Category Archives: Issaquah

Issaquah doesn’t tell Klahanie: We’re pursuing hostile takeover of Water District

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Issaquah held an informational meeting May 8 about the potential annexation of Klahanie, an area of nearly 11,000 residents, and omitted a key piece of information: the city is pursuing a hostile take-over of the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, the provider of their water service.

Nor did the city tell Klahanie residents that it is pursuing a permit with the state Department of Ecology that will inject stormwater into the aquifer that supplies drinking water to Klahanie.

So much for being open and transparent.

[Issaquah plan threatens Klahanie water supply.]

In a handout Wednesday night, Issaquah wrote:

What would not change with annexation

  • Water & Sewer: No change; still from Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District

In this flyer, Issaquah says it does not have plans to provide water and sewer service to Klahanie. What the city is not saying is that it does have plans to include Klahanie in its future utility service. In Issaquah’s own 2012 Comp Plan, the city clearly shows Klahanie inside the “Future Retail Service Area” (Figure 2.0x).

IssWaterTakeover

Why does this matter? Keep reading below the jump.

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“We all drink from the same glass of water:” Mayor Frisinger in defending plan that threatens Issaquah, Sammamish and Klahanie water supplies

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That’s what she said May 6 to media and on Social Media.

““We all drink from the same glass, the citizens of Issaquah and Sammamish,” Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger said.” Press release dated May 6, 2013, on Issaquah City website.

What if that glass of water looks like this?

Issaquah’s plan to inject stormwater runoff without adequate pre-treatment proposed by the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District–threatening our drinking water aquifer that is immediately below the so-called LRIG into which the Mayor wants to inject stormwater–may not look this bad but it’s what you don’t see that will hurt you.

Fecal coliform (from bird and other animal poop), metal particles and contaminants contained in stormwater runoff from Issaquah Highlands are all in stormwater. Issaquah contends filtering it through the ground and the LRIG will be adequate. The Water District says more pre-treatment is needed. This is the crux of the battle going on between the city, the District and the Washington Department of Ecology right now. Ecology, inexplicably, is nearing approval of a Draft Permit to allow Issaquah to inject stormwater into the ground only nine feet from the District’s aquifer that serves 54,000 people mostly in Sammamish and Klahanie and including other portions of unincorporated King County and parts of Issaquah.

The Water District offered three times to co-fund a pre-treatment facility and Issaquah rejected each offer.

Frisinger says Issaquah is committed to protecting the aquifer. If this is true, you have to ask: why won’t the city work together with the Water District, which offers to co-fund a proper pre-treatment stormwater facility?

Issaquah takes the cheap route on storm water–except it doesn’t; the non-response response

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Events moved quickly about the fight between Issaquah and the Sammamish Plateau Water District.

KING5 TV had a report on its 5:30 pm news May 6 about the water war between Issaquah and the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District.

Most revealing was Gary Chittim’s summary in the video: “Supporters say it’s a good, cheap way to treat water and get rid of storm runoff.”

Except Issaquah hasn’t chosen the “cheap” way. It chose a $1.5 million option that has already run up huge legal bills for Issaquah and the water district, with more to come if the state Department of Ecology grants the infiltration permit, as it is gearing up to do.

The Water District three times offered to co-fund a water infiltration system to protect the aquifer, but Issaquah refused each offer. Instead it has moved toward a hostile takeover of part of the District.

The Seattle Times has this news story about the Issaquah plan and the Water District’s effort to protect the aquifer. Within the article, Issaquah Ava Frisinger and Ecology said they are “anxious” to end dumping polluted storm water into Issaquah Creek.

If Issaquah had agreed with the Water District’s plan to treat the water, this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. I’ve added numbers to the paragraphs for some reaction below.

Meantime, Issaquah issued a non-response response to the Water District’s highly detailed information provided to the media.

