Water Resources Advisory Board

**Water System Planning and Financial Implications** The most substantial policy discussion centered on the massive capital improvement program and its implications for water rates and community priorities. Board members expressed concern about the scale of investments needed, particularly the $100 million raw water intake project that represents a single point of failure for the city's water supply. Engineering staff explained that the current intake pipeline from Lake Whatcom is in poor condition and provides no redundancy — if it fails, the entire city loses its water supply. While the project carries a hefty price tag, it addresses both immediate reliability concerns and long-term resilience needs. **Community Values Integration** Board members questioned how community feedback from earlier surveys would actually influence project prioritization. The presentation showed that survey respondents prioritized repair and replacement of aging infrastructure, water quality projects,…

**Carollo Engineers** (Aurelie Nabonnand and Laura Kammereck): Presented comprehensive technical analysis recommending $531.6 million in improvements, emphasizing that all projects meet Department of Health requirements and industry standards. Stressed that cost estimates use conservative "Class 5" methodology with significant contingencies. **City Engineering Staff** (Mike Wilson): Emphasized urgency of raw water intake replacement, describing it as a "single point of failure" that poses significant risk. Suppo…

**Mike Wilson, on the raw water intake project:** "It's a single point of failure right? It's at risk. I don't want to overstate that. But that's a reality." **Board Member Rick Eggerth, on demand projections:** "So you must have a slide on the assumptions in this curve. That doesn't look what I would say. it's very loaded up front like, is it absorb Burndale? Or what are the assumptions that drive this fairly dramatic curve on the on the upper range." **Board Member John Peppel, on communi…

After this meeting, the Water Resources Advisory Board now has complete visibility into the scale of water infrastructure investments facing Bellingham over the next two decades — $531.6 million in total improvements. Members understand that the city faces storage deficits that will grow from 3.7 million gallons today to 9.7 million gallons by 2044, requiring construction of multiple new tanks and transmission lines. The board gained awareness that the city's water supply faces a critical vulnerability t…

### Meeting Overview The Water Resources Advisory Board met October 22, 2024 to receive a major presentation on the city's Water System Plan capital improvement recommendations. Consulting engineers from Carollo presented their analysis of the water system, proposing $532 million in improvements over the next 20 years, including a critical $100 million raw water intake pipeline replacement. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Capital Improvement Plan (CIP):** A long-term planning document that identifies infrastructure projects and their estimated costs, prioritized over a specific timeframe. **Maximum Day Demand (MDD):** The highest single-day water usage in a year, typically occurring during hot summer days when irrigation and cooling needs peak. **Fire Flow Requirements:** State-mandated water pressure and volume standards that water systems must maintain at fire hydrants to support firefighting operations. **Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL):** The elevation of water pressure in the system, measured in feet above sea level, which determines water pressure at different locations. **Class 5 Cost Estimate:** A planning-level cost estimate with wide accuracy ranges, used for early project planning before detailed engineering work begins. **Storage Deficiency:** When a water system lacks adequate storage capacity to meet Department of Health requirements for operational, equalizing, and emergency water needs. **Raw Water Intake:** The infrastructure that draws untreated water from Lake Whatcom to the treatment plant, currently the city's single source of supply. **SCADA System:** Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition - the computer system that monitors and controls water treatment plant operations remotely. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Aurelie Nabonnand | Project Engineer, Carollo Engineers | | Laura Kammereck | Project Manager, Carollo Engineers | | Mike Wilson | City Engineer and Director of Public Works Engineering | | Renee LaCroix | City Staff | | Bret Beaupain | Board Chair | | Rick Eggerth | Board Member | | Martin Kjelstad | Board Member | | Fiona McNair | Board Member | ### Background Context Bellingham's water system serves not only the city but also multiple…