Water District vs Issaquah: video presentations tell the story

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The debate is contentious. The Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District says Issaquah wants to inject contaminated water into an area where fecal coliform can infiltrate into an aquifer that provides up to 50% of the drinking water for the District, which serves 54,000 residents in Issaquah (including part of the Issaquah Highlands, all of Providence Point and Overdale), all of Klahanie and other parts of unincorporated King County and roughly three quarters of Sammamish.

Issaquah officials charge the Water District is resorting to scare tactics and its real “agenda” is “self-preservation” and to block the potential annexation by Issaquah of Klahanie. What’s noteworthy of Mayor Ava Frisinger’s approach on this is that by making allegations that the District has an “agenda” and personally attacking the president of the District, she’s avoiding the issues and the City is repeating tactics from 2008 when the Washington Department of Ecology forced (repeat, forced) Issaquah to shut down the so-called LRIG (Lower Reid Infiltration Gallery) in the first place.

Then, according to the press report at the time, Issaquah told Ecology:

They stated that the DOE relied on information supplied by the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District, and said it was “riddled with factual errors,” and contains “inflammatory, incorrect and prejudicial statements masquerading as science and technical analysis.” They also call the monitoring program required by the DOE order “extensive, expensive, excessive, unreasonable and arbitrary.

Frisinger and her administration are following the same line of attack today.

Fortunately, you can see for yourself. Issaquah and the Water District each made presentations to the Sammamish City Council on the issue. Sammamish is trying to sort out facts and has heard from both sides. Issaquah heard the presentation from its own consultant, who also presