threat to the public health exists, the water service will be terminated immediately.

7. The city shall perform inspection of all backflow devices. Inspection shall include the on-site reviews of existing installations, after any repairs or maintenance, and after any relocation. The owner is required to submit to the city a copy of the initial test report, as well as annual testing reports completed by a certified backflow assembly tester.

8. When the initial installation or annual test identifies an improperly operating backflow device, the owner shall correct the malfunction as directed by the city. The owner shall contact the city after correcting the malfunction for inspection.

E. Owner. The owner shall be responsible for the elimination or protection of all cross-connections on their premises.

1. The owner, following the receipt of a letter from the city, shall, at their own expense, install any and all backflow preventors requested.

2. The owner shall correct any malfunction of the backflow preventor which is revealed by periodic city testing.

3. The owner shall inform the city of any proposed or modified cross-connections and also any existing cross-connections of which owner is aware.

4. The owner shall install only city-approved backflow preventors

5. Any owner having a private well or other private water source shall not cross-connect to the city’s system.

6. The owner shall provide access to premises to the city at the city’s request. Failure to provide access to inspect facilities shall be grounds for termination of water service.

7. The owner shall be responsible for the payment of all fees for permits, annual or semi-annual device testing, retesting in the case that the device fails to operate correctly, and any reinspections for noncompliance with city



requirements.

F. Failure to Comply. Any person, firm or corporation who willfully violates any provisions and requirements of the cross-connection control manual shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and further shall be subject to discontinuance of supply of water to the premises. Discontinuance of the city potable water supply to the premises shall remain in effect until corrective action as required by the public works director is completed, tested, and approved.

G. Installation and Testing. Installation and testing of all backflow protection devices shall be in accordance with the American Water Works Association Cross-Connection Control Manual accepted procedures and practices. The latest edition shall be used.

1. In addition, all backflow protection shall be installed at a location that is easily accessible for inspection and testing. Devices located in vaults shall have adequate clearances and depths to allow the city to inspect and test. Devices that cannot be easily and readily inspected shall be required to be relocated and replumbed as required by the city. The owner shall contact the city for applicable installation requirements and standards.

H. Applicability. The city recognizes there are varying degrees of risks associated with different types of uses and will consider this when determining if a cross-connection exists and applicable backflow prevention devices.

I. Existing Backflow Prevention Devices. Any existing backflow protection device in use can continue to be used providing:

1. The devices are functioning properly based on inspection and approved test reports received by the city.

2. The degree of protection is satisfactory for protection of the city’s potable water system as determined by the public works director or designated cross-connection control specialist.

3. Backflow devices that do not meet the above conditions shall be replaced with new approved devices. (Ord. 778 § 9, 2003).

13.04.230 Unauthorized turn-on.

Should the owner or occupant of any premises turn on the water or suffer or cause the same to be turned on after it has been shut off at the curb cock by the water department, water service may again be turned off by the water department and a charge of $60.00 shall be made for restoring turn-off. For restoration service after a delinquent bill turn-off, a fee of $20.00 shall be assessed before restoration of service can be made. (Ord. 748 § 9, 2001; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.240 Turn-off fees.

When a verbal or written request is made which may be responded to during regular working hours for any discontinuance of water service to a premises for the convenience of the occupant or owner, the response thereto shall be classified as special service, and no charge shall be made. Such service outside regular working hours shall be at the rate of $50.00 per call. (Ord. 778 § 10, 2003; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.250 Water consumption rates.

Monthly water base and consumption rates shall be as follows:

A. Monthly Base Rate Charges. The following schedule is the monthly per meter base charge based upon meter size for all consumers. Monthly charges for meter sizes not listed in the schedule shall correspond to the next larger size listed.

Base Rate

Residential Inside 5/8'' $11.00

Residential Outside 5/8'' 18.00

Residential Inside 1'' 13.50

Residential Inside 1-1/2'' 18.50

Residential Inside 2'' 26.00

Commercial Inside 5/8'' 11.00

Commercial Outside 5/8'' 18.00

Commercial Inside 1'' 13.50

Commercial Inside 1-1/2'' 18.50



Commercial Outside 1-1/2'' 27.00


Commercial Outside 2'' 36.00






Senior Citizen 0.00

B. Monthly Consumption Charges. The following chart is the adopted block rate structure charged according to consumption use. Block rates are charged on a per 100-cubic-foot basis.

0 – 600 c.f. 601 – 1,000 c.f. 1,001 – 2,400 c.f. 2,400 + c.f.

$1.15 $1.80 $2.30 $3.05

The monthly consumption charges for all irrigation meters and residential meters for the months of June 1st to October 1st will be as follows:

0 – 600 c.f. 601 – 1,000 c.f. 1,001 – 2,400 c.f. 2,400 + c.f.

$1.15 $1.80 $3.45 $5.34

C. Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems. All buildings with an automatic fire sprinkler system connected to the city water distribution shall pay the ready-to-serve charge based on the pipe size as substituted for equal meter size in the rate schedule. No water shall be used through such connections or sprinkler system except for actual fire control. If the consumer is found using water through unmetered special fire or sprinkler service connection for other than fire protection, then each such connection shall be equipped with a conventional-type meter at the expense of the property owner.

D. Outside City Corporate Limits. Charges for the use of water outside the corporate limits of the city shall be the meter rate identified in the "outside" schedule.

E. Temporary Water Service. Temporary water service for construction of any building, street, utility or similar project shall be provided at the rate identified in the rate schedule in subsection A or B of this section dependent upon location of project. A construction meter shall be required and application shall be made at the office of the public works director identifying location and reason for use of water. A deposit of $600.00 for each construction meter shall be collected. Upon completion of the project, return of construction meter and charges for consumed water is paid for, return of deposit shall be made to consumer. (Ord. 891 § 1, 2008; Ord. 778 §§ 11 – 15, 2003; Ord. 748 § 1, 2001; Ord. 593 § 1, 1997; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.255 Adjustment of utility bills.

A. The city administrator, or his designee, is empowered to resolve billing disputes upon receipt of request to do so from a city utility customer. Upon receipt of such notice from the customer, the city administrator, or his designee, shall review the bill with the customer to see if the amount is justly owed. The customer shall have the right to have a meeting to bring forth reasons and evidence why such bill should not be due and owing.

B. When any customer in any given billing period has used, according to the water meter, a quantity of water which is more than double the average amount of water used on such premises in similar billing periods in prior years, and the water consumption is solely caused by a broken water pipe on the user’s premises, the customer may make an application to the treasurer in writing for a reduction of the billing.

1. If the application states a broken pipe on the customer’s premises caused a large consumption of water, the existence of a broken pipe shall be verified by inspection by the public works employees. If it is established by presenting acceptable documentation demonstrating to the city that such broken pipe has been repaired, a reduction of the water bill to an amount that is the average of the prior four months plus one-half of the difference between the average and the existing disputed bill.



2. The reduction provided for in this section shall not be allowed if such excess water consumption is due to a customer’s neglect or failure to repair the broken pipe. A reduction in billing shall not be permitted if such excess consumption is due simply to leaky faucets or other plumbing fixtures.

C. Irrigation systems are specifically excluded from any adjustments due to leakage.

D. In newly developed property which does not have a prior service record, the appropriate water service charge will be based upon the charges for a similar type of water service and occupancy for the preceding year.

E. The application by the customer shall be on the forms provided by the city. (Ord. 809 § 1, 2004).

13.04.260 Fire hydrants.

Repealed by Ord. 778. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.265 Sprinkling during fires prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly use water for a lawn or garden sprinkling or irrigating purposes on any premises during the progress of a fire or disaster within the city water system. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.270 Service – Cash deposits.

Water consumers shall be required to make a cash deposit with the city clerk/treasurer based upon an estimate of the monthly consumption at the premises served but in no case shall such deposit be less than $40.00. Any interest accrued on utility deposits is retained by the city. All such deposits shall be maintained in a separate fund of the city until termination of service, and shall be returned to the customer after all claims the city may have against the premises occupied by such customer have been fully paid or until written request is received from a customer who has maintained a good payment history for a minimum of two years as set forth in policies on file with the city clerk/treasurer’s office. (Ord. 809 § 2, 2004; Ord. 384 § 1, 1990).

13.04.280 Billing and payments.

Monthly statements of charges for water service shall be due and payable at the office of the city clerk/treasurer or at such other place or places designated by him/her on or before the fifteenth of the month and are deemed delinquent thereafter. Delinquent accounts will be assessed a minimum penalty of $5.00. Statements shall cover service charges for the period shown thereon and shall be forwarded by mail to the customer as soon as practicable after each service period. (Ord. 566 § 1, 1995; Ord. 384 § 1, 1990).

13.04.290 Nonpayment of charges.

A. Water service terminated for nonpayment shall not be restored to the nonpaying occupant until all delinquent charges, together with a service fee of $20.00 for restoring services, are paid. The city will not refuse to turn on a discontinued service to a new tenant in any building due to the nonpayment of a prior tenant. Upon payment of the necessary hook-up fees, the new service shall be restored. Restoration of service shall in no way comprise the existing debt or the responsibility of the owner for payment.

B. Water service to commercial and non-owner-occupied units shall be contracted for by the owner (landlord) of the premises served. The city will agree to divide services among a number of units and to bill the owner for each of the designated units separately. Liability for all bills to rental units shall be joint and several between the tenant, the owner of the premises, and any other party identified on the original service request.

C. The city treasurer or authorized representative shall have the authority to refer delinquent accounts of the city water utility and refuse collection system to an agency for collection and to write-off accounts that are over one year old in an amount not to exceed $500.00 per account. This write-off option shall be utilized only after it has been determined by the treasurer that the account is uncollectible and is not referable to a collection agency. The city may also elect to refer the matter to counsel for collection through an appropriate civil action. In either event, all costs of collection shall be paid by the defaulting party. (Ord. 778 § 17, 2003; Ord. 566 § 2, 1995).

13.04.300 Rate reduction – Established.

From and after July 1, 1987, the water-consumption charges to any water subscriber of the city, meeting the eligibility and qualification requirements set forth in YMC 13.04.310 and 13.04.320, shall be reduced by the sum of the ready-to-serve charge each month. (Ord. 337, 1987).



13.04.310 Rate reduction – Eligibility.

A. To be eligible for the water service charge reduction set forth in YMC 13.04.300, a subscriber shall:

1. Be a single person, 65 years of age or older, who is retired and whose income from all sources whatsoever does not exceed the median income as established or amended by resolution of the city council;

2. Be a couple where one partner is 65 years of age or older, whose income from all sources whatsoever combined with the income of the partners does not exceed the median income as established and set forth by resolution of the city council; or

3. Be a permanently disabled head of household whose income from all sources whatsoever does not exceed the median income as established or amended by resolution of the city council.

B. For the purposes of this chapter, the term "income from all sources whatsoever" includes all earnings, investment income such as dividends and interest, capital gains, benefits, social security benefits, pensions, disability payments, retirement pay and annuities, but does not include reimbursement for losses. (Ord. 868 § 2, 2007; Ord. 512 § 2, 1994; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.320 Rate reduction – Application procedure.

To qualify for the reduction in water-service charges set forth in this chapter, every eligible subscriber (or if married, then either spouse) shall file with the city clerk/treasurer his or her statement, under oath, on such form as may be prescribed by the city clerk/treasurer, that he, she or they meet the eligibility requirements set forth in YMC 13.04.310 and that such applicant or applicants promise to forthwith notify the city of any circumstances or change in conditions which would make the applicant or applicants ineligible to receive the reduction. (Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.330 Annexation requirements.

Any consumer requesting water service outside of the city limits shall be required, as a condition of receiving the water service and in addition to other requirements set forth in this chapter, to execute a waiver of protest to any future annexation which shall become an encumbrance upon the premises. (Ord. 512 § 2, 1994; Ord. 337, 1987).

13.04.340 Violations – Penalties.

A. Civil Penalties.

1. Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be liable to the city for any expense, loss, damage, cost of inspection or cost of correction incurred by the city by reason of such violation including any cost to the city incurred in collection from such person such loss, damage, expense, cost of inspection or cost of correction, including necessary reasonable attorney's fees and court costs.

2. Any person who shall make an unauthorized connection to the city's water system shall be charged a minimum fine of $250.00, or such other fines and penalties as may be adopted from time to time by city ordinance, for each unauthorized connection.

B. Criminal Penalties.

1. Any person, firm or corporation who willfully violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to discontinuance of supply of city water to the premises. Discontinuance of the city potable water supply shall remain in effect until corrective action as required by the public works director is completed. Furthermore, any willful violation by a person, firm, or corporation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ord. 778 § 18, 2003).



jmorgan

Typewritten Text

Appendix 1C Yelm Development Guidelines Chapter 6 - Water

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6.000 CHAPTER 6 – WATER..............................................................6-1 6.010 General........................................................................................ 6-1 6.020 Design Standards ........................................................................ 6-2 General Notes (Water Main Installation) ....................................... 6-3 Process to Obtain Water Service ...................................................6-5 6.030 Main Line ....................................................................................6-6 6.040 Connection to Existing Water Main ..............................................6-7 6.050 Service Interruption ..................................................................... 6-7 6.060 Hydrants ..................................................................................... 6-8 6.070 Valves..........................................................................................6-9 6.080 Casing .........................................................................................6-10 6.090 Air and Vacuum Release Valve .....................................................6-10 6.100 Blowoff Assembly ......................................................................... 6-11 6.110 Backflow Prevention..................................................................... 6-11 6.120 Service Connection ...................................................................... 6-11 6.125 Marking Service Lines .................................................................. 6-12 6.130 Water Main/Sanitary Sewer Crossings ......................................... 6-12 Required Separation Between Water Lines and Sanitary Sewers ... 6-14 6.140 Irrigation .....................................................................................6-15 6.150 Staking........................................................................................6-15 6.160 Trench Excavation ....................................................................... 6-15 6.165 Thrust Blocking ........................................................................... 6-16 6.170 Backfilling ...................................................................................6-16 6.175 Street Patching and Restoration ...................................................6-17 6.180 Hydrostatic Tests ......................................................................... 6-17 6.190 Sterilization and Flushing ............................................................ 6-17 6.195 Fencing at Water Meters ..............................................................6-18 6.200 Landscaping and Water Meters ....................................................6-18 L i s t o f D r a w i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 - 1 9

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C H A P T E R 6 6 . 0 0 0 W A T E R 6.010 General Any extension of the Yelm Water System must be approved by the

Department of Public Works and, all extensions must conform to DOH and the Coordinated Water System Plan, City of Yelm Water System Plan, and Yelm Fire District No. 2 requirements.

In designing and planning for any development, it is the

developers responsibility to see that adequate water for both domestic use and fire protection is attainable. The developer must show, in the proposed plans, how water will be supplied and whether adequate water pressure will be attained in case of fire. An analysis of the system may be required if it appears that the system might be inadequate.

Anyone who wishes to extend or connect to the City's water

system should contact the Department of Public Works for a water extension/connection fee estimate. This fee estimate is an estimate of the costs due the City for a waterline extension or connection (YMC 13.04.150, 160). A copy of the estimate form may be found in the appendix.

Prior to the release of any water meters, all Public Works

improvements must be completed and approved including granting of Right-of-Way or easements, and all applicable fees must be paid.

Issuance of building permits for new construction of single family

subdivisions shall not occur until final Public Works approval is given. For commercial projects, building permits may be issued upon completion and acceptance of the required fire protection facilities. A construction bond, in accordance with Section 3.100A of these Standards, will be required for the remaining Public Works improvements. Certificate of occupancy will not be issued until final Public Works approval is given for all improvements.

6 - 2 4/07

6.020 Design Standards The design of any water extension/connection shall conform to

City Standards and any applicable standards as set forth herein and in Sections 3.010 and 3.040.

The layout of extensions shall provide for the future continuation

and/or "looping" of the existing system as determined by the City. In addition, main extensions shall be extended as required in Section 3.130.

The General Notes on the following page shall be included on any

plans dealing with water system design.

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GENERAL NOTES (WATER MAIN INSTALLATION) 1. All workmanship and material shall be in accordance with City of Yelm

standards and the most current copy of the State of Washington Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge and Municipal Construction.

2. All work in City right-of-way requires a permit from the City of Yelm. Prior

to any work commencing, the general contractor shall arrange for a preconstruction meeting to be attended by all major contractors, representatives of involved utilities, and the City of Yelm. Contact the Public Works Department at (360) 458-8410 to schedule the meeting. The Contractor is responsible to have a set of approved plans at the meeting.

3. Water mains shall meet the following specifications:

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (under 4 inches): Pipe material shall be PVC 1120, PVC 1220, or PVC 2120, and have minimum wall thickness equal to or less than the Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) of 21, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.1(5)B.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (4 through 12 inches): Shall meet the requirements of AWWA C900, Class 150 wall thickness equal to or greater than the SDR of 18, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.1(5)A.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (14 through 20 inches): Shall meet the requirements of AWWA C905 wall thickness equal to or greater than the SDR of 18.

Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP): DIP shall conform to AWWA C151 Class 50 or greater, and shall be 1/16-inch cement lined and sealed in accordance with ANSI/AWWA C104/A21.4-90, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.2.(1). Six-inch fire hydrant spools shall be Class 52.

4. Gate valves shall be resilient wedge, NRS (Non Rising Stem) with O-rings

seals. Valve ends shall be mechanical joint or ANSI flanges. Valves shall conform to AWWA 509-80. Valves shall be Mueller, M & H, Kennedy, Clow R/W or Waterous Series 500. Existing valves to be operated by City employees only.

5. Hydrants shall be M & H Reliant Style 929, Mueller Centurion, or Clow

Medallion or AVK. Hydrants shall be bagged until system is approved. 6. All lines shall be chlorinated and tested in conformance with the above

referenced specification (Note 1).

6 - 4 4/07

7. All pipe and services shall be installed with continuous tracer tape installed 12" to 18" under the final ground surface. The marker shall be plastic non-biodegradable, metal core or backing marked water 2-inch-wide minimum, which can be detected by a standard metal detector. Tape shall be Terra Tape "D" or approved equal. In addition to tracer tape, install 14 gauge heavy duty direct bury coated copper wire (PAIGE "UF" single conductor or equal), wrapped around the pipe, brought up and tied off at valve body All wire connections shall use wire nuts and a DBR Splice Kit, manufactured by 3-M or approved equal. All locator wire for service pipe shall be connected to the locator wire on the water main.

8. Provide traffic control plan(s) as required in accordance with MUTCD. 9. All water mains shall be staked for grades and alignment by an engineering

or surveying firm capable of performing such work. 10. All service line locations shall be marked on the face of the curb with an

embossed "W" 1/4 inch into concrete. 11. Call Underground Locate at 1-800-424-5555 a minimum of 48 hours prior

to any excavations. 12. The City will be given 72 hours notice prior to scheduling a shutdown.

Where connections require "field verification", connection points will be exposed by contractor and fittings verified 48 hours prior to distributing shut-down notices.

13. At any connection to an existing line where a new valve is not installed, the

existing valve must be pressure tested to City standards prior to connection. If an existing valve fails to pass the test, the contractor shall make the necessary provisions to test the new line prior to connection to the existing system or install a new valve.

14. After completion of all items shown on these plans and before acceptance of

the project, the contractor shall obtain a “punch list” prepared by the City’s Inspector detailing remaining items of work to be completed. All items of work shown on these plans shall be completed to the satisfaction of the City prior to acceptance of the water system and provision of water service.

15. A copy of these approved plans and applicable city developer specifications and details shall be onsite during construction.

16. Any revisions made to these plans must be reviewed by the developer’s engineer and the City of Yelm prior to any implementation in the field. The City shall not be responsible for any errors and/or omissions on these plans.

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YES

YES NO

NO

PROCESS TO OBTAIN WATER SERVICE

APPLICANT REQUESTS WATER EXTENSION CONNECTION FEE ESTIMATE

ANNEXATION REQUIRED PREPARE FOR ANNEXATION OR EXECUTE

POWER OF ATTORNEY

WATER AVAILABLE

REVISE AND RESUBMIT

PLANS AND EASEMENT SUBMITTED BY ENGINEER

PAY PLAN CHECK FEES

PRECONSTRUCTION MEETING WITH D.P.W., PAY INSPECTION, PERMIT, AND

CONNECTION FEES

CALL FOR UTILITY LOCATES

CONSTRUCT FACILITIES

INSPECTION BY CITY

PRESSURE AND BACTERIOLOGICAL TESTS

FINAL PUBLIC WORKS APPROVAL

APPLY FOR METER

PAY CONNECTION FEES

METER INSTALLED BY CITY

INSPECTION OF WATERLINE FROM

SETTER TO BUILDING

METER INSTALLED

INSPECTION OF WATERLINE

AS-BUILT RECORDS

PLANS AND EASEMENTS APPROVED BY D.P.W.

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6.030 Main Line A. Water mains shall be sized to provide adequate domestic

plus fire flow at the required residual pressure. Fire flow requirements will be determined by Yelm Fire District No. 2, however, the quantity of water required will in no case be less than 750 GPM at 20 psi residual pressure.

The minimum water main size shall be 6 inches diameter as

long as fire flow requirements can be met. Larger size mains are required in specific areas outlined in the Coordinated Water System Plan. Nothing shall preclude the City from requiring the installation of a larger sized main in areas not addressed in the Coordinated Water System Plan if the City determines a larger size is needed to meet fire protection requirements or for future service.

B. All pipe for water mains shall have flexible gasketed joints

and shall comply with one of the following types:

Water mains shall meet the following specifications:

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (under 4 inches): Pipe material shall be PVC 1120, PVC 1220, or PVC 2120, and have minimum wall thickness equal to or less than the Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) of 21, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.1(5)B.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (4 through 12 inches): Shall meet the requirements of AWWA C900, Class 150 wall thickness equal to or less than the SDR of 18, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.1(5)A.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipe (14 through 20 inches): Shall meet the requirements of AWWA C905 wall thickness equal to or greater than the SDR of 18.

Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP): DIP shall conform to AWWA C151 Class 50 or greater, and shall be 1/6-inch cement lined and sealed in accordance with ANSI/AWWA C104/A21.4-90, and meet the requirements of WSDOT Standard Specifications Section 9-30.2.(1). Six-inch fire hydrant spools shall be Class 52.

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C. All fittings for ductile iron pipe or PVC pipe shall be ductile

iron compact fittings conforming to AWWA C 153 or Class 250 gray iron conforming to AWWA C 110 and C 111. All shall be cement mortar lined conforming to AWWA C 104. Plain end fittings shall be ductile iron if mechanical joint retainer glands are installed on the plain ends. All fittings shall be connected by flanges or mechanical joints.

D. All pipe and services shall be installed with continuous

tracer tape installed 12" to 18" under the final ground surface. The marker shall be plastic non-biodegradable, metal core or backing marked water 2-inch-wide minimum, which can be detected by a standard metal detector. Tape shall be Terra Tape "D" or approved equal. In addition to tracer tape, install 14 gauge heavy duty direct bury coated copper wire (PAIGE "UF" single conductor or equal), wrapped around the pipe, brought up and tied off at valve body. All wire connections shall use wire nuts and epoxy DBY water connection kit.

E. The minimum cover for all water mains from top of pipe to

finish grade shall be 42 inches unless otherwise approved. 6.040 Connection To Existing Water Main The developer's engineer shall be responsible for determining the

scope of work for connection to existing water mains. See drawing number 6-10.

It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to field verify the

location and depth of the existing main and the fittings required to make the connections to the existing mains. All fittings shall be approved by the Water Department prior to installation.

6.050 Service Interruption The contractor shall give the City a minimum of 72 hours notice

of any planned connection to an existing pipeline. This includes all cut-ins and live taps. Notice is required so any disruptions to existing services can be scheduled. The City will notify customers involved or affected of the water service interruption. The contractor shall make every effort to schedule water main construction with a minimum interruption of water service. In certain situations, the City may dictate scheduling of water main

6 - 8 4/07

shutdowns so as not to impose unnecessary shutdowns during specific periods to existing customers.

6.060 Hydrants A. The lead from the service main to the fire hydrant shall be

ductile iron cement mortar lined Class 52 no less than 6 inches in diameter. MJ joint shall be restrained with wedge action retainer glands, MegaLug 1006 of approved equal.

B. Fire Hydrants, shall have two, 2-1/2 inch outlets and one

4-1/2 inch pumper port outlet. All outlet ports shall be National Standard thread. The valve opening shall be no less than 5-1/4 inch diameter with a 5-inch “Storz” coupling and blind flange cap installed on the steamer port. The hydrant shall have a positive and automatic barrel drain and shall be of the "traffic safety" or break-away style; i.e., when accidentally broken off, water will not flow.

All hydrants shall be center-stem compression design, valve shall open against pressure.

Hydrants shall be M & H Reliant Style 929 or Mueller

Centurion, or Clow Medallion or American AVK Series 2780. All hydrants shall be bagged until system is approved.

C. The Department of Public Works and Yelm Fire District No.

2 work together to insure that adequate hydrant spacing and installation are achieved.

Unless otherwise required by the governing authority, the

following guidelines shall apply for hydrant number and location:

1. At least one hydrant shall be installed at all

intersections. 2. Hydrant spacing of 330 feet shall be required in all

areas except single family and duplex residential areas.

3. Hydrant spacing of 660 feet shall be required for single

family and duplex residential areas. 4. Hydrants located in cul-de-sac or dead end areas

either by design, topographic or manmade feature

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which prohibit straight line distance measurement, shall be located to serve no more than 120,000 square feet, and be served by an 8-inch-minimum main.

5. When any portion of a proposed building is in excess of 150 feet from a water supply on a public street, there shall be provided, when required by the fire chief, on-site hydrants and mains capable of supplying the required fire flow. Such hydrants shall be located as may be required by the Yelm Fire District No. 2 and easements for such hydrants shall be granted to the City.

D. Fire hydrants shall be set as shown in drawing number 6-7. E. For requirement regarding use, size and location of a fire

department connection (FDC) and/or post indicator valve contact Yelm Fire District No. 2. Location of FDC shall be shown on water plans.

F. Where needed, the Department of Public Works or Yelm Fire

District No. 2 will require hydrants to be protected by two or more posts, each eight inches in diameter by five feet in height made of either reinforced concrete or steel. Post shall be painted to match hydrant color.

G. Fire hydrants must be installed, tested, and accepted prior

to the issuance of a building permit. H. Fire Hydrants must have 3 foot of clearance around them. 6.070 Valves Where possible, valves shall be located at tee’s or crosses, and be

flanged by mechanical joints. All valves and fittings shall be ductile iron with ANSI flanges or

mechanical joint ends. All existing valves shall be operated by City employees only.

Valves shall be installed in the distribution system at sufficient

intervals to facilitate system repair and maintenance, but in no case shall there be less than one valve every 1000 feet. Generally, there shall be two valves on each tee and three valves on each cross. Specific requirements for valve spacing will be made at the plan review stage.

6 - 10 4/07

A. Gate Valves, 6 inch to 12 inch. The design, materials and workmanship of all gate valves shall conform to AWWA C509-80 latest revision. Gates valves shall be resilient wedge non-rising stem (NRS) with two internal O-ring stem seals. Gate valves shall be Mueller, M & H, Kennedy, Clow R/W or Waterous Series 500.

Gate valves shall be used on all 2 to 12-inch lines. B. Butterfly Valves. Butterfly valves shall conform to AWWA

C504, Class 150B, with cast iron short body and O-ring stem seals. Butterfly valves shall be Mueller, Linseal III, M & H, Pratt Ground hog, or Allis Chalmers.

Butterfly valves shall be used on all lines 14 inches and

larger. C. Valve Box. All valves shall have a standard Inland Foundry,

910 or equal water valve box set to grade with a 6 inch ASTM D3034 SDR 21 PVC riser from valve to within 4 to 6 inches of valve box top. If valves are not set in paved area, a 3 foot by 3 foot by 4 inch concrete pad shall be set around each valve box at finished grade. In areas where valve box falls in road shoulder, the ditch and shoulder shall be graded before placing asphalt or concrete pad. See drawing number 6-11.

D. Valve marker Post. Valve marker posts shall be 4 inch x

4 inch reinforced concrete or schedule 40 steel posts 5 feet long stamped with "W" and distance to valve. Post shall be painted with 1 base coat and 2 coats white oil base enamel. See drawing number 6-12.

6.080 Casing Steel casing shall be designed to a minimum of H2O loading. Pipe

spacers shall be Cascade style CC5 with 8 inch runners as available from Cascade Waterworks. Casing pipe and spacers shall be sized for pipe being installed. Install minimum of three spacers per section of pipe.

6.090 Air and Vacuum Release Valve Combination air and vacuum release valves (ARV) shall be 2”

combination air release valve, or approved equal. Installation shall be as shown on drawing number 6-8.

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The installation shall be set at the high point of the line when

required. Where possible, pipes are to be graded to prevent the need for an air release valve. Air release valves may not be required when services are in the vicinity.

6.100 Blowoff Assembly If a fire hydrant is not located at the end of a dead end main, a

blowoff assembly shall be required. On water mains which will be extended in the future, the valve which operates the blowoff assembly shall be the same size as the main and provided with a concrete thrust block. The pressure rating for blowoff assemblies shall be 200 psi. Installation shall be as shown on drawing number 6-9.

6.110 Backflow Prevention All water system connections to serve buildings or properties with

domestic potable water, fire sprinkler systems, or irrigation systems shall comply with the minimum backflow requirements as established by the Department of Health (DOH) and the City of Yelm.

The installation of all backflow devices is required to protect the

existing water system and users from possible contamination. Public Works shall get the certificate for testing of any backflow

prevention device before releasing the certificate of occupancy on any building. Test may be performed by any person certified by the Washington State Board of Health. A list of approved testers may be obtained from Washington Environmental Training Resource Center (WETRC) located in Auburn, Washington.

Yelm Fire District No. 2 will test the fire line and obtain the

certificate for underground piping. In any situation, Yelm Fire District No. 2 will not test their portion of underground until Public Works has tested and approved their main up to the fire line.

6.120 Service Connection A. All service connections relating to new development shall be

installed by the developer at the time of mainline construction. After the lines have been constructed, tested and approved the owner may apply for a water meter. The

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City will install a water meter after the application has been made and all applicable fees have been paid. Water meters will be set only after system is inspected and final approval is given.

B. When water is desired to a parcel fronting an existing main

but not served by an existing setter, an application must be made to the City. Upon approval of the application and payment of all applicable fees, the City will tap the main, and install the meter, box, and setter.

C. Service lines shall be one inch high density polyethylene

pipe, minimum pressure class 200 psi DR7, Phillips Drisco 5100 Ultra-Line, or Westflex. No glued joints will be accepted. Service lines shall be installed 90 degrees off the main. Tracer tape and wire wrapped around the pipe shall be installed on all service lines.

Service saddle shall be all ductile iron body with stainless

steel straps and shall be Romac style 202S, Rockwell 313 or approved equal. All clamps shall have rubber gasket and iron pipe threaded outlets.

Corporation stop shall be all bronze and shall be Ford type

FB1101 or approved equal with iron pipe threads conforming to AWWA C 800. Stainless steal inserts shall be used with pack joints and polyethylene pipe.

D. Master meters will not be allowed for service to more than

one per building. An approved backflow prevention system must be installed in conjunction with any master meter. Deviations to this may be granted by the Director of Public Works.

6.125 Marking Service Lines on Curbs The location of all service lines shall be marked on the face or top

of the cement concrete curb with a "W" 1/4 inch into concrete. 6.130 Water Main/Sanitary Sewer Crossings The Contractor shall maintain a minimum of 18 inches of vertical

separation between sanitary sewers and water mains. The minimum cover for water main of 42 inches may be reduced to 24 inches upon approval by the City to provide for as much vertical separation as possible.

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The longest standard length of water pipe shall be installed so

that the joints will fall equidistant from any sewer crossing. In some cases where minimum separation cannot be maintained, it may be necessary to encase the water pipe and/or sewer service in pipe or concrete. No concrete shall be installed unless specifically directed by the City.

Taken from: “Criteria for Sewage Works Design” By: State of Washington Department of Ecology, December 1998. Situations not addressed below shall follow the criteria as outlined in the most current edition of the above mentioned document.

WATER MAIN STANDARD PIPE MATERIAL ________________________________________________________________________ AWWA (ASTM) STANDARD TYPE OF PIPE PIPE JOINT FITTINGS Ductile Iron – Class 50 C 151 & C 104 C 111 C 110 & C

153 Polyvinyl-Chloride – Class 150 C 900 D 3139 & C 110 & F

477 C153 Concrete Cylinder C 303

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Required Separation Between Water Lines and Sanitary Sewers, Parallel Construction

Required Separation Between Water Lines and Sanitary Sewers, Unusual Conditions Parallel Construction

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6.140 Irrigation All irrigation systems shall be installed with an approved backflow

prevention assembly approved by the Department of Health. Irrigation sprinklers shall be situated so as to not wet any public

street or sidewalk. 6.150 Staking All surveying and staking shall be performed by an engineering or

surveying firm capable of performing such work. The engineer or surveyor directing such work shall be licensed as a Professional Engineer or Professional Land Surveyor by the State of Washington.

A preconstruction meeting shall be held with the City prior to

commencing staking. All construction staking shall be inspected by the City prior to construction.

The minimum staking of waterlines shall be as directed by the

City Engineer or as follows: A. Stake centerline alignment every 50 feet with cut or fill to

invert of pipe maintaining 42 inches of cover over pipe. Cuts are normally not required when road grade has been built to subgrade elevation.

B. Stake alignment of all fire hydrants, tees, water meters,

setters and other fixtures and mark cut or fill to hydrant flange finished grade.

