By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
Cheney's Planning Commission set a public hearing for Sept. 10 to receive testimony on building permits and subdivision plat moratoriums – moratoriums enacted by the City Council on July 24 because of rising concern over the city's water supply.
Setting the date was the easy part of the commission's regular meeting on Monday. Getting to that point involved some finger pointing and tense exchanges on how the city got in a position where its available water may be maxed out in the first place.
Community Development director Tom Richardson said concerns about reaching the limits of Cheney's allowable water usage had surfaced as recently as last spring in discussions on the new Terra Vista subdivision as well as more housing going in at Golden Hills.
City officials thought they had the ERUs, equivalent residential units or the amount in gallons a single-family residence uses on average daily, to accommodate the new construction.
But further calculations with new data on water usage, and a desire from the council to have a 5 percent safety factor, ate into those remaining units.
“We found that, after providing water to Terra Vista, we were out,” Richardson said.
Richardson stressed the commission was not at fault, that they had made their decisions to approve construction applications based upon the best available evidence at the time. Commissioner Doug Nixon, appointed to the commission in January, challenged that, saying it has been a topic of discussion around town the past several years that Cheney was facing a potential water supply crisis.
“How did this happen?” he asked. “Everyone knows that Christmas is on Dec. 25. I walked into the council meeting (July 24) and this happens (the moratorium).”
Public works director Don MacDonald said new factors, such as fire flow requirements, had been added to the water calculations. Richardson added that the city had just received the results of a hydrogeological study started two years ago, and that these things take time – something Dixon disputed, adding that water had been discussed publicly before the study results.
Commissioner Randall Butler said they raised questions about Cheney's supply in past development hearings, and sent those to the council, which had apparently decided not to deal with it. Commissioner Don Nichols added that water availability had been brought up last summer, when Cheney parks and school district grounds were turning brown because of restricted watering measures.
On the defense, MacDonald said city officials have been fully aware of a growing problem, citing as evidence of their concern such measures as recent rehabilitation of wells No. 4 and No. 6 for irrigation only, pursuing drilling an eighth potable water well, and the just completed study on modifying the wastewater treatment plant for use as another non-potable source.
Cheney Councilman Curt Huff, in attendance in the audience, disputed Butler's contention, saying MacDonald had kept them and Mayor Allen Gainer apprised at past meetings on threats to the city's water.
“It's not a surprise to anyone,” Huff said. “If there's a surprise, it's because they want to be surprised.”
Huff noted that Eastern Washington University seemed to be in good shape with its water, keeping lawns green by watering just about every day. Richardson said the university is on its own system, and only tied into the city for fire suppression.
“It's never looked that good is what I'm saying,” Huff said. “It looks nice, but the city doesn't.”
State law requires a hearing on moratoriums within 60 days of enactment. At the Sept. 10 meeting the commission will take public testimony, and then issue findings to be used by the council in retaining the moratorium as is, modifying it, or rescinding it altogether.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected]
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