Media Contact: Don Wright
Water Supply Forum
206-713-3506
don@watersupplyforum.org
Summer Water Supplies in Snohomish, King and Pierce Counties Seen As Sufficient
BELLEVUE, Wash. (July 7, 2010) — The Water Supply Forum, a cooperative effort of public water supply systems and local governments in the central Puget Sound region, reports that summer water supplies are forecasted to be sufficient.
“In general, our current forecast for the entire central Puget Sound region is consistent with the municipal water supply information included in the 2009 Regional Municipal Water Supply Outlook,” said Don Wright, Forum project manager for the 2009 Outlook project.
The City of Everett provides drinking water for about 80 percent of Snohomish County. Everett’s engineering superintendent Jim Miller says that Everett and Snohomish County have enough water supplies to handle summer demand. “Our late winter snow and rain, along with the storage at Spada Reservoir’s offers plenty of water for our customers,” Miller said. “We will continue to encourage water conservation and the wise use of this valuable resource.” For additional information on Everett and Snohomish County water supplies contact Jim Miller at 425-257-8880.
Ray Hoffman, Seattle Public Utilities director, said Seattle’s water supply is now good. “We got some much needed snow and rain in the past month and our reservoirs were refilled quite nicely,” he said. “However, we’re not letting our guard down. We will monitor the supply and encourage users to use water wisely.” For information on Seattle’s water supply go to http://www.seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/Water_System/Water_Supply/SPU01_001850.asp.
Linda McCrea, superintendent for Tacoma Water expects the utility to meet the needs of Tacoma customers with an adequate water supply from the Green River and Tacoma’s well fields. “Improvements to Howard Hanson Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also aid in that effort,” McCrea noted. “In addition, we are currently developing communications that will help our customers begin to think about their water in new ways and encourage smart use now and into the future.” For additional information go to www.tacomawater/smart.
The 2009 Regional Municipal Water Supply Outlook presents a regional overview of municipal water demands, provides an inventory of existing water supplies, and identifies and summarizes potential future water supply and conservation projects for King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The 2009 Outlook was prepared by the Water Supply Forum over a three-year period, with significant involvement from the region’s water utilities, county governments, state agencies, tribal governments and environmental interests.
About the Water Supply Forum
The Water Supply Forum is a cooperative effort of representatives of public water systems and local governments in the central Puget Sound region of Washington State. The Forum addresses current and future water supply issues, including supply planning, environmental stewardship, and other water supply related issues currently facing the region. For more information visit the website at www.watersupplyforum.org.
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