6.160 Trench Excavation A. Clearing and grubbing where required shall be performed

within the easement or public Right-of-Way as permitted by the City and/or governing agencies. Debris resulting from the clearing and grubbing shall be disposed of by the owner or contractor in accordance with the terms of all applicable permits. Temporary erosion control measures shall be installed and approved by the City Inspector prior to any excavations.

B. Trenches shall be excavated to the line and depth

designated by the Engineer to provide a minimum of 42 inches of cover over the pipe. Except for unusual

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circumstances where approved by the City, the trench width shall be excavated only to such widths as are necessary for adequate working space as allowed by the governing agency. The trench shall be kept free from water until joining is complete. Surface water shall be diverted so as not to enter the trench. The owner shall maintain sufficient pumping equipment on the job to insure that these provisions are carried out.

C. The contractor shall perform all excavation of every

description and whatever substance encountered and boulders, rocks, roots and other obstructions shall be entirely removed or cut out to the width of the trench and to a depth 6 inches below water main grade. Where materials are removed from below water main grade, the trench shall be backfilled to grade with material satisfactory to the City and thoroughly compacted (see Section 6.170).

D. Trenching and shoring operations shall not proceed more

than 100 feet in advance of pipe laying without approval of the City, and shall be in conformance with Washington Industrial Safety and Health Administration (WISHA) and Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety Standard.

E. The bottom of the trench shall be finished to grade with

hand tools in such a manner that the pipe will have bearing along the entire length of the barrel. The bell holes shall be excavated with hand tools to sufficient size to make up the joint.

6.165 Thrust Blocking Location of thrust blocking shall be shown on plans. Thrust

block concrete shall be commercial Class 3000 psi poured against undisturbed earth. A plastic barrier shall be placed between all thrust blocks and fittings.

See drawing number 6-13 and 6-14 for thrust block locations and

calculations. 6.170 Backfilling Backfilling and surface restoration shall closely follow installation

of pipe so that not more than 100 feet is left exposed during construction hours without approval of the City. All trenches

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shall be backfilled during non-working hours unless otherwise approved by the City. Selected backfill material shall be placed and compacted around and under the water mains by hand tools to a height of 6 inches above the top of the water main. The remaining backfill shall be compacted to 95 percent of the maximum density in traveled areas, 90 percent outside traveled area. Where governmental agencies other than the City have jurisdiction over roadways, the backfill and compaction shall be done to the satisfaction of the agency having jurisdiction. See Standard Drawing No. 6-15 for backfill and bedding materials.

6.175 Street Patching and Restoration See Chapter 4B.170 and 4B.180 for requirements regarding street

patching and trench restoration. 6.180 Hydrostatic Tests Prior to the acceptance of the work, the installation shall be

subjected to a hydrostatic pressure test of 200 psi for 15 minutes, and any leaks or imperfections developing under said pressure shall be remedied by the contractor. No main shall be hydrostatically tested until the lines are flushed of chlorine. The main shall be tested between valves. Insofar as possible, no hydrostatic pressure shall be placed against the opposite side of the valve being tested. Test pressure shall be maintained while the entire installation is inspected.

The contractor shall provide all necessary equipment and shall

perform all work connected with the tests. Tests shall be made after all connections have been made and the roadway section is constructed to subgrade. This is to include any and all connections as shown on the plan. The contractor shall perform the test to assure that the equipment to be used for the test is adequate and in good operating condition and the air in the line has been released before requesting the City to witness the test.

See Section 6.110 for testing responsibilities for backflow

prevention devices. 6.190 Sterilization and Flushing Sterilization of water mains shall be accomplished by the

contractor in accordance with the requirements of the Washington State Department of Health and in a manner satisfactory to the City. At no time shall chlorinated water from a

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new main be flushed into a body of fresh water. This is to include lakes, rivers, streams, drainage ways, and any and all other waters where fish or other natural water life can be expected.

When a chlorine concentration has been established throughout the line, the valves shall be closed and the line left undisturbed for 24 hours. The line shall then be thoroughly flushed and water samples taken by the contractor at least 24 hours after flushing and disinfecting for approval by the local health agency. Should the initial treatment result in an unsatisfactory bacteriological test, the original chlorination procedure shall be repeated by the contractor until satisfactory results are obtained. The sample can only be taken on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays until noon. Testing and sampling shall take place after all underground utilities are installed and compaction of the roadway section is complete.

6.195 Fencing at Water Meters Water meters shall not be fenced in yard. Fencing shall be placed

around meters to allow access from the City right-of-way or easements.

6.200 Landscaping, Water Meters and Fire Hydrants No trees or shrubs shall be planted within 3 feet of any water

meter or fire hydrant. Improvement or landscaping of any sort shall not be constructed which will impede easy access or maintenance to water meters and fire hydrants.

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Appendix 1D Yelm Comprehensive Plan Chapter V - Public Facilities and Utilities

V. Public Facilities & Utilities A. Introduction

Note: A list of the goals and policies applicable to the unincorporated portion of the Yelm Urban Growth Area is located in Exhibit G. The purpose of this section is to identify relevant plans for public facilities (sewer and water) and private utilities (electricity, gas, phone, cable, and garbage) and to assure such plans serve the urban area in a manner consistent with this Plan.

B. County-Wide Planning Policies

The following county-wide policies are adopted within the Urban Growth Area to guide utility development:

2.1 Concentrate development in growth areas by:

a. Encouraging infilling in areas already characterized by urban growth that have the capacity to provide public services and facilities to serve urban development;

b. Phasing urban development and facilities outward

from core areas; . . .

e. Where urban services & utilities are not yet available, requiring development to be configured so urban growth areas may eventually infill and become urban.

. . .

2.2 Coordinate urban services, planning and standards through:

a. Coordinated planning and implementation of urban land use, parks, open space corridors, transportation, and infrastructure within growth areas;

. . . e. Phasing extensions of urban services and facilities

concurrent with development; and

f. No extensions of urban services and facilities, such as sewer and water, beyond urban growth boundaries except to serve existing development in rural areas with public health or water quality problems.

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2.3 Provide capacity to accommodate planned growth by:

a. Assuring that each jurisdiction will have adequate capacity in transportation, public and private utilities, storm drainage systems, municipal services, parks and schools to serve growth that is planned for in adopted local comprehensive plans;

. . . 5.1 Develop financing methods for infrastructure which minimize the

taxpayer's overall burden and fairly divide costs between existing and new development. . . . .

Thurston County-Wide Policies, adopted August 16, 1993.

C. Public Facilities

1. General Policies a. Location of Facilities

The City of Yelm is the sewer and water provider within the Urban Growth Area. It is the policy of the City to extend sewer and water facilities only within the City limits and to require annexation of unincorporated areas to receive public facilities. Exemptions will be made on a case-by-case basis, but only when (1) necessary to solve an existing environmental problem, (2) approved by Thurston County, and (3) adequately funded to avoid any costs to City, taxpayers, and ratepayers.

b. Funding of New Facilities

Development regulations must provide for adequate financing tools, including local improvement districts, latecomer agreements, impact fees, and other devices to assure that the cost of growth is fairly apportioned between existing and new development.

2. City Water

a. Current System/Capacity

The City of Yelm is served by three wells, two storage tanks, and a combination of old and newer distribution pipes. There is currently a need to repair some of the older distribution pipes. There is also an existing need for improvements to the disinfection system.

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Water supply and storage capacity meet the present demand, since the City can physically serve 1,542 connections and has existing storage for at least 2,000 connections. A detailed description of the system is included in the Water Comprehensive Plan, dated August 1994, which is adopted as Appendix B, to this Comprehensive Plan.

As Yelm's population increases, however, new water sources, storage, and water lines will need to be expanded, upgraded, or acquired. Additionally, there are existing deficiencies in the fire flow capacity of properties located at the eastern and northwest ends of the service zone, as well as certain specialized uses, such as schools and industrial areas. The City has an ongoing program to acquire water rights to assure adequate capacity to serve the growing population. Yelm currently has adequate water rights in process to serve the existing population and the anticipated growth for at least 20 years. If adequate water cannot be obtained due to lack of resources, annexations would not proceed and development would be limited to existing rights. Under such circumstances the land use plans would have to be reconsidered. Certain administrative improvements are recommended which will benefit the existing system as well as future expansion. These include establishing well-head protective zones around the City's wells in the Urban Growth Area in order to prevent contamination of the wells by incompatible land uses or activities conducted within the aquifer recharge area of the wells.

b. Proposed System Improvements

The water system improvements are identified in Chapter 3.0 of the Water Comprehensive Plan and funding sources are in Chapter 4.0 of the Plan. To summarize, there is in the near term a need for a fourth well, second and third storage reservoirs, and additional distribution lines to accommodate the anticipated population growth during the first part of this 20-year planning cycle. Mid-way through the 20-year planning cycle, it is anticipated that new population growth will require a fifth, high-yield well.

c. Levels of Service (LOS)

For planning and concurrency purposes, the City requires 300 gallons per day per connection and 750 gallons per minute peak fire flow capacity in residential areas and Uniform Fire Code criteria for industrial and commercial areas, together with a reserve capacity of 15%. Thirty percent of the City's existing water rights

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are set aside for industrial development. Commercial and institutional users are required to meet Uniform Fire Code minimums and demonstrate capacity in the system without infringing on residential reserve and light industrial reserve flows.

3. City Sewer

a. Current System/Capacity

Detailed information about Yelm's sewage system can be found in the Comprehensive Sewer Plan, dated August 1994, which is incorporated herein as a stand-alone, Volume 4, Appendix C. Yelm is presently served by a Septic Tank Effluent Pump (STEP) sewer plant permitted for 3 million gallons per day of discharge to the Centralia Power Canal. The system serves only a portion of the existing city limits. Thirty percent of the system capacity is allocated to non residential uses. The balance of the present system is designed to meet corrective needs in the existing city limits due to old or failing septic tanks.

b. Proposed System

Future waste water disposal to serve new growth outside the presently-sewered area is intended to be through reuse and recycling. The program is intended to be accomplished by treating the effluent to a reusable level and then recycling throughout the City. Irrigation, industrial use, and wetland recharge are all targeted uses. The plan is described in greater depth in the Pilot Project description outlined in Yelm's Comprehensive Sewer Plan (see Volume 4/ Appendix C.) A priority of the City is to identify a variety of permitted disposal/irrigation sites which will allow growth areas to be designated for sewered growth. Site-specific reuse/recycle areas should be identified within all sewered Sub-Areas to reduce transportation costs. Up to 10% of the land area in a Sub-Area may be used to recycle treated water. Such land area may be in parks, open spaces, or critical areas, and will often be incorporated into a specific project.

The City is developing the treatment and storage facilities. These facilities serve the existing system and form the core of the new system. The key to system expansion will be identification and approval of recycle-reuse discharge areas. As new areas inside the City are identified for development and permitted for recycled

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water discharge, land use designations identified on Map 3 will become effective. Different strategies for waste water disposal will be used throughout the City. The mitigation and concurrency strategy for every proposed development will be to identify and fund a fair share of the costs of developing an approved discharge area.

The City will develop guidelines and mitigation requirements, as well as compensation and reimbursement mechanisms (such as local improvement districts and latecomers agreements) to facility development of such areas.

c. Level of Service (LOS)

Each residential unit will require the City to collect, treat, and discharge approximately 240 gallons per day per unit, together with an appropriate reserve area and buffers where required for discharge. Each commercial or light industrial user, outside the present discharge service area, shall be assessed based on the Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) daily rate. Development standards shall identify the correlation to be used for industrial and commercial users.

d. Non-Sewered Areas

The City considers a septic system a temporary system within the urban area and incompatible with long-term urban densities. Development standards shall be developed to identify the timing and nature of funding and conversion obligations for septic systems in the urban area. Groundwater monitoring is appropriate in areas under septic tank management. Most of Yelm is in an area of extreme aquifer sensitivity. The current sewage treatment plan was required due to groundwater pollution concerns. For this reason, development at urban levels of density on septic tanks is not in the public interest. Many areas within the Urban Growth Area are already on septic tanks. In addition, some development will likely occur at one unit per five acres density on septic tanks within the unsewered areas of the City and the Urban Growth Area.

The City will permit development in non-sewered areas with low densities on septic tanks. Such installations must be prepared to transfer to the sewer line when facilities are available and hook-up

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required under the criteria set forth in the development standards. The County would follow similar guidelines in the unincorporated Urban Growth Area.

The City should consider developing a septic tank maintenance program, directly or in connection with Thurston County, to monitor and maintain the septic systems in place or allowed in the urban areas. The City considers septic tanks in the Urban Growth Area as an interim use to be changed to sewer as identified in appropriate development regulations. On a case-by-case basis, the County may identify areas proposed for outside the Urban Growth Area where existing development patterns are such that long-term septic service, with adequate public maintenance and supervision, may continue in the long term without sewer service. Such areas may require City water or sewer service should a public health problem arise and adequate funding be identified to avoid fiscal impact to the City.

4. Stormwater

Stormwater control is important for both flood protection and water quality and groundwater protection. Yelm has no specific detention/retention facilities as existing soils and ditches are adequate to meet present need. Development regulations should identify criteria for stormwater discharge, retention, and treatment on all new development. Such regulations should be coordinated with the wastewater reuse/recycling plans presently under study. The basic stormwater program principles identified by the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority and the DOE-approved Thurston County Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual should be considered a guide in the development regulations in establishing the Yelm Area Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual for stormwater treatment, detention, and release.

5. School Districts

The Yelm School District and the Rainier School District serve the Urban Growth Area. The Rainier School District jurisdiction will be developed in conjunction with the overall plan for the Thurston Highlands' portion of the Southwest Sub-Area. The remaining planning area is within Yelm School District No. 2. That District currently has a high school, a middle school, an intermediate (grades 5-6) school, an alternative high school and three elementary schools within Yelm's Urban Growth Area. The Yelm School District has an additional elementary school in Pierce County and

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approximately 20% of the students live in Pierce County. In 1994, the Yelm School District's growth was 180 students from last year and the District now instructs a total enrollment of 4,000 students. Based on current growth projections, student population will grow by approximately 6,000 students during the next 20 years. All future schools will need to be constructed within Yelm's Urban Growth Area to meet the requirements of utilities and land use. Within the next six years, a new intermediate school and a new elementary school will need to be built.

The District intends to identify and recommend appropriate and reasonable mitigation measures to be imposed upon approvals given and permits issued to those residential single-family and multi-family developments within the District boundaries that adversely impact the District. The City's policy is to encourage the adequate and timely development of facilities and will work with the District to identify development regulations to accomplish the District's objectives within the guidelines of Chapter 28.02 RCW.

6. Libraries

Yelm is served by the Timberland Regional Library. The City supports efforts to obtain levels of service established by the Timberland program for Yelm and surrounding rural areas. Target facilities for Yelm will include about 1.66 square feet of library space per capita or 20,000 feet to serve the 11,999 projected population. Yelm also supports innovative technology to achieve wider distribution without fixed facilities, including mobile programs and computer access technology.

D. Private Utilities

The purpose of this section is to identify the general existing location, proposed location, and capacity of all existing and proposed utilities affecting the Urban Growth Area, including but not limited to electrical lines, telecommunication lines, and natural gas lines (RCW 36.70A.070(4)). For Yelm, these utilities are provided by state regulated utilities, federally licensed communications companies, and a municipally franchised cable TV company. The electric utility that serves Yelm is Puget Sound Power & Light Company (Puget Power); the natural gas utility is Washington Natural Gas (WNG); the telephone utility is Yelm Telephone Company (YTC); cable services are provided under municipal franchise by VIACOM Cablevision and the Yelm Telephone Company. The electric, natural gas, and telephone utilities are regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC).

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1. Electrical Utility

Puget Power builds, operates, and maintains the electrical system serving the City of Yelm. Puget Power is a private, investor-owned utility with the responsibility for providing service to approximately 800,000 metered customers in a nine county service area in Western and Central Washington. The system serving Yelm is part of a larger service area called the Thurston County area, which is roughly the boundaries of Thurston County. The area includes the entire cities of Bucoda, Lacey, Olympia, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater, and Yelm; and unincorporated Thurston County.

Puget Power imports electrical energy from generation sources in Canada, on the Columbia River, and from other generation sites inside and outside of Puget Power's service territory. Puget Power also owns and operates generation facilities. Based on Thurston Regional Planning Council population and employment forecasts for the next 20-30 years, Puget Power estimates that there will be a peak winter load of approximately 753 MVA (Mega or million volts amperes) in the Thurston County area in the year 2010. In comparison, the winter peak load today is approximately 500 MVA. New facilities, including transmission lines and substations, and distribution systems, may have to be added or expanded in order to reliably transmit the electrical energy projected to be required in Puget Power's service areas. The existing location of Puget Power facilities and lines is shown on the attached map, Appendix G-1A. A general estimate of current capacity of the Puget Power system within the Yelm Urban Growth Area is 17 MVA, plus or minus 2 MVA. Since the substations serving the Yelm proposed Urban Growth Area also supply power to customers outside of the area, a precise estimate is not available.

The general location of proposed future electrical transmission lines and substations are schematically depicted on the maps contained in Volume 5/Appendix G-1A. The exact locations of future facilities and transmission lines may vary. The proposed facilities are intended to improve both service reliability to existing customers and to accommodate future growth. It reflects Puget Power's projected future demand of approximately 30 MVA for a peak winter load in Yelm's proposed Urban Growth Area. Descriptions, maps, and inventories of existing, in-progress, and proposed electrical transmission facilities improvements intended to serve local and

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regional needs are presented and described more fully in Puget Power's Thurston County Draft GMA Electrical Facilities Plan, 1992" (see Volume 5/Appendix G-1).

2. Natural Gas Utility

Washington Natural Gas (WNG) builds, operates, and maintains natural gas facilities serving the City of Yelm. WNG is an investor-owned utility serving nearly 400,000 customers in five western Washington counties including King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, and Lewis Counties.

Natural gas is supplied to the City of Yelm through a gate station from Northwest Pipeline Corporation. At the station, the gas is metered and becomes the responsibility of the Washington Natural Gas Company (WNG). Yelm is served from the Yelm gate station through two inch mains operating at supply pressures between 200 and 250 pounds per square inch (psi). Distribution pressures are decreased to between 20 and 60 psi. The pressure varies depending on the weather and time of day. Washington Natural Gas Company records show 176 customers in June 1982 and 278 customers as of June 1992. WNG's existing distribution is shown on the map included in Volume 5/Appendix G-2A. WNG's proposed improvements and expansion are shown on the map included in Volume 5/Appendix G-2B. Generally, WNG engages in two types of construction activities:

a. Supplying natural gas to a new building b. Converting a building from an alternate fuel to natural gas

Because the timing of this type of construction is difficult to predict, WNG responds on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, precise figures on the amount and type of new building or conversion-related construction are not available. WNG also plans construction aimed at improving service to an area showing a need for increased capacity. From an engineering design standpoint, the minimum pressure at which natural gas can be delivered is 15 pounds per square inch (psi). If the pressure drops below 15 psi, there are several ways to increase the pressure in the line. Each method requires construction activity. Following are common methods for increasing supply to an area:

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a. "Looping" the distribution and/or supply lines to provide an alternate route for the natural gas to travel to an area needing additional supply. This method often involved construction of high pressure mains, district regulators, and intermediate pressure gas mains.

b. Installing lines parallel to existing lines to supplement supply of

natural gas to a particular service area. c. Replacing existing gas mains to increase the volume of natural gas

that can be supplied to a particular service area. However, this type of construction is rare, since it is usually more economical to loop gas mains. This increases the potential service area, and provides an alternate route for the natural gas to travel.

d. Recently, WNG has replaced existing gas mains if they are older

and street resurfacing or widening would make it difficult to get to the gas mains at a later time.

There are plans to replace the two-inch supply main with an eight-inch main and loop the two-inch distribution main with a six-inch main from the south when developments south of Yelm justify the cost of construction. There are also plans to service McKenna from the Yelm gate when main extensions are required. No date has been set for either plan.

3. Telephone Utilities

The entire Yelm Urban Growth Area is served by a single, independent telephone company: the Yelm Telephone Company (YTC). YTC has developed a five-year plan for its facilities and their growth and expansion. The five-year plan is included in Volume 5/ Appendix G-3. Because of uncertainty in the timing of growth and the resulting need for utility services, YTC has not planned beyond the five-year horizon.

4. Cable Utilities

Cable telephone services in the City of Yelm are generally provided by Viacom Cablevision. This service provides television broadcasting via a network of overhead and/or underground coaxial cables. Virtually all channels carried on the Yelm cable system originate at Viacom's primary transmitter site located in Tacoma. Viacom's Yelm cable system has the technical capacity to serve any anticipated new development in the City, as well as any potential areas of annexation. The Viacom system in Yelm was designed at 550 mghz and

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built to 450 mghz capacity. The total number of customers in the Yelm city limits, as of August 6, 1994 is 1,235. The City of Yelm recently approved a franchise for the addition of a second cable utility, owned by Yelm Telephone Company. YTC has not yet developed a plan for its cable facilities.

5. Solid Waste Utility

The City of Yelm currently contracts with a private company for the collection and disposal of garbage and recyclables. Any and all properties within the City's limits are and will continue to be served by the services rendered under a solid waste contract. The City is presently exploring commercial recycling opportunities and alternatives. The City's expansion of its city limits is dependent upon availability of adequate capacity for disposal of solid waste.

E. Overall Goals and Policies GOAL 1: To facilitate the development and maintenance of all public facilities

and utilities at the appropriate levels of service to accommodate the growth that is anticipated to occur in the City of Yelm.

Policy 1-1: The serving utility shall determine the sequence of

implementing components of the utility plan as contained herein. GOAL 2: To facilitate the provision of public facilities and utilities and to

ensure environmentally sensitive, safe, and reliable service, that is aesthetically compatible with the surrounding land uses and results in reasonable economic costs to consumers.

Policy 2-1: Promote when reasonably feasible co-location of new public

and private utility distribution facilities in shared trenches and coordination of construction timing to minimize construction-related disruptions to the public and reduce the cost to the public of utility delivery. Provide timely effective notice to utilities to encourage coordination of public and private utility trenching activities for new construction and maintenance and repair of existing roads.

Policy 2-2: Promote the joint use of transportation rights of way and

utility corridors, where possible, provided that such joint use is consistent with limitations as may be prescribed by applicable law and prudent utility practice.

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Policy 2-3: Require the undergrounding of all new electrical distribution and communication lines where reasonably feasible. Encourage the undergrounding of all existing electrical distribution and communication lines when it is reasonably feasible. Undergrounding shall be in accordance with rates and tariffs applicable to the serving utility.

Policy 2-4: Require the reasonable screening and/or architecturally

compatible integration of all new site-specific above ground facilities.

Policy 2-5: Encourage directional pruning of trees and phased

replacement of improperly located vegetation planted in the right-of-way. Pruning and trimming of trees should be performed in an environmentally sensitive and aesthetically acceptable manner and according to professional arboricultural specifications and standards.

Policy 2-6: Encourage the consolidation of utility facilities and

communication facilities where reasonably feasible. Policy 2-7: Facilitate the conversion to cost effective and

environmentally sensitive alternative technologies and energy sources.

Policy 2-8: Facilitate and encourage conservation of resources. Policy 2-9: Follow County guidelines in Chapter 7 of the County

Comprehensive Plan for utility coordination between the Urban Growth Areas and rural areas within the unincorporated area.

GOAL 3: To process permits and approvals for public facilities and utilities in

a fair and timely manner and in accord with development regulations which encourage predictability.

Policy 3-1: Encourage the cooperation with other jurisdictions in the

planning and implementation of multi-jurisdictional public facility and utility additions and improvements. Decisions made regarding utility facilities shall be made in a manner consistent with and complementary to regional demand and resources and shall reinforce an interconnected regional distribution network.

Policy 3-2: Consideration of public facility and utility permits

simultaneously with the proposals requesting service and, when

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possible, approval of utility permits when the project to be served is approved.

Policy 3-3: Coordination among adjacent planning jurisdictions to

ensure the consistency of each jurisdiction's utilities element and regional utility plans including: (i) coordinate the formulation and periodic update of the utilities element and relevant implementing development regulations and (ii) coordinate procedures for making specific land use decisions to achieve consistency of timing and substantive requirements.

Policy 3-4: Ensure that development regulations are consistent with and

do not otherwise impair the fulfillment of public service obligations imposed by federal and State law.

Policy 3-5: Make decisions with respect to utility facilities so that safe,

adequate, and efficient availability of electrical service in other jurisdictions is not negatively affected.

Policy 3-6: Interpret the map designations depicting the general location

of proposed facilities as applying to a general corridor rather than to a specific site. Coordinate with utility providers to obtain updated information and, if necessary, revise the maps accordingly.

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Appendix 1E Local Government Consistency Review Checklist

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Appendix 1F Public Information Materials

WUE & Water System Plan Page 1 Final Plan 6/10/08

CITY OF YELM

Water Use Efficiency Goal Setting

Water System Plan Update

Public Information/Public Involvement Plan

Background

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requires the City of Yelm to update

its Water System Plan (WSP) every six years. DOH also requires that the City establish

Water Use Efficiency goals. As the City undertakes both of these water system planning

projects, it is committed to informing the community about these projects and to

encourage active community involvement by participating in various public outreach

activities which will lead to successful outcomes.

The purpose of this public information/public involvement plan is to serve as a roadmap

for carrying out public information and public involvement activities as they relate to

these water planning projects. It was developed following telephone interviews with

selected individuals who provided suggestions for public outreach. (A summary of their

input, the names of those interviewed, and interview questions are attached to the Plan.)

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the public involvement/public information program is to provide ample

opportunities for interested citizens to learn about these projects and to provide

meaningful opportunities for them to provide ideas and suggestions, leading to successful

outcomes. These comment opportunities will be timed to allow the public to comment

on draft Water Use Efficiency (WUE) Goals before the City Council finalizes them and to

provide input at three key points during the development of the Water System Plan.

Specific objectives of this plan are to:

• Create public awareness about the WUE Rule and the WSP, -- their purposes,

processes, and schedules -- and provide accurate, timely and easily accessible

information about each project.

• Inform interested citizens of their opportunities to participate and offer comments.

• Offer multiple opportunities and methods for citizens to provide their suggestions

throughout the planning process.

• Show how citizen comments have been recognized, considered and incorporated in

these planning processes.

Target Audiences

• All residents and businesses in the City of Yelm and its urban growth area and all

customers of the City of Yelm water utility.


Approaches

Public involvement approaches include the following:

• Stakeholder interviews

• Four open houses/public meetings (one Water Use Efficiency Forum and three over

the course of the development of the Water System Plan)

• Written comments throughout the planning process, including comments sent

electronically from the City’s website

Public information approaches include:

• Inserts in utility billings that invite customers to public open houses.

• Press releases distributed to the Nisqually Valley Newspaper, and the Daily

Olympian.

• A project website that is updated as materials for the project are developed and that

provides an opportunity to send an email with questions, comments, and responses

directly from the City’s website.

• Meeting announcements posted on the City’s electronic reader board.

• Briefings by Yelm staff as requested by community organizations and service clubs.

These approaches are described in greater detail below, including the purpose, content,

format, timeline and responsibilities for carrying them out.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES

Approach: Stakeholder interviews

Purpose: To ask community leaders identified by City staff for their

suggestions regarding appropriate public information and public

involvement approaches and techniques and to get an early

understanding of issues and concerns associated with the projects.

The results will be used to draft a public information/involvement

plan for the Water Sytem Planning project.

Content: Questions related to effective public involvement and public

information approaches and techniques and likely issues or

concerns.

Timeline: April-May 2008

Responsibilities: The consultant team’s lead for public involvement will use the

results to draft a public information/involvement plan and provide

a report of the key themes that emerged from the interviews.

Approach: Water Use Efficiency Forum Open House/Public Meeting

Purpose/content: To explain the purpose, process and schedule for adopting Water

Use Efficiency Goals and to present goals drafted by the City

Council for citizen review and comment. Materials to be made


available in advance include the following: 1) Current WUE

program; 2) Previous annual reports (copies of past Consumer

Confidence Reports will be made available); 3) Water supply

characteristics; and 4) Residential water demand forecasts.

Format: The format will be an open house where citizens can come at their

convenience, review informational boards, talk one-on-one with

City staff and consultant team members about the project, and

leave written comments. Brief informational presentations will be

scheduled at two points during the open house.

Timeline: June 18, 2008 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the Public Safety Building

Responsibilities: The consultant team will

• Be responsible for drafting and finalizing a flier, based on City

comments, by April 15 so the City can produce copies and

include it with the May utility billing.

• Meet with City staff in advance of the Water Use Efficiency

Forum to discuss informational materials needed for the event

and agree on visuals and boards that should be prepared and

staffing for the open house. The results will be identified in the

consultant’s Meeting Plan for the open house.

• Prepare graphics and visuals for the meetings and will be

available to talk to meeting participants.

• Draft a set of likely questions that may come up during the

open house so the project team can agree on appropriate

responses in advance. The intent is to provide accurate and

consistent responses to the public.

• Telephone or email an agreed-upon list of community leaders

to invite their participation and ask them to encourage friends

and neighbors to attend. Alternatively, emails to a list of

community leaders may also be used.

City staff will

• Reserve the Public Safety Building for the open houses.

• Announce the open houses on the City’s reader board and

invite participation.

• Make available to the public the following four documents: 1)

Current WUE program; 2) Previous annual reports; 3) Water

supply characteristics; and 4) Residential water demand

forecasts. These should be available in hard copy and on-line.

• Provide presentations to service or community organizations

in the project area, if requested, to publicize the projects and

encourage participation.

Approach: Water System Plan - Open House/Public Meeting #1 – August 6th,

Purpose/Content Introduce the public to the DOH and Department of Ecology’s

requirements for a Water System Plan; describe the planning

process and schedule and specific opportunities for public


participation; describe the current water system and the issues that

need to be addressed in the new plan (including Water Use

Efficiency, Water Rights, CIP, and Rate Study); ask for citizen

concerns, ideas and questions about the information/materials;

describe how citizen input will be tracked and addressed as the

process proceeds.

Format: The format will be finalized based on experience at the Water Use

Efficiency Forum on June 18 and project team discussions.

Assuming a similar format is selected, it will be an open house

where citizens can come at their convenience, review informational

boards, talk one-on-one with City staff and consultant team

members about the project, and leave written comments. Brief

informational presentations will be scheduled at two points during

the open house.

Timeline: August 6th (tentative)



and public comments, by June 16 so the City can produce

copies and include it with the July utility billing.

• Meet with City staff in advance of Water System Plan Open

House #2 to discuss informational materials needed for the

event and agree on visuals and boards that should be prepared

and staffing for the open house. The results will be identified

in the consultant’s Meeting Plan for the open house.

• Prepare graphics and visuals for the meetings and be available

to talk to meeting participants.





• Telephone or email an agreed-upon list of community leaders

to invite their participation and ask them to encourage friends

and neighbors to attend. Alternatively, emails to a list of


City staff will

• Reserve the Public Safety Building for the open houses





encourage participation

Approach: Water System Plan – Open House/Public Meeting #2

Purpose/Content: Summarize the planning process, and progress that has been made

to date; Review Water Use Efficiency, Water Rights, Water Use


Projections, CIP and Rate Study; Summarize public input from and

since Open House #1 and how comments are being addressed; ask

for additional input; describe how input is being tracked and

expectations for Open House #3. The financial consultant for the

project (FCS Group) will prepare a brief description of their initial

findings.

Format: The format will be finalized based on experience at previous open

houses. Assuming a similar format is selected, it will be an open

house where citizens can come at their convenience, review

informational boards, talk one-on-one with City staff and

consultant team members about the project, and leave written

comments. Brief informational presentations will be scheduled at

two points during the open house.

.Timeline: Mid October (final date to be determined)



comments, by August 16, so the City can produce copies and

include it with the September utility billing.






• Prepare graphics and visuals for the meetings and be available

to talk to meeting participants.





• Telephone an agreed-upon list of community leaders to invite

their participation and ask them to encourage friends and

neighbors to attend. Alternatively, emails to a list of


City staff will







Approach: Water System Plan – Open House/Public Meeting #3

Purpose/content: Summarize the water system planning process and briefly

summarize components of the draft Water System Plan: Water

Use Efficiency; Water Use Projections; Water rights (current


status); CIP (map and schedule of projects); and Rate Study). Ask

for questions and public comment. Indicate that their comments

will be addressed at the same time as agency comments. Describe

future public opportunities for making comments through SEPA

process, public hearing, rate setting process.

Format: The format will be finalized based on experience at previous open

houses. Assuming a similar format is selected, it will be an open

house where citizens can come at their convenience, review

informational boards, talk one-on-one with City staff and

consultant team members about the project, and leave written

comments. Brief informational presentations will be scheduled at

two points during the open house.

Timeline: Late January 2009 (final date to be determined)



comments, by December 16th so the City can produce copies

and include it with the December utility billing.






• Prepare graphics and visuals for the meetings and will be

available to talk to meeting participants.





• Telephone an agreed-upon list of community leaders to invite

their participation and ask them to encourage friends and

neighbors to attend

City staff will







Approach: Written Comments from Open Houses/Public Meetings, Letters and Emails

Purpose: To make it easy and convenient for interested citizens to provide

their ideas and suggestions about the Water Use Efficiency and

Water System Planning projects as they evolve, whether or not

they attend public open houses


Formats: Written comment forms will be provided at every open house for

citizens to write their ideas and suggestions. Citizens can also send

comments in letters. The city’s website will provide an electronic

address that citizens can use to send their comments about these

projects. The city will forward letters and email comments to the

public involvement lead for the consultant team to enter into a

comment tracking matrix.

Timeline: Mid June 2008 through Water System Plan Open House #3

(tentatively set for late January 2009). Public comments after the

third open house will be tracked through the City’s public

comments process that will be part of the SEPA review for the

Waster System Plan.

Responsibilities: The consultant team will enter written comments from the open

houses and letters and emails forwarded by the City into an Excel

spreadsheet that will serve as a Comment Tracking Matrix. The

spreadsheet will include the date and source of the comment (for

example, open house #1-4, letter, email), the issue that was the

subject of the comment, the comment itself, the City’s response,

action items, who responded, and the status of the issues (open,

closed). The public involvement lead will provide periodic

summaries of the public input so the City and consultant team

can discuss appropriate responses and action items.

PUBLIC INFORMATION ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS

Approach: Meeting Announcement Fliers distributed with Utility Bills

Purpose: Four meeting announcements/invitations will be prepared, one in

advance of each open house/public meeting, to be inserted in utility

bills.

Content: The invitations will describe the purpose of the public

meeting/open house, the date, time, location, and format.

Timeline: Tentative deadlines for the preparation of fliers to announce the

scheduled open houses are as follows:

� Deadline for the August 6th meeting: June 16

th.

� Deadline for the October meeting: August 16th

� Deadline for the January 2009 meeting: December 16th

Responsibilities: The consultant team will draft and finalize the flier based on City

comments and provide a camera-ready announcement/invitation to

the City.

City staff will review and comment on the draft and approve the

final. The City will produce the fliers and insert them into the

utility bills


Approach: Press Releases

Purpose/content: Announce open houses/public meetings in print media that are

widely read in the Yelm community. They are expected to

describe the purposes of the meetings, indicate the issues the public

will be invited to comment on, and encourage local participation.

Timeline: Press releases will be issued so they appear 5-7 days before the

open houses/public meetings. Tentative timing is early August,

early October and mid January 2009.

Targets: Nisqually Valley News

Responsibilities: The consultant team will prepare draft press releases, finalize

based on comments from the City. The City will determine

whether it or the consultant team should issue the press releases.

Approach: Fact Sheets

Purpose/content: The information in the fact sheets will be tailored to the pace of the

planning processes. They are expected to provide basic

information about DOH-required planning processes related to

Water Use Efficiency and Water System Plans; explain what is

required; indicate the process the City is using to respond to the

requirements; the topics that will be addressed in the Water System

Plan; and opportunities for public involvement and comment as the

plans are being developed and, subsequently, going through

approval processes. They are intended to be available as handouts

at meetings as well as posted at the City’s website.

Timeline: A fact sheet is expected to be prepared in advance of each of the

four open houses/public meetings. For the June 18 open house, the

reverse side of the invitation was a one-page fact sheet.

Subsequent fact sheets may be stand-alone documents.

Responsibilities: The consultant team will draft and finalize the fact sheets based on

City comments. The City will make copies of fact sheets in

advance of public meetings to serve as handouts. The City will

also post the final fact sheets at the City’s website.

Approach: Materials for the City’s Website

Purpose: The intent is to use the City’s website to make information about

the Water Use Efficiency and Water System Planning projects and

final project documents readily available to people with Internet

access.

Content: Introduce the planning processes, their purposes, processes and

schedules; and opportunities for public involvement. Documents

to be posted include meeting notices/invitations, fact sheets, press

releases, summaries of public input from open houses/public

meetings; and technical documents when they are ready for public

review.


Timeline: The website will be created early in the project and updated in

advance of and following the open houses/public meetings and as

technical documents are finalized.

Responsibilities: The City will post final documents provided by the consultant

team. The City will also create an electronic address where local

citizens can send comments about the projects. These comments

will be included in the Comment Tracking Matrix described above.


ATTACHMENT

Key Themes from Telephone Interviews and Suggestions for Public Outreach

In late April and early May, 2008 the consultant conducted telephone interviews with six

individuals recommended by City staff as representing different interests and

perspectives. (The consultant was unable to complete interviews with three other

individuals who had been recommended.) The purpose of the interviews was to ask for

advice and suggestions for public outreach for two water-related planning processes. The

names of the six individuals interviewed are listed at the end followed by the interview

questions.

Issues/concerns associated with the planning processes

� The pace of growth will be the issue. Is Yelm’s growth rate sustainable?

� Some have suggested we are allowing more development that can be sustained

with existing water rights. Our responsibility is to ensure that we are correct in our

projections and that we work toward maximum efficiency with the water we have.

� As a potential builder of future projects, knowing that there is water available is

critical to me.

� I think there will be a resistance to any plan from people who don’t want

development. They oppose any growth at all despite saying they are ok with

“responsible” growth.

� We need to use less water. We (schools) are trying to find ways to reduce

consumption on a daily basis. We need to educate, even though that’s not a

primary function of the City.

Key messages about the planning processes

� The City is doing a good job. It needs to do a better job publicizing that it’s doing

a good, responsible job

� Be clear about the reason for these water planning processes. Emphasize that it’s

in response to DOH dictum. Avoid the impression that the reason this is being

done is related to the lawsuit. What we’re doing is not a consequence of that.

Suggestions for Public Information

� Try for multiple notices so it’s easy for people to know about events

� Most popular media: Nisqually Valley Newspaper; Tacoma New Tribune; Daily

Olympian

� Direct mailings such as City Utility inserts

� Perhaps get info into the Prairie Viewpoint (Yelm Chamber) via Cecelia Jenkins,

Exec. Director, a free insert in the Nisqually Valley Newspaper

� It's important that every member of the city work force understand what our plan

is so they can serve as a resource to the community

� “Over the fence” network – try to tap into it

� Use reader boards around town – in front of City Hall, fire station?

� Have a good website: some people get info there and don’t feel they need to

attend meetings.


� Steve Klein’s website – mixed reviews about how popular it is with the general

public

Suggestions for Public Involvement

� Conduct Open Houses rather than sit-down meetings; it’s a typical format in

Yelm and draws more meetings than sit-down formal meetings. Have boards up,

let people grab info packets, talk to staff one-on-one. Make it informative.

� Provide comment sheets at public open houses so participants can leave written

comments.

� Hold meetings at the library, or even the parking lot of the Safeway or theater. Go

where people are already congregating.

� Be clear about what there can be input around and what we can’t do anything

about it.

� They should have an advisory committee. I think that works the best. You need

educated opinions to move forward.

Individuals Who Participated in Interviews

� Mike Avila, Developer, Pacific Rim Real Estate

� Rocky Birkland, Yelm Community Schools

� Margaret Clapp, Prairie Park Holdings

� JW Foster, Planning Commission

� Mark King, Yelm Fire District

� Carlos Perez, Planning Commission, Chair

Questions for the Telephone Interviews

1. Please describe your interest in these planning projects.

2. Please describe any issues or concerns you see associated with them.

3. How do people in Yelm get information about local activities and events? What

sources of information do people rely on?

4. Who are the individuals or groups we should be sure to send information about these

projects so they know about them and their opportunities to be involved? How would

we contact them?

5. Given the importance of these projects, what public involvement approaches or

activities do you believe would work well for residents and businesses in Yelm?

6. Who else should I contact to get good ideas for effective public involvement?


7. Do you know of any issues or factors in the area that could have implications for

these projects? (If yes), explore what they are and how they relate to the project.

jmorgan

Typewritten Text

Appendix 1F Public Information Materials - August 6, 2008 Open House

The City is preparing an update to its 2002 Water System Plan. The Plan Update will define policies and identify projects that will guide how the City manages this vital resource over the next six years. It will help to ensure that a sustainable, high-quality water supply will be available for current and future residents. This update is required by the Washington State Department of Health as part of its normal oversight of municipal water systems.

For more information, you can:

• Visit the City’s website www.ci.yelm.wa.us to see fact sheets, dates of public meetings, technical reports and to send your comments by email to the City.

• See project materials at City Hall, the City’s Public Works Facility, the Public Safety Building and the Yelm Timberland Library.

• Contact Stephanie Ray, Project Manager, by telephone (360) 458-8414; by email ([email protected]); or by mail: P.O. Box 479, Yelm, WA 98597.

City of Yelm Water

Help us plan for the future!

PLEASE COME!

Open House #1 (of 3) for

Yelm’s Water System Plan Update

Wednesday, August 6, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM at the Yelm Public Safety Building, 206 McKenzie Avenue SE

The purpose of this open house is to introduce you to the Washington State Department of Health’s Water System Planning process, the schedule, the issues to be addressed in the Plan Update, and your opportunities to participate. You can ask questions and offer your comments about the issues that are important for Yelm. Two additional public meetings are planned for October, 2008 and January 2009. The dates will be advertised once they are final.

jmorgan

Text Box

Water Bill Insert

City of Yelm Kicks Off Water System Planning Process The City of Yelm invites all residents, businesses and water utility customers to a Public Open House on Wednesday, August 6th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Yelm Public Safety Building, 206 McKenzie Avenue SE. This is the first of three open houses that will give Yelm citizens and utility customers an opportunity to provide input into the development of the City’s 2009 Water System Plan. The following key questions will be the focus of the open house:

1. How much growth is projected for Yelm over the next 20 years (population, commercial, industrial, schools)?

2. What is the corresponding water demand that will result from that growth? 3. What steps is the City taking to plan for providing water to meet those demands?

City staff and members of the consultant team will be on hand at the open house to provide information and answer questions. Attendees can also leave written comments. The Washington State Department of Health stipulates that all municipalities should update existing Water System Plans every six years. Yelm’s previous Water System Plan was approved in 2002; it guided the City’s capital improvement projects for the water system that totaled approximately $3,000,000. When approved, the new Water System Plan will guide the capital improvement projects through 2015. The Water Use Efficiency Goals that the City Council adopted on July 8th, 2008 will be factored into the Water System Planning process. A second public open house for the Water System Plan is scheduled for late October. At this second open house attendees will learn about and be able to comment on specific elements of the Water System Plan, including proposed capital improvement projects and potential impacts to customer’s water rates. The third and final open house is expected in late January of 2009, when the Draft Water System Plan, as a whole, will be available for public review and comment prior to submittal to the Department of Health. More information about the City’s water system and the planning process for the 2009 Water System Plan is at www.ci.yelm.wa.us/publicworks/waterplan/waterplan.htm. Visitors to the web site can also send comments by email from that address. If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Stephanie Ray, Project Manager, by telephone (360) 458-8414 or email [email protected].

jmorgan

Text Box

Press Release

1

City of YelmCity of YelmCity of YelmCity of Yelm

Water System Planning Open HouseWater System Planning Open HouseWater System Planning Open HouseWater System Planning Open HouseIntroduction to Water System Planning Introduction to Water System Planning Introduction to Water System Planning Introduction to Water System Planning

August 6, 2008

City of Yelm I August 6, 2008

Opportunities for Public CommentOpportunities for Public CommentOpportunities for Public CommentOpportunities for Public Comment

–Environmental Review Process (SEPA)–Department of Health Review Process

Other Opportunities for Comment

Water System Plan RollWater System Plan RollWater System Plan RollWater System Plan Roll----OutOutOutOut–Key Elements of Plan–Agency Review and Public Comment Process

Late January2009

Water System Planning UpdateWater System Planning UpdateWater System Planning UpdateWater System Planning Update–What We’ve Learned So Far–Alternatives Being Considered–Potential Rate Impacts

Mid-October,2008

Introduction to Water System PlanningIntroduction to Water System PlanningIntroduction to Water System PlanningIntroduction to Water System Planning–Process, Content, and Issues to be Addressed

August 6, 2008(Tonight)

Topics for Public InputTopics for Public InputTopics for Public InputTopics for Public InputTimingTimingTimingTiming

2


Overview of Water System Planning ProcessOverview of Water System Planning ProcessOverview of Water System Planning ProcessOverview of Water System Planning Process

� Municipalities are required to update their water system plan (WSP) every 6 years. Plan needs to look in detail at conditions over the next 6 years and also consider a 20-year planning horizon.

� Yelm’s WSP must be consistent with other City and Thurston County planning documents and policies.

� The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will review and approve the WSP, with input from the Department of Ecology.

� Current schedule:

– Draft plan submitted in January, 2009

– Comments back from DOH and Ecology in April, 2009

– Final plan ready for adoption and approval in May, 2009


Key Questions to be Answered Key Questions to be Answered Key Questions to be Answered Key Questions to be Answered in a Water System Planin a Water System Planin a Water System Planin a Water System Plan

� How much water has Yelm used in the past?

� How much growth is projected for Yelm over the next 20 years (residential population, commercial, industrial)?

� What is the corresponding water demand that will result from future growth?

� What steps will the City take to provide water in order to meet future demands?

� How much will it cost to meet future demands and how will these costs be paid?

3


How Much Water Does Yelm Use?How Much Water Does Yelm Use?How Much Water Does Yelm Use?How Much Water Does Yelm Use?

0

50,000,000

100,000,000

150,000,000

200,000,000

250,000,000

300,000,000

Annnual Water Usage (Gallons) .

Irrigation (gal) 0 0 2,141,782 32,680,365 27,323,241

Non-Residential (gal) 66,885,463 68,073,076 63,798,338 51,864,454 41,611,948

Residential (gal) 141,197,789 147,157,110 143,124,508 165,151,792 169,123,292

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Water Use Measured at Irrigation Meters

(not residential irrigation usage)

Residential Use

Non-Residential Use

Non-Residential Use Includes Commercial, Industrial, Schools.

Non-Residential Use does not Include Irrigation Meters or Reclaimed Water Use.


How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?

� Water System Planning needs to take into account all growth anticipated in Yelm over the next 20 years. This includes growth within City limits, within the Urban Growth Area, and also within two Master Planned Communities that are currently being planned.

� The Master Planned Communities (MPCs) could potentially add as many as 5,000 residential units to the water system service area when they are completed.

22,72111,691Including MPCs

12,2277,2315,669Without MPCs

Projected Service Area Population

202920292029202920152015201520152007200720072007

4


How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm How Much Growth is Expected in Yelm Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?Over the Next 20 Years?

Industrial Development (acres)Industrial Development (acres)Industrial Development (acres)Industrial Development (acres)

664839(No industrial development planned for MPCs)

10,5587,948Including MPCs

KKKK----12 Student Population12 Student Population12 Student Population12 Student Population

2,777,0001,274,000Including MPCs

2,017,000962,000556,250Without MPCs

5,5044,7003,530Without MPCs

Commercial Development (sq. ft.)Commercial Development (sq. ft.)Commercial Development (sq. ft.)Commercial Development (sq. ft.)

202920292029202920152015201520152007200720072007


How Much Water Will It Take to Serve How Much Water Will It Take to Serve How Much Water Will It Take to Serve How Much Water Will It Take to Serve Projected Growth?Projected Growth?Projected Growth?Projected Growth?

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

Annual Water Demand (acre-ft/year)

Including MPCs Projected Service Area Population - No MPCs

New Water Right Application = 4,186 Acre-Feet*

Water Right plus Transfers = 951.66 Acre-Feet**

Projected demand in 2012 = 950 acre feet. Assumption

is that a new water right will be secured by 2012.

*Water Right Application submitted in 1994

**Water Right represents agreed-upon pumping limit plus transfers.

5


What Steps Will the City Take to Meet What Steps Will the City Take to Meet What Steps Will the City Take to Meet What Steps Will the City Take to Meet Future Demands?Future Demands?Future Demands?Future Demands?

� Develop a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that identifies projects that are necessary to meet current needs and future demands.

– Examples: Construct new wells and reservoirs, replace leaking pipes.

� Acquire new water rights to meet future demands.

� Develop mitigation measures to off-set the impacts of water rights withdrawals.

– Examples: Use reclaimed water to augment stream flows.

� Implement water conservation and water use efficiency measures.

– Examples: Cap irrigation usage at current levels, continue leakdetection program.


How Much Will it Cost to Meet Future Demands? How Much Will it Cost to Meet Future Demands? How Much Will it Cost to Meet Future Demands? How Much Will it Cost to Meet Future Demands? How Will These Costs be Paid?How Will These Costs be Paid?How Will These Costs be Paid?How Will These Costs be Paid?

� The Water System Plan will include cost estimates for new capital projects (wells, reservoirs, etc.) and also cost estimates for increased annual costs for operation and maintenance of the utility.

� A water rate study is being prepared as part of the planning effort to evaluate how the current rate structure needs to be modified to support the water utility as it grows.

� This study will look at monthly water rates and also at connection charges for new customers.

� Details about the rate study will be presented at the October open house.

6


What Do You Think?What Do You Think?What Do You Think?What Do You Think?How Can You Provide Your Comments? How Can You Provide Your Comments? How Can You Provide Your Comments? How Can You Provide Your Comments?

� What are your concerns and ideas?

� What questions do you have about what was presented tonight?

� You can leave written comments tonight.

� You can also read more about the planning process and send written comments at www.ci.yelm.wa.us. Click on Water Use Efficiency/Water System Plan Update; the email link is at the bottom of the page.

City of Yelm Water Use Efficiency Goals - DRAFT Community Issues Tracking Matrix

Item Date Comment from Comment Category Comment

1 5/29/2008 by email: Keith Moxon, GordonDerr

LLP,

2025 First Avenue, Suite 500,

Seattle, WA 98121-3140,

206-382-9540, fax 206-626-0675,

[email protected]

Informational request Please provide me with a copy of all public notices related to the Water Plan Update. Thank you.

2 6/18/2008 by open house comment form: Ryan,

480-266-1045

Open House Comment -

WUE

1. Is it worth the cost to fix leakage? If it is a lot of money why no focus on harvesting more water from rooftops instead? If all commerical/public rooftops

had water catchment systems installed would/could that water harvested offset the loss of water leaked from pipes?

3 2. How? Please provide more details. Could we add an amendment also including legal grey water treatment per household e.g. reed bed system in the

backyard? That water can be used to water veggies/plants/grass and cuts down residential irrigation cost.

4 3. Great idea. I think you could educate residents to do it themselves also, like I said in comment #2.

5 4. For future meetings I want to know how the water projections work. What is their formula for obtaining more water for more projected housing

developments in the next 30 years? Where does the extra water come from? How do they know how much there is currently in the aquifers? Is there

potential for a crisis with a triple increase in houses? How do they plan to account for them?

6 6/18/2008 Letter came to the City on 6/18/08 from

Keith Moxon, attorney for JZ Knight.

Water System Planning

Comments

General Comment: City of Yelm approves development and land use projects inconsistent with water planning.

7 Specific Comment #1: Asserts that the City is not following a commitment to update its water plan before approval of SW Yelm Master Planned

Communities.

8 Specific comment #2: City should provide the public with an accurate current assessment of its current approved water rights and an assessment of total

water demand.

9 Specific Comment #3: Draft EIS for Thurston Highlands must include an analysis of related water demands and water supply issues.

10 Specific Comment #4: City must adopt a system of documenting water demand and supply. Comment letter includes a proposed record keeping and

control system in an attachment.

6/1/2009 Page 1



11 Specific Comment #5: Water System Plan Update should incorporate 300 gpd ERU adopted in the City's Comprehensive Plan or document the validity of

an alternative ERU standard.

12 Specific Comment #6: The ERU standard should be used by DOH to calculate the maximum number of ERUs to be served by the City's total water rights.

13 Specific Comment #7: The City of Yelm must provide an accurate assessment of its current water rights, which must be approved by the Department of

Ecology.

14 Specific Comment #8: Water System Plan Update must include provisions requiring actual water availability - water rights approved by the Department of

Ecology, not just pipes in the ground - to meet GMA concurrency standards.

15 Specific Comment #9: The cost for water resource studies should be borne by developers, not the taxpayers. WSP Update should include a clear policy

for allocating the cost of acquiring new water rights.

16 8/6/2008 Letter came to the City on 8/6/08 from

Keith Moxon, attorney for JZ Knight.

General Comments and

Questions

The City's current Comprehensive Water Comprehensive Plan (CWP) was approved by the Department of Health on September 16, 2002 and expires in

September of 2008. When will the update to the CWP be completed?

17 General Comments and

Questions

The City's current approach to reviewing and approving proposed subdivision and other land use projects is not supported by a current, reasonable, and

reliable water system plan. Does the City' believe that the current CWP is sufficient to support land use decisions regarding water availability prior to the

completion of the CWP update?


Questions

The City continues to approve new development without requiring that a potable water supply will be available to serve the proposed development when

required under applicable land use laws. This has resulted in water demand in excess of the City's legal water rights. Has the City informed its citizens

and customers in the water service area that the City pumped water from the local aquifer in 2006 and 2007 in excess of its legal water rights?


Questions

The City apparently claims that it requires proof of a potable water supply at the time of building permit issuance, but the City does not have a system in

place to document that the City has an available water supply (Ecology-approved water rights) at the time of building permit issuance. What steps does

the City take to confirm water availability at the time of every building permit issuance (for improvements requiring additional water service)?


Questions

The City's land use approvals since 2002 have not been consistent with the City's 2002 Comprehensive Water Plan. What efforts has the City undertaken

since 2005 to evaluate the reliability of its 2002 CWP?


Questions

The City should not approve any future development within the City's water service area until the Comprehensive Water Plan update is completed and

approved by the Washington Department of Health. Does the City intend to withhold land use approvals or make any changes to its land use approval

process to address water availability issues pending approval of the update to the CWP?

Specific Comments and

Questions

1. The City of Yelm's 2002 Comprehensive Water Plan (CWP) includes a commitment to update the 2002 CWP before approval of any development

within the area of the S.W. Yelm Master Planned Community (MPC). Despite this requirement, the City of Yelm approved the 1200-unit Tahoma Terra

Master Plan (within the S.W. Yelm Master Planned Community) in 2005 without any update of the Comprehensive Water Plan and is continuing to

approve plats without meeting this update requirement.

a) Why did the City disregard this requirement in the current CWP?

b) How can the public have confidence in a water resource planning process when the City fails to require compliance with requirements adopted in

the CWP?

6/1/2009 Page 2




Questions

2. In January of 2008, the City Council approved 5 new subdivisions in SW Yelm totaling 568 new dwelling units without any update to the City's

Comprehensive Water Plan.

a) What information in the current WSP shows that the City has an adequate potable water supply to serve these 5 proposed subdivisions?

b) What is the total amount of water rights currently approved by the Department of Ecology?

c) What water demand and water supply assumptions are being used by the City of Yelm to support approval of new development projects prior to the

adoption of the updated Comprehensive Water Plan?


Questions

3. The 568 new residences that would be constructed in the five new proposed subdivisions approved by the City Council in January of 2008 are in

addition to the hundreds of other new residential and commercial development projects approved by the City of Yelm in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

a) When will water service for these 5 proposed subdivisions and other development approved from January 2005 to date have to be available?

b) What information does the City have to show that water rights sufficient to serve all previously approved development have been or will be

approved by the Department of Ecology by the time water is need to serve these developments?


Questions

4. The City should provide the public with an accurate current assessment of its current water rights and an estimate of the water demand expected for all

previously approved development within the water service area.

a) Can the City make this information available to the public now so that the public can be well informed about the information currently relied upon by

the City prior to the update of the CWP? If not, why not?


Questions

5. The City's Draft EIS for the Thurston Highlands project fails to address the critical issue of potable water supply to serve this development.

a) Does the City think it is reasonable for the City to approve a final EIS for the Thurston Highlands project without a comprehensive evaluation of this

water supply issue? If not, why not?


Questions

6. A full analysis of the water demand attributable to the Thurston Highlands development and the availability of potable water supply to serve that

development must be included in the Draft EIS for that project and must also be included in the update to the City's Comprehensive Water Plan.

a) Will the update to the CWP address the water resource demand and supply issues related to the Thurston Highlands development? If not, why

not?


Questions

7. The City must adopt a system of documenting total water demand and supply for its water service area that is avalable for public review

a) Does the City have such a system? If not, why not?


Questions

8. The City must implement a recordkeeping system to ensure that all land use approvals include quantitative documentation of an adequate and

available supply of potable water to serve the proposed development.

a) Does the City have such a system? If not, why not?


Questions

9. The standard for Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) defined in the City's Comprehensive Plan "for planning and concurrency prurposes" is 300

gallons per day per connection.

a) Has this standard been consistently and uniformly applied by the City for land use decisions in the water service area since the City's

Comprehensive Plan was adopted?


Questions

10. The City's Resolution No. 351, adopted in 1996 (copy attached as Exhibit A), is a good example of reasonable recordkeeping and control

regarding water availability determinations.

6/1/2009 Page 3



a) If the City contends that Resolution No. 351 has been repealed and is not binding on land use decision-making in the City, please provide an

explanation as to why this Resolution was repealed.


Questions

11. If the City refuses to confirm the applicability of Resolution No, 351, the City should adopt a recordkeeping and control system that, at a minimum,

includes the elements listed in Exhibit B attached.

a) If the contends such recordkeeping is not appropriate or necessary, please provide an explanation as to why such recordkeeping is not appropriate

or necessary.


Questions

12. It appears that the Community Development Department refuses to use 300 gallons per day as the Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) planning and

concurrency standard, despite the fact that this is a mandatory standard adopted in the City's current Comprehensive Plan. The City's update to the

Comprehensive Water Plan should expressly incorporate this 300 gpd ERU standard or should document the validity of an alternative ERU standard.


Questions

13. Before proceeding with the update to the CWP, the City of Yelm must provide the public with an accurate assessment of its current water rights

and must obtain Department of Ecology approval of its water rights assessment.


Questions

14. The City's recent approvals of land use projects have been based on an assertion that concurrency under the Growth Management Act ("GMA")

does not require evidence of water rights ("wet" water), only evidence that water infrastructure will be in place, regardless of whether a supply of potable

water will be available. This approach violates basic principles of GMA. The City's update to its Comprehensive Water Plan must include provisions

requiring actual water availability — water rights approved by the Department of Ecology, not just pipes in the ground - to meet GMA concurrency

standards not later than at the time of final subdivision approval.

a) What authority does the City have for its position that GMA concurrency applies only to infrastructure (pipes in the ground) and not whether there

will be water in the pipes?


Questions

15. The City should not be in the business of charging existing water customers and taxpayers for water resource studies that will primarily benefit private

developers who are proposing new land use projects. The City should provide a full disclosure of all funding of all water resource studies and other

expenses related to finding new water supplies for the City. The cost of obtaining new water rights for new development should be borne by the

developers, not the taxpayers. The update to the City's water plan should include a clear policy for allocating the cost of acquiring new water rights.

Attachment A City Council Resolution #351, adopted in 1996, that identifies terms for sewer capacity and hookups and water capacity and hookups

6/1/2009 Page 4



6/1/2009 Page 5



6/1/2009 Page 6

jmorgan

Typewritten Text

Appendix 1F Public Information Materials - March 5, 2009 Open House

The City of Yelm is preparing an update to its 2002 Water System Plan. The intent of this Plan is to ensure that a sustainable, high-quality water supply will be available for current and future water users. The final Plan will define policies that will guide how the City manages this vital resource for the next 20 years. The City has proposed a six-year list of capital improvement projects that will expand and upgrade the current water system. Additionally, increases to monthly water rates and connection charges are necessary to sustain current operation and maintenance budgets and to provide funding for the future capital improvement projects. Come to the open house, find out what’s proposed, and provide your feedback and comments so they can be considered as the Plan is finalized.

For more information about the Water System Plan Update, you can:

• Visit the City’s website www.ci.yelm.wa.us to see fact sheets, dates of public meetings, technical reports and to send your comments by email to the City.

• See project materials at City Hall and the City’s Public Works Facility.

• Contact Stephanie Ray, Project Manager, by telephone (360) 458-8414; by email ([email protected]); or by mail:105 Yelm Avenue West, Yelm, WA 98597.

City of Yelm Water System

Help us plan for the future!

PLEASE COME!

Yelm’s Water System Plan Update

Open House #2

Thursday, March 5, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Yelm Public Safety Building, 206 McKenzie Avenue SE

The purposes of this open house are to:

• Describe Yelm’s existing water system and how it is expected to grow in the future

• Present the construction projects that are proposed to support this growth

• Describe proposed increases to monthly water rates and connection charges for new water services

• Hear your feedback and comments and answer your questions

Brief presentations are scheduled at 5:15 and 6:15 PM.

Computers will be on hand to let you calculate what your new water bill would be if the proposed water rate increases are implemented. The bills will be based on what you currently pay so bring a recent bill or your account number.

jmorgan

Text Box

Water Bill Insert

Thursday, March 5, 5:00-7:00 PMYelm Public Safety Building

206 McKenzie Ave. SE

PLEASE COME TO AN OPEN HOUSE!

The City of Yelm is updating its 2002 Water System Plan. A list of capital improvement projects that will expand and upgrade Yelm’s water system is being proposed along with increases to monthly water rates and connection charges to fund those projects. Find out what’s proposed and provide your feedback and comments so they can be considered as the Plan is finalized.

Computers will be on hand to let you calculate what your new water bill would be if the proposed water rate increases are implemented. The bills will be based on what you currently pay so bring a recent bill or your account number.

Brief presentations describing the Plan are scheduled for 5:15 and at 6:15 PM.

City of Yelm

Water System Plan Update

1 of 6 3/3/2009

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the City of Yelm’s Water System Planning Process, including Impacts to Rates

PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS POPULATION INCREASE What has the rate of population growth in Yelm been over the last 5 years? The last 10 years?

Between 1998 and 2008, the population of Yelm has increased by 83% (Washington State Office of Financial Management data). Over the last five years, the annual increase in population has been about 6% per year.

What population growth rate has been assumed for projecting future water demands?

An average growth rate of 3.5% per year has been assumed for the next six years. This growth rate is consistent with projections prepared by the Thurston Regional Planning Council. This growth rate assumes that significant development in the Master Planned Community planned for southwest Yelm will not occur over the next six years.

Is this assumed growth rate reasonable given the economic downturn?

The Water System Plan assumes a growth rate of 3.5% because that is what has been predicted by the Thurston Regional Planning Council, which historically has been accurate when predicting population growth over extended periods. Although growth in Yelm over the last few years has been higher than this, it is expected that a slight decline due to the economic climate will result in a growth rate of approximately 3.5% over the next 6 years.

If the growth rate is lower, will Yelm need to invest so much money over the next six years in a new reservoir, new wells that will require new treatment, and other associated costs?

Yes. If the growth rate is lower than what has been assumed, Yelm will still need to make a substantial investment in its water infrastructure. If growth is slower than 3.5% per year, it may be possible to delay projects identified for years 7-20 but the improvements to the system that have been identified for the next 6-year planning period are needed in the immediate future.

WATER USAGE Are the assumptions for projecting future water needs based on current usage patterns?

Yes. Water system modeling and water demand projections have been developed after an extensive review of historical water usage by Yelm water

2 of 6 3/3/2009

customers. Peak water demand estimates also take into account fire fighting requirements, as specified by the local Fire Marshall.

How was past water usage analyzed? Water usage data was analyzed from 2005 to 2007 to determine historical usage for different classes of customers and take into account recent growth patterns. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has reviewed these data and concurred with the projections that have been prepared.

______________________________________________________________________

PROPOSED INCREASED RATES RELATIVE TO

PROPOSED PROJECTS

How will proposed rate increases affect rate payers? If the proposed rate increases are implemented, the water bill for the average

residential user in Yelm will increase from about $23 per month to about $37 per month.

For a small retail business with a current water bill of $15 per month, the new rate would increase their bill to about $34 per month.

Why are the rates increasing?

Even if there were no improvements to the system being planned, existing water rates would need to be increased by about 50% to maintain the current level of service and meet financial requirements for cash reserves. Rates are also increasing because the City is investing in its infrastructure to provide a safe and reliable drinking water system. This investment will require that the water utility issues bonds to fund these improvements and the increase in rates is required to repay these bonds.

I’m on a fixed income. How can I minimize the proposed increase? Conservation will help minimize the proposed increase, particularly because the new rate structure was developed to minimize the impact to low water consumption users. Additionally, certain individuals may qualify for a reduced rate under Yelm Ordinance 850 (see below).

How much of the proposed rate increase is for operation and maintenance (O&M) of the system? What accounts for the shortfall in the O&M budget?

Approximately 15% of the proposed rate increase is for O&M. Expenses associated with maintaining the water system in Yelm have increased every year. Historically the City has relied on System Development Charges (connection charges) to meet these increased operating costs; however, due to the economic downturn, development has slowed and connection charge revenue has decreased.

3 of 6 3/3/2009

How much of the proposed rate increase is for capital improvement projects? Approximately 50% of the increased rate revenue collected over the next six years will be used to pay for new infrastructure. The remainder of the increase will be used to build up the financial reserves for the water utility and pay down existing debt.

______________________________________________________________________

PROPOSED RATES FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES Why is the City changing the basis for how it charges for water use?

The proposed rate structure has been developed to more accurately reflect usage. Currently, residential and commercial customers pay the same rate for water; however, these classes have different usage characteristics. The proposed rate system has been developed to encourage conservation, and to not unfairly overburden any one class of customer.

What’s the rationale for basing part of the rate on the size of the water meter serving a property? Isn’t the amount of water used, regardless of the size of the meter, what’s important?

A portion of the monthly water rate a user pays is for maintenance of the system, regardless of the amount of water that is used. Under the new rate structure, users who have the potential to receive more water because they have a larger water meter will be charged more than users with smaller meters. For instance, a 1.5-inch meter can deliver twice as much water as a 1-inch meter. Consequently, the meter charge for a 1.5-inch meter is proposed to be twice that for a 1-inch meter. This change will primarily affect commercial users.

Who qualifies for the reduced small water user category? What’s needed to qualify?

