During a workshop on Monday, July 24, City of Chehalis councilors and staff discussed projects necessary to meet water demand as development increases in Chehalis’ southern urban growth area (UGA).
Currently, the pump station on 18th Street has a maximum capacity of 1,797,120 gallons per day, enough to supply approximately 5,990 residential units (or units with equivalent water usage) per day.
Chehalis had about 7,679 residents in the 2020 U.S. Census: already more than the pump station’s capacity. City staff anticipate as many as 22,000 residents by 2042, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.
“To tackle this challenge, the city has initiated two key projects,” said Lance Bunker, Chehalis Public Works director.
The projects will be necessary, he said, both for residents and future development. Those are the Bishop Road loop project, estimated to cost about $1.1 million, and the Market Boulevard pinch-point project, which, along with pump station upgrades, is estimated to cost around $6 million.
As the Port of Chehalis attempts to close deals on new developments, the risk of being denied utilities is a “huge concern,” said Port Executive Director Lindsey Senter, during the workshop last week.
“It’s a huge concern of mine to be working with these great developers and become a community with the reputation that there (are) no utilities,” Senter said. “Especially when we’re putting so much work — all of us, the city, all of our partners — putting so much work into making sure there are going to be water utilities moving forward.”
Bunker said he expects the Bishop Road loop project to be completed this year. Once done, it will connect two water main lines, increasing water service reliability.
But, especially with the Port’s aspirations, that may not be enough, Bunker said.
“It may not be sufficient to meet the water demands of new applications in the south UGA,” said Bunker.
Different consulting agencies for the project gave vastly different estimations for how much water flow could increase with the Bishop Road loop completed, he said.
“One engineer is telling me, and this is all in theory, that we are going to get 40 gallons per minute extra when that loop is completed,” Bunker said. “Another one is telling me we’re going to get a minimum of a thousand.”
City staff are working on models for water flow with higher demand in the area, Bunker said, and their findings should be completed by the end of the month. Senter said she and hopeful partners in development are anxiously awaiting the results.
“I would really like to recommend you see this as more of an emergency than anything,” Senter said, later adding, “We finally hit a wonderful growth spurt over the last couple of years and that could all stop very quickly with the economy and with this news.”
The pinch-point project is a plan to remedy a water pipe in one major part of the city that’s currently only 8 inches around.
For that project, Bunker said, engineering and design proposals are submitted. The design phase is expected to begin in September. The upgrade is meant to double the pipe in size, bringing it to 16 inches from 11th to 21st streets along Market Boulevard.
But, to handle twice as much flow, the pump station on 18th Street will need to be upgraded, too.
“Even (when) the Bishop Road loop project (is) complete, we still have to jump right on the pinch point,” Bunker said. “Best case scenario, the loop is going to buy us a little time to continue with development. … Worst case scenario is the loop isn’t going to give us enough (water) and we’re gonna have to wait until the pinch-point (project) is done to supply the south (UGA).”
If modeling shows a drastic increase in water supply, the city will have bought itself some time to explore the best design options for the pinch- point project.
If those estimates aren’t up to snuff, however, the city will have to accelerate plans.
Mayor Tony Ketchum supported funding the pinch-point project if need be, though city staff are exploring grant funding options. Whether or not grants are approved, Councilor Daryl Lund stressed the need to complete these projects and upgrade Chehalis’ water system.
“How much are we going to lose by not being able to develop our community? ‘Cause if (developers) can’t get something here, they’re going to go somewhere else,” Lund said.
Richard DeBolt, director of the Economic Alliance of Lewis County, said his organization wants to pitch in on finding funding. The Alliance, too, works with developers to support local growth.
“Chehalis people were telling our clients that there was no more water. It doesn’t take long in the development world for that to get around ...” DeBolt said. “What I heard is we’re not out of water.”
