Business as usual when it comes to water treatment

The combination of light snowfall during the winter months and March rainstorms have had little impact on the various wastewater treatment facilities in the West Plains.

Steven Cooper manages the Medical Lake wastewater treatment and reuse facility, which collects waste and water from the Medical Lake, Lakeland Village and Eastern State Hospital. Similar to last year, Cooper said there were some increases in the water the plant collected in recent months, but not as much as it has seen in years that had a high amount of snowfall.

"We saw a little bit of an increase, about 300,000 gallons, but it's not what you would expect," Cooper said. "Typically we have about of half-million gallons and right now we're at 600,000. It's business as usual for us."

Cooper added that the plant's flow may increase from the excess water from resident's basements, a result from the recent rainstorms. On March 16, Spokane was hit with a record-breaking rainstorm that also hit surrounding areas.

Although the mild winter had little effect on Medical Lake's treatment facility, it allowed it to fill West Medical Lake with reclamation water in February.

"We normally wait to fill West Medical Lake because lake is usually full from the winter runoff," Cooper said. "We won't normally fill it until April or May. The lake seems to be doing good at the moment. The rains have helped out a lot."

Cooper said he would like to see more moisture in the lakes and ponds in the next few months.

"Having more moisture will help with the potable water system," Cooper said."

Cheney Public Works Director Todd Ableman said the drier winter also had little affect on the storm water output Cheney's wastewater treatment received. The facility collects wastewater from 40 miles of mains, 850 manholes and two lift stations. It discharges its influent into 100 acres of wetlands to soak up the phosphorus before it is redistributed.

"We did not have a lot of snow runoff from the winter and the ground has soaked up a lot of the rain that came down in our area," Ableman said. "There are really no issues for us because we did not have a lot of snow removal."

Ableman added that the mild winter and nicer weather helped maintain the facility's equipment. Dan Ferguson, wastewater treatment supervisor said the city's student population affects the plant's flow.

"Being a university town, our flows double when the students are here," Ferguson said. "It goes back down during spring. Our schedule is predictable but Mother Nature is unpredictable."

Like Cheney and Medical Lake, Airway Heights' water reclamation plant, which uses 100,000 gallons of reclaimed water for irrigation purposes for residential areas and city parks, was not affected by the mild winter.

City Manager Albert Tripp said the facility's system is fairly new and does not treat a lot of storm water.

"If our system was older it might have affected it," Tripp said. "Just a surge of storm water tends to increase the cost of treatment."

Although it's too early to tell what the water outlook will be for the summer, cities are planning for the months ahead. The West Plains is encircled in a basin and with no surface runoff, its water comes from precipitation.

"What hits the ground goes into the aquifer," Medical Lake City Administrator Doug Ross said.

Last August Cheney imposed mandatory water restrictions. Ableman said the city will be ready to pump water from its wells if the warmer weather comes sooner than expected. Tripp said Airway Heights is also preparing for the summer months.

Medical Lake imposed water restrictions in the summer. Ross, who is also planning ahead, said he would have a better look at the water situation in the next few months.

"It depends when the warm weather hits," Ross said. "If the warm weather hits in May or June, then things get dicey."

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].