General criteria to qualify for a reduced water rate are described below. For more details, contact City Hall.

To be eligible for the water-service charge reduction set forth in Yelm Municipal Code (YMC) 13.04.300, a subscriber shall:

• Be a single person, 65 years of age or older, who is retired and whose income from all sources whatsoever does not exceed the median income as established or amended by resolution of the City Council; or

• Be a couple where on partner is 65 years of age or older, whose income from all sources whatsoever combined with the of the partners does not exceed the median income as established and set forth by resolution of the City Council; or

• Be a permanently disabled head of household whose income from all sources whatsoever does not exceed the

4 of 6 3/3/2009

median income as established or amended by resolution of the City Council.

From City of Yelm Resolution No 470 (Adopted March, 2007):

• Section 1: The current maximum annual income for a single head of household qualifying senior citizen or a permanently disabled head of household shall be $23,371.

• Section 2: The current maximum annual income for a qualifying senior couple or couple headed by a permanently disabled individual shall be $25,829.

• Section 3: The current maximum annual income for each additional qualifying senior or disabled household member residing in the same household shall be one-half (50%) of the senior couple amount ($12,915)

Is the City eliminating seasonal rate increase for residential and irrigation water users? If so, why?

Yes, the Seasonal Rate Increase is being eliminated. The proposed rate structure encourages conservation year-round.

______________________________________________________________________

SYSTEM CAPACITY

Is the City meeting the DOH requirements for system capacity relative to water demands?

Yes, but with little excess capacity. Yelm currently has two wells in operation, each with a capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute. Only one well can operate at a time. With one well out of service, the remaining well can meet Yelm’s average daily demand by pumping for 9 hours per day. This meets DOH requirements. In order to meet the maximum day demand, one well needs to pump for more than 21 hours per day. This barely meets the DOH criteria which state that the maximum daily demand must be able to be met with one well out of service. If one of the wells was out of service the other well would need to pump nearly full time to keep up.

If the City is meeting DOH guidelines, why do we need to dig more wells in the next several years, especially since the City does not yet have approved new water rights that would allow it to pump from those wells?

As demands increase, wells will have to increase pumping times. Because the existing wells can only operate one at a time, and the pumping time cannot exceed 24 hours in one day, new wells must be added to meet future demands and to provide a reliable system.

5 of 6 3/3/2009

Assuming the City gets new water rights from Ecology that allow it to pump from one or more new wells, will DOH’s criteria for water supply capacity be met?

Yes. The new wells in SW Yelm will result in additional wells being available that can pump at the same time so that system reliability is increased.

______________________________________________________________________

WATER RIGHTS What action has the City taken to secure increased water rights from the Department of Ecology?

The City has invested a substantial amount of time and money in its 1994 application for new water rights; including preparation of studies that identify the impacts of new groundwater withdrawals and how those impacts can be mitigated.

Is it prudent to invest so much in new wells and treatment before getting a positive answer that Ecology will increase the City’s water rights, allowing it to pump water from new wells?

These issues are being faced not just by Yelm, but the entire region. The City is obligated to plan for growth and maintenance of the existing system, and will not over-invest beyond what is reasonable. The Department of Health requires that a Water System Plan for a 20-year horizon be in place. At this time, the City is implementing a Plan and developing the necessary funding mechanisms, although the final timing of the capital projects identified in the Plan will be contingent on Ecology’s actions relative to the review of the water rights application.

So, will Yelm proceed with the proposed improvements only if Ecology approves increased water rights? A number of the improvements that have been identified are necessary to

address existing needs. These projects include construction of additional water storage facilities and repairs to existing transmission mains.

If the new water rights are not secured, the City of Yelm will face some difficult choices. The water planning document that is being prepared assumes that new water rights will be secured. If it is determined that a new water right cannot be secured in the foreseeable future, the water system planning process will need to be revisited.

______________________________________________________________________

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MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES (MPCs) AND THE WATER SYSTEM

The capital projects that are proposed over the next six years have been developed based on the assumption that the Thurston Highlands Master Planned Community will not begin to be developed over this period. Does development of the MPC require new water rights?

Yes. Given the growth rate that has been assumed, additional water rights beyond what the City currently holds will be required to serve not only the MPC but the entire water system service area.

If the MPC is constructed, what additional projects or other measures would the City need to take to provide water to them?

Implementation of the projects identified for construction over the next six years would need to be accelerated. Depending on the rate that the MPC develops, additional projects may be required within the next six years beyond those that are already planned.

Who would pay for these measures and projects? The development charges and revenue generated from the new connections within the MPC will be used to pay for the growth to the maximum extent possible.

Even if connection charges for an MPC cover the cost of initiating service, the new connections will ultimately increase overall system costs because the system will have to be expanded. How will this longer-term cost be paid for?

Water rates will be collected to adequately fund the O&M of the expanded water system. As the service area expands, the water rate structure will be re-evaluated to ensure that the costs are paid for in a fair and equitable manner.

1

City of Yelm Water System PlanCity of Yelm Water System PlanCity of Yelm Water System PlanCity of Yelm Water System Plan

Public Open HousePublic Open HousePublic Open HousePublic Open House

March 5th, 2009

City of Yelm I March 5, 2009

Goals for TonightGoals for TonightGoals for TonightGoals for Tonight’’’’s Presentations Presentations Presentations Presentation

� Review water usage characteristics in Yelm.

� Review presentation of proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for expanded water system.– Planned improvements and costs– Revenue requirements required to support this CIP

� Present proposed new monthly rates and System Development Charges (SDC) to generate required capital and revenue.

� Answer questions regarding the proposed rate increases.

� Get feedback from the public.

2

Water Usage andWater Usage andWater Usage andWater Usage andCustomer ClassesCustomer ClassesCustomer ClassesCustomer Classes


Yelm Customer DistributionYelm Customer DistributionYelm Customer DistributionYelm Customer Distribution

� In 2007, Yelm distributed 31,826,000 cubic feet of water (238 million gallons).

Residential,

71.3%

Commercial

(Businesses),

14.5% Irrigation, 11.1%

Governmental,

0.3%Hotels, 0.3%

Schools/Daycares,

2.6%

Commercial, 158 Irrigation, 44

Hotel, 1

Schools/Daycares

11

Governmental, 6

Residential, 1994

Number of Accounts by Customer Type Water Usage by Customer Type

3


Q. How Much Water Does the Typical Q. How Much Water Does the Typical Q. How Much Water Does the Typical Q. How Much Water Does the Typical Residential Customer Use?Residential Customer Use?Residential Customer Use?Residential Customer Use?

Typical Residential Water Usage

0.0

200.0

400.0

600.0

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

1400.0

1600.0

Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 May-07 Jun-07 Jul-07 Aug-07 Sep-07 Oct-07 Nov-07 Dec-07

Av

era

ge

Us

ag

e (

cu

bic

fe

et/

mo

nth

) Average Usage: 838 cubic feet/ month (6,200 gal/month) Peak Month Usage:

1,377 cubic feet/month (10,300 gal/month)


How Much Water Do NonHow Much Water Do NonHow Much Water Do NonHow Much Water Do Non----Residential Residential Residential Residential Customers Use?Customers Use?Customers Use?Customers Use?

� The water system serves about 176 non-residential accounts (commercial, industrial, schools, government).

� These accounts use about 2,196 cubic feet/month (16,400 gallons).

364Small Retail

46,800Typical Irrigation

13,546Typical Industrial

23,755Yelm High School

6,890Typical Restaurant

21,718Retirement Home

28,468Grocery Store

19,619Large Retail

Average Usage(cubic feet/month)

Customer

4

Proposed System Proposed System Proposed System Proposed System Development Charges and Development Charges and Development Charges and Development Charges and

Monthly Rate StructureMonthly Rate StructureMonthly Rate StructureMonthly Rate Structure


Q: Why is Increased Revenue Required?Q: Why is Increased Revenue Required?Q: Why is Increased Revenue Required?Q: Why is Increased Revenue Required?

� To fund a proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that will provide sufficient water to allow Yelm to continue to meet its growth obligations.

� To meet revenue shortfall for existing operating and maintenance (O&M) and debt service expenses.

� To fund increased O&M costs necessary to support the expanded system.

� This revenue will be generated through a combination of increased monthly rates and connection charges (SDCs).

5


Planning AssumptionsPlanning AssumptionsPlanning AssumptionsPlanning Assumptions

� Development within future Master Planned Communities (MPCs) is not anticipated during the next six years. If development does occur, the CIP will need to be accelerated and rate structures will need to be revised.

� Additional water rights will be secured on a timetable that allows development of the new water infrastructure to proceed.

� The biggest driver in calculating new rates is how much growth (new connections) is assumed.

� This is the most conservative scenario.


Overview of System Development Charge Overview of System Development Charge Overview of System Development Charge Overview of System Development Charge (SDC) Requirements(SDC) Requirements(SDC) Requirements(SDC) Requirements

$6,9772015

$6,6822014

$6,3982013

$6,1272012

$5,8682011

$5,6192010

$5,381 per connection2009

System Development Charge1,2

Year

1Current SDC = $1,500/connection2SDC inflated at 4.42% per year, based on the 5-year Engineering News Record index

6


Q. What are the Proposed Changes to the Q. What are the Proposed Changes to the Q. What are the Proposed Changes to the Q. What are the Proposed Changes to the Rate Structure?Rate Structure?Rate Structure?Rate Structure?

� Meter charges based on size/capacity

� Eliminate per unit charge for multi-family connections

� Uniform (flat) charge for non-residential water use


Proposed Changes to Meter ChargesProposed Changes to Meter ChargesProposed Changes to Meter ChargesProposed Changes to Meter Charges

� Monthly water bill includes both fixed and variable charges. The meter (fixed charge) is based on the size of the meter for each connection.

� The American Water Works Association (AWWA) identifies the capacity of different sizes of meters, for instance a 1.5-inch meter can deliver twice as much water as a 1-inch meter. Consequently, the meter charge for a 1.5-inch meter is proposed to be twice that for a 1-inch meter.

7


Proposed Increases to Meter ChargesProposed Increases to Meter ChargesProposed Increases to Meter ChargesProposed Increases to Meter Charges

1$440$61.004-inch

1$440$68.506-inch

$28.80

$281.60

$140.80

$88.00

$44.00

$17.60

Proposed Meter Charge

264

4

21

29

21

1,841

Number of Accounts

Current Meter Charge

Meter Size

$18.005/8-inch (Outside City Limits)

$32.503-inch

$26.002-inch

$18.501.5-inch

$13.501-inch

$11.005/8-inch (Typical Residential)


Current Monthly Rate StructureCurrent Monthly Rate StructureCurrent Monthly Rate StructureCurrent Monthly Rate Structure

$5.34/ccf$3.45/ccf$1.80/ccf$1.15/ccfSummer

$3.05/ccf$2.30/ccf$1.80/ccf$1.15/100 cubic feet (ccf)

$11.00

Winter

2400+1000-2400

600-1000

0-600Meter Charge(fixed)1

Water Usage (cubic feet)

1Meter charge varies by class. Charge shown is for 5/8” commercial and residential meters.

8


Proposed Monthly Rate StructureProposed Monthly Rate StructureProposed Monthly Rate StructureProposed Monthly Rate Structure

$17.60

Meter Charge(fixed)

$7.16/ccfIrrigation

$4.42/ccfCommercial

$7.16/ccf$6.25/ccf$5.76/ccf$2.55/ccf$1.65/ccfResidential

3000+2000-3000

1000-2000

400-1000

0-400

Water Usage (cubic feet)

• Meter charge shown is for 5/8-inch residential and commercial.• Seasonal rate increase eliminated.• Commercial and irrigation rates are uniform regardless of usage.• Lower rate for small water user


Impacts to Typical Water BillsImpacts to Typical Water BillsImpacts to Typical Water BillsImpacts to Typical Water Bills

$34$15Small Retail

$37/month$23/monthAverage Residential Family

$1,551

$412

$766

$194

$668

$861

$598

Current Average Bill (2008)*

$2,249Largest Irrigation User

$740Typical Industrial User

$1,490Yelm High School

$324Typical Restaurant

$1,241Retirement Home

$1,417Grocery Store

$1,011Large Retail

Proposed New BillCustomer

*Including the Seasonal Rate Increase

9


Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change for a Low Water Use Customer?for a Low Water Use Customer?for a Low Water Use Customer?for a Low Water Use Customer?

� 10% of residential customers in Yelm use less than 385 cubic feet of water per month.

� The average water bill for a customer using 385 cubic feet per month will increase from $15.43 to $23.93.


Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change for a Moderate Water Use Customer?for a Moderate Water Use Customer?for a Moderate Water Use Customer?for a Moderate Water Use Customer?

� 50% of residential customers in Yelm use less than 765 cubic feet of water per month.

� The average water bill for a customer using 765 cubic feet per month will increase from $20.87 to $33.49.

10


Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change Q. How Much Will the Water Bill Change for a High Water Use Customer?for a High Water Use Customer?for a High Water Use Customer?for a High Water Use Customer?

� 75% of residential customers in Yelm use less than 1,033 cubic feet of water per month.

� The average water bill for a customer using 1,033 cubic feet per month will increase from $25.86 to $41.38.


Approximate Rate Increases 2010Approximate Rate Increases 2010Approximate Rate Increases 2010Approximate Rate Increases 2010----2015201520152015

$68

$63

$58

$54

$49

$43

$37

$23/month

Average Single Family

$598/month$194/month$15/monthCurrent

$599

$553

$511

$472

$436

$376

$324

Restaurant

$1,949$632015

$1,801$582014

$1,664$542013

$1,537$502012

$1,420$462011

$1,224$392010

$1,011$342009

Large Retail User

Small Retail User

11

Proposed Capital Improvement Proposed Capital Improvement Proposed Capital Improvement Proposed Capital Improvement Plan and Related Revenue Plan and Related Revenue Plan and Related Revenue Plan and Related Revenue

RequirementsRequirementsRequirementsRequirements


Q. What Improvements Are Needed For Growth Q. What Improvements Are Needed For Growth Q. What Improvements Are Needed For Growth Q. What Improvements Are Needed For Growth in Yelm?in Yelm?in Yelm?in Yelm?

� A proposed 6-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) has been developed, covering the period from 2009 to 2015.

� Projects include:–Design and construction of a new well, reservoir, treatment system and pipeline in SW Yelm by 2011. A second well and related improvements would be constructed in 2015.

– Design and implementation of improvements to the water system controls.

– Construction of water line replacement projects in downtown Yelm in 2010, 2012, and 2014 ($200,000 every other year).

–Mitigation projects for new water rights each year ($100,000 per year).

12


Existing Yelm Water System

Existing Wells

Golf Course Well(currently being designed)

Public Works Reservoir

Baker Hill Reservoir


Capital Improvement Plan2009 - 2011

Well No. 1

TreatmentSystem

TransmissionMains

Reservoir

Additional Projects:• Water Rights Mitigation• O&M System

Control System for Existing Wells and Reservoirs

Water Main Replacement Project # 1 – City Hall

13



Additional Projects:• Water Rights Mitigation• O&M System

Water Main Replacement Project # 2 – Downtown



Additional Projects:• Water Rights Mitigation

Water Main Replacement Project # 3 – Downtown

Well No. 2

Expand Treatment

System

TransmissionMain

Extension

14


$9,990,000TOTAL

$2,110,000Construction of second new well, expansion of treatment system, and transmission main extension. Water rights mitigation. 2015

$600,000Design for second new well, expansion of treatment system, and transmission main extension. Water rights mitigation. Water mainreplacement.

2014

$100,000Water rights mitigation.2013

$325,000Water rights mitigation. Water main replacement.2012

$2,790,000Complete construction of well, reservoir, treatment system, and transmission main. Water rights mitigation.2011

$2,990,000Start construction of well, reservoir, treatment system, and transmission main. Water rights mitigation. Water main replacement.2010

$1,000,000Design for new well, reservoir, treatment system, and transmission main. Control system. Water rights mitigation.2009

CostMajor ProjectsYear

Proposed 6Proposed 6Proposed 6Proposed 6----YearYearYearYearCapital Improvement PlanCapital Improvement PlanCapital Improvement PlanCapital Improvement Plan


$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

$2,000,000

$2,500,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

R

evenue C

ollecte

d T

hro

ugh Incre

ased

Rate

s

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Cash Operating Expenses $60,552 $116,159 $206,809 $230,355 $236,573 $274,084 $314,743

Existing Debt Service $176,251 $212,445 $213,245 $213,630 $213,646 $213,258 $212,455New Debt Service $50,159 $339,538 $637,598 $637,598 $637,598 $637,598 $859,455Rate Funded System Reinvestment $0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000

Reserve Funding $1,931 $122,651 $8,799 $154,951 $346,682 $538,691 $540,938TOTAL $288,893 $840,793 $1,166,452 $1,386,534 $1,634,499 $1,913,631 $2,227,591

Rate increase in 2009 only collected for six months.

How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?

15


$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

$2,000,000

$2,500,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

R

evenue C

ollecte

d T

hro

ugh Incre

ased

Rate

s

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Cash Operating Expenses $60,552 $116,159 $206,809 $230,355 $236,573 $274,084 $314,743

Existing Debt Service $176,251 $212,445 $213,245 $213,630 $213,646 $213,258 $212,455New Debt Service $50,159 $339,538 $637,598 $637,598 $637,598 $637,598 $859,455Rate Funded System Reinvestment $0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000

Reserve Funding $1,931 $122,651 $8,799 $154,951 $346,682 $538,691 $540,938TOTAL $288,893 $840,793 $1,166,452 $1,386,534 $1,634,499 $1,913,631 $2,227,591

Costs for increased Cash Operating Expenses and Existing Debt Service would be incurred even if no work was done to improve the existing system

How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate How Will Money Collected Through Rate Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?Increases be Spent?


Revenues and Expenses Comparison(2009 – 2018)

-

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

4,500,000

5,000,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Cash Operating Expenses Existing Debt Service New Debt Service

Rate Funded System Reinvestment Rate Revenue Before Increase Rate Revenue After Increase

16


Questions? Comments?Questions? Comments?Questions? Comments?Questions? Comments?

Questions from the March 5, 2009 Open House

Following the first presentation (5 or 6 people)

Comment: The graph (in Slide 30) is not clear. I don’t understand the gray line (the upper line). In 2018, does this mean that the rates will cover all costs/expenses? Are you accumulating more in the years 2014-2016 then your expenses? In 2016 there’s a big gap between that line and costs. Is it to accumulate reserve funding? Responses:

• Stephanie: Yes, we are accumulating cash so we have it for investments. We’re putting aside dollars for future capital needs. We are being proactive and expect to avoid a big rate increase in 2018. We want to have an emergency reserve of $1 million. Angie: We have to look out to 2018 but we’ll treat this plan as a living document. We’ll assess where we are and see what the need is.

Comment: In six years I’ll be paying three times what I’m paying now. This is a big increase. Have we been running the system wrong? Response:

• Stephanie: We didn’t raise rates as we should have. The recent growth lulled us into thinking we were ok. The problem didn’t become apparent until now. We have had no increase in rates since 2003.

Question: How do you plan to float the bonds? Will people vote on the bond? Response:

• Shelly: You have to have rates to support bonds. We plan to go for revenue bonds (which does not require a public vote). We will go through an underwriter. We have to show we can meet the debt service. We haven’t gone through the process yes.

Question: What are the prospects for getting approval? Response:

• Shelly: We’ve been successful to date. Angie: Municipal bonds are seen as secure so we still think that system is working.

Question: Will this affect sewer rates? Response:

• Stephanie: No, but we’ll be doing a sewer plan soon. Those costs could go up. We can expect annual rate increases in all of our utilities.

Question: Is there anything in new construction that could help pay for the water system? Response:

• Stephanie showed the Service Development Charges slide and the proposed increases.

Following the second presentation (primarily 1 person)

Question: Why are you down in revenue? Were your forecasts lower than actuals? Response: Stephanie: Because of fewer SDCs in the economic downtown. Question: You’re tripling the SDC? Response Stephanie: Yes. Growth is to pay for growth. Comment: Explain how this relates to my water bill. How am I being charged now? So

my meter charge will go up and my usage charge will go up, too? Most rates will about double, correct? That means that the retirement home my parents are in will pass these rate increases to the residents. So, we’ll see 100% increase this year and 300-400% in six years? That’s astronomical and I don’t even use that much water.

Question: How much of this cost is to replace water lines and provide infrastructure to

the current system, to maintain and service the current system and existing customers, without any new growth.

Response Stephanie: In 2009 and 2010, all of it. Question: How much of this is for anticipated growth? Response: Stephanie: We’ve assumed a 3.5% growth which is low. We must invest to

get more capacity and storage, to keep the system where it is. Question: So, to maintain the current supply to existing customers, we need another new

well? Response: We need a new well to be able to meet the maximum daily demand, to sustain

our existing system. Comment: The City cannot pull more water out than you’re authorized to do. Response: Correct, we would have to have a new water right to go with a new well. Comment: So, by 2015, my rate will be 300% higher and all of that is just to maintain the

system for current customers with 3.5% annual growth? The growth part is what bothers me. Growth needs to pay for growth.

Response: Stephanie: That’s why the SDC charges go up so much. It’s levied when you get a building permit.

Response: Shelly B: We haven’t raised rates since 2003 because we’ve had a lot of growth in SDCs. That’s not a responsible approach for the future.

Comment: I have two issues. 1. I understand the need to maintain the system but I don’t want to pay for developers who come in and build and we have to expand infrastructure to the new development. 2. Encouraging conservation. I don’t think I should be charged to same more water. My family is conscientious; we see ourselves as good stewards, but I’m tired of being told I’ll pay more to stop me from using more water. I’m against the higher irrigation charge – we all have to eat. [This comment assumed irrigation was for crops, not for landscaping.] I don’t want the city to tell me how efficient to be. I don’t understand an increase in cost to convince people to use less water. The majority of people are pretty conscientious because they have to pay the bill and mostly they don’t waste it. So

why increase the rate for the 80% who are conscientious because of the 20% who waste it? So, again, I’m focused on my monthly rate increase and you say that other than environmental, all of this cost is to upgrade the system; a new well will mean you don’t have to pump so much and to support existing customers?

Response: Ye, plus 3.5% growth. Comment: The 3.5% growth rate should be put on their monthly bill, not on mine. Response: Stephanie: We don’t need to expand until someone wants to connect. Response (Grant): That’s how it works now. Developers pay for the main to be

extended. The new people are also offsetting costs for the system. Response: Angie: If we take the 3.5% growth out, the rates would be even higher

because all of the costs would be paid by current customers. Comment: I have a real problem with a 300% rate increase.

Comments to City of Yelm’s Water System Plan Update Submitted by JZ Knight

Page 1

March 5, 2009 The following comments are provided in regard to the City of Yelm’s (Yelm) update of its 2002 Water System Plan (WSP). We appreciate the opportunity to comment and request you place these with the WSP update that you submit to the Department of Health (DOH). It is crucial that before Yelm permits any additional new development, the updated WSP be submitted to and approved by DOH. The current plan is outdated and out of compliance with the law in many areas. It lacks the proper requirements to ensure that the customers are being provided with reliable and safe potable water supplies. As a municipal Group A system, Yelm must have a water system approved by the DOH under the requirements of the Board of Health, RCW 43.20.050, and have an operating permit under chapter 70.119A RCW, the Washington Safe Drinking Water Act. As you know, a significant portion of these requirements is set forth in regulations, primarily chapter 246-290 WAC. It is our intent with these comments to have Yelm follow the rules in developing the WSP, and avoid the uncertainties and conflicts associated with the expired 2002 plan. Please consider the following items, which are not exhaustive of the many criteria, including compliance with SEPA. We will be providing additional comments when the WSP is drafted. Safe and Reliable Water Supply To ensure safe and reliable water, the updated plan must go well beyond the planning aspects of the 2002 plan. Under the law, Yelm must comply with the general requirements to provide an adequate quantity and quality of water in a reliable manner, at all times consistent with the requirements of the drinking water laws and regulations. RCW 42.20.050(2)(a); WAC 246-290-420.


Page 2

Yelm is responsible for providing retail water service within its retail service area provided the service can be available in a timely and reasonable manner; Yelm has sufficient water rights to provide the service; and Yelm has sufficient capacity to serve the water in a safe and reliable manner as determined by the Department of Health. See WAC 246-290-106. Basic Planning To insure the water supply is safe and reliable, basic planning elements of a WSP must be followed. Past efforts have shown that basic information has either not been available or difficult to obtain. The rules, specifically WAC 246-290-100, require Yelm to develop a WSP that includes at a minimum:

1. Current population, service connections1, water use, and equivalent residential units; and

2. Sufficient water production and consumption data to

identify trends including the following elements:

a. Monthly and annual production totals for each source, including water purchased from another public water system;

b. Annual usage totals for each customer class as

determined by Yelm;

c. A description of the seasonal variations in consumption patterns of each customer class defined by Yelm.

1Under WAC 246-290-010, "Service connection" means a connection to a public water system designed to provide potable water to a single-family residence, or other residential or nonresidential population. When the connection provides water to a residential population without clearly defined single family residences, the following formulas shall be used in determining the number of services to be included as residential connections on the WFI form:

• Divide the average population served each day by two and one-half; or • Using actual water use data, calculate the total ERUs represented by the service connection

in accordance with department design guidance. • In no case shall the calculated number of services be less than one


Page 3

3. Designated land use, zoning, future population, and water

demand for a consecutive six-year and twenty-year planning period within the water system's service area; and

4. Demand forecasts, developed under WAC 246-290-221,

for a consecutive six-year and 20-year planning period. These must show future use with and without savings expected from the system's water use efficiency program.

Water Resource Analysis A principal element of a safe, reliable water supply, and a properly developed WSP, is the evaluation of available water supply. The quantity of water rights available from an approved source2 can be the limiting factor in the number of connections approved in a WSP, and may not allow for Yelm to meet its demand forecast. See 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Health and Ecology, and the Joint Review Procedures for Planning and Engineering Documents, which provide the most recent guidance on this matter3. In a draft memorandum that will be an addendum to DOH and Ecology’s 2007 Memorandum, the agencies are also developing a policy guidance that will place limits on connections if a purveyor is relying on interruptible water rights. Under this policy, we understand that Yelm will have to have at a minimum 200 gallons per day per ERU based on the water available under the non-interruptible water rights.

2 Under WAC 246-290-130, Yelm must have approval of its sources to use the water from the sources (i.e., wells) for the municipal potable water supply. Yelm must provide DOH sufficient documentation, in a project report, construction documents, or in supplemental documents, that the source is (a) reasonable and feasible for the type and size of the system, and (b) may legally be used in conformance with state water rights laws. 3 Also see Department of Health’s policy documents, Water Rights and Drinking Water Program Guidance Principles, Policy No. C.06, and Determination of Water Rights Adequacy in Reviewing Construction Documents and Project Reports, Policy No. C.05.


Page 4

These current comments do not focus on issues arising with Yelm’s specific water rights, including those it has obtained in the last two years. However, based on the summary of the laws and policies described herein, it is important for Yelm to develop its WSP, and for DOH and Ecology to consider these water rights in regard to the following:

1. Are the water rights interruptible and, if so, what is the effect on the calculations of available connections or Equivalent Residential Connections (ERUs)?

2. Are the water rights truly available to Yelm to serve its

suggested rate of growth of 3.5% when, based on our initial review, at least two of the water rights (“Dragt” and “McMonigle”) were transferred to Yelm with the specific conditions and limitations that the water or a significant portion be banked for the future master planned community that is not included in the 3.5% projected growth?

3. Are the water rights truly available in calculating ERUs if

the right is to withdraw water from a source (the well) that has not been approved? We believe this may be true for the “golf course” right.

4. Has there been an adequate water supply characteristics

analysis, data collected, and studies completed to fully understand the short-term and long-term impacts on the water sources and, more importantly, the local impacts on existing water rights and private wells? In other words, what are the local impacts on existing water rights and private wells that must be vigilantly protected?

These questions must be answered to comply with the rules for development of a proper WSP. Specifically, under WAC 246-290-100, Yelm’s WSP must provide a meaningful water resource analysis, including:

1. A water use efficiency program;


Page 5

2. Source of supply analysis, which includes: (A) an evaluation of water supply alternatives if additional water rights will be pursued within 20 years; and (B) a narrative description of the system's water supply characteristics and the foreseeable effect from current and future use on the water quantity and quality of any body of water from which water is diverted or withdrawn based on existing data and studies;

3. A water shortage response plan as a component of the

reliability and emergency response requirements under WAC 246-290-420;

4. Water right self-assessment; and

5. Water supply reliability analysis.

Two key elements of a WSP, “water supply characteristics” and “water right self-assessment”, require specific consideration because of the lack of proper development and application of these requirements in the 2002 WSP which allowed for poor if not unlawful decisions. A "water supply characteristics" analysis is defined as the factors related to a public water system's source of water supply that may affect its availability and suitability to provide for both short-term and long-term needs. Factors include, but are not limited to:

(i) Source location, name of any body of water and water resource inventory area from which water is diverted or withdrawn,

(ii) Production capacity,

(iii) The source's natural variability,

(iv) The system's water rights for the source, and

(v) Other legal demands on the source such as water rights

for other uses; conditions established to protect species


Page 6

listed under the Endangered Species Act in 50 CFR 17.11; instream flow restrictions established under Title 173 WAC, and any conditions established by watershed plans approved under chapter 90.82 RCW and RCW 90.54.040(1), or salmon recovery plans under chapter 77.85 RCW.

The "water right self-assessment" is an evaluation of the legal ability of a water system to use water for existing or proposed usages in conformance with state water right laws. The assessment may be done by a water system, a purveyor, the Department of Ecology, or any combination thereof. It is very important to know that for the purposes of this assessment, a "water right" means a permit, claim, or other authorization, on record with or accepted by the Department of Ecology, authorizing the beneficial use of water in accordance with all applicable state laws. WAC 246-290-010. As the Superior Court has stated, a mere application for a water right is not a “reasonable expectation” of a potable water right that meets the requirement of the water rights assessment. Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) The Yelm 2002 WSP failed to have proper application of the ERU requirements in the law. To know whether the water system, including the water rights and sources can supply the demand forecast, the calculation of Equivalent residential Units (ERU) is crucial.

1. An ERU means a system-specific unit of measure used to express the amount of water consumed by a typical full-time single-family residence. WAC 246-290-010.

2. The water system physical capacity must be established

by evaluating the capacity of each system component such as source, treatment, storage, transmission, or distribution, individually and in combination with each other.

3. The water system physical capacity must be:


Page 7

a. Reported in terms of total ERUs and the

number of residential and nonresidential connections with the number of ERUs they represent, and

b. Compared to the existing number of residential and

nonresidential connections currently served and the ERUs they represent. WAC 246-290-222; see DOH Policy Water System Physical Capacity in ERUs No. A.15. Undoubtedly, the ERUs provide the means of calculating water demand. See DOH Water System Design Manual chapters 5.2 and 6.

4. Generally, expanding systems shall use water demand

design for average day demand (ADD), and peak periods of demand such as maximum day demand (MDD), and peak hourly demand (PHD) that are based upon actual metered water use records. The data collected shall be sufficient to account for seasonal or other cyclic changes in water demand, and shall correlate to the maximum number of full-time or part-time ERUs in service at any time. WAC 246-290-221(1). This premise, however, is one for design engineering related to demand increments, not overall system capacity defined in terms of water rights needed annually.

5. The demand forecast must be made based on an

estimate of future water system water supply needs assuming historically normal weather conditions and calculated using numerous parameters, including population, historic water use, local land use plans, water rates and their impacts on consumption, employment, projected water use efficiency savings from implementation of a water use efficiency program, and other appropriate factors. WAC 246-290-010.

6. The design for the water system based upon metered

water use records shall have an MDD no lower than three hundred fifty gallons per day per ERU, except for the


Page 8

design of any expansion to an existing water system that has a minimum of two years of meter records that clearly demonstrate that a lower design value for MDD may be used without significant risk of pressure loss. The meter records must correlate the demand data to the actual level of occupancy for the periods covered by the records. WAC 246-290-221(4).

Consistency Yelm must make sure its WSP is consistent with its plans and regulations. For example, based on the findings of the Superior Court for Thurston County in Knight v. Yelm, et al., for the purposes of Yelm’s land use code and regulations, there must be a showing of approved and available water rights sufficient to serve the water demands for subdivisions prior to approval of any final plat. In approving the water system plan of a public water system, DOH must ensure that water service to be provided by the system under the plan is consistent with the requirements of any comprehensive plans or development regulations adopted under chapter 36.70A RCW or any other applicable comprehensive plan, land use plan, or development regulations adopted by a city, town, or county for the service area and, for water service by the water utility of a city or town, with the utility service extension ordinances of the city or town. WAC 246-290-106. Municipal water suppliers must include a consistency review and supporting documentation in its planning or engineering document describing how it has considered consistency with local plans and regulations. This review must include elements of local plans and regulations, as they reasonably relate to water service to be provided by a municipal water supplier for any new connection, including:

(a) Land use and zoning within the applicable service area;

(b) Six-year growth projections used in the demand forecast;


Page 9

(c) Utility service extension ordinances of a city or town when water service is provided by the water utility of the city or town; and

(d) Provisions of water service for new service connections.

Conclusion It is imperative that these rules are evidenced in the updating of Yelm's WSP and adhered to strictly. They are reflective of important design criteria reasoned and arrived at by the legislature and agencies that develop the rules and whose job it is to oversee the important health and safety considerations that are administered in the protection of the public. They are not devised for manipulation or equivocation.

jmorgan

Typewritten Text

Appendix 1G Reduced Water Rate Ordinance and Resolution