Here’s a press release from Issaquah:

Continue reading →

Issaquah plan threatens Sammamish, Klahanie water supply, lake water quality

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A proposal by Issaquah to inject storm water from Issaquah Highlands into an aquifer threatens the drinking water supply for most of Sammamish residents.

This is the second assault on the aquifer, which the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District relies upon. I wrote about the first one December 18, 2012. In that case, the Issaquah City Council approved a plan called Lakeside development at the Highlands that will allow a storm water injection well right above a drinking water aquifer.

I wrote at the time something seemed pretty amiss:

The Council, which ultimately approved the agreement unanimously, said it was comfortable with the safeguards and alternatives. Several said they get their drinking water from the aquifer as well and are personally motivated to protect the aquifer. (Emphasis added.)

I’m personally uneasy. Having served on Sammamish City committees and commissions for eight years, I understand the process and thinking that went into this Agreement but I’m nonetheless concerned about the affect on the aquifer.

Now, it turns out Issaquah has applied for a permit with the State Department of Ecology to resume injection of storm water into the aquifer of substantially untreated water. The problem: untreated storm water from the Issaquah Highlands has fecal coliform (ie, bird and pet poop), heavy metal contaminants and a host of other bacteria. This threatens our drinking water. The aquifer serves most of Sammamish, in addition to parts of Issaquah and all of Klahanie. (Note to Klahanie residents: You’re in the Issaquah Potential Annexation Area. Welcome to your new landlords and stewards of your environment.)

[Read more about this issue at a new Water District website devoted strictly to this.]

More alarming: Ecology is poised to grant this permit. Ecology’s pending action is a stunning turn-about from its long history of protecting water. Furthermore, Ecology has been exerting extreme pressure on the City of Sammamish to control storm water runoff into Lake Sammamish, demanding that development runoff be controlled to pre-development conditions (ie, virgin forest). This is a nearly impossible demand in an urban area. While Low Impact Development can help dramatically, it’s impossible to feasibly return to pre-development conditions. The City of Sammamish and some citizens, many represented by the Citizens for Sammamish activist group, have been arguing with the City Council for years over the new, highly restrictive regulations demanded by Ecology. Regardless, treatment and control of polluted storm water is imperative. Why in the world would Ecology be so strict with the City of Sammamish and give Issaquah a pass?

While the permit application is pending, Issaquah is diverting untreated water into the North Fork of the Issaquah River, which flows into Lake Sammamish. This water pollution can accumulate and potential affect home values of lakefront homes (who wants to live with lakefront you can’t use?). The right thing to do would have been for Issaquah to treat the water in the first place–it’s chosen not to do so.

Now Ecology is ready to permit Issaquah to inject contaminated and polluted water into the aquifer. Also keep in mind that this very same storm water injection site was shut down by Ecology in 2008 because high levels of fecal coliform were detected in monitoring wells a short distance from the District’s drinking water wells. Issaquah has been trying to restart the injection of storm water ever since. The city is tired of the Water District’s objections to protect the water supply for 54,000 customers–most of whom reside in Sammamish–so Issaquah has decided to take over the part of the District and the three prime wells inside Issaquah’s boundaries in order to shut the District up and do what it wants with the storm water–the impact to Sammamish be damned.

The Sammamish City Council and City Manager are aware of the situation but so far have not protested either to Issaquah or to Ecology. I find this to be rather perplexing, since our City Council and our City Manager represent us residents (and voters) of Sammamish.

The Sammamish City Council meets Tuesday, May 7.

Here is the Water District’s press release:

Continue reading →

Civilized Nature to move to Issaquah Highlands

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Civilized Nature will be moving to Issaquah Highlands around next fall.

I previously wrote how this locally-owned pet store will be the next victim of Regency’s drive to nationalize the Sammamish Highlands shopping center with the addition of Petco. I’ve learned from Nature that the local Regency rep actually went to bat with Corporate to make a move to Issaquah Highlands possible.

Petco is planned to open around June; Nature hopes it can survive the overlap until its own lease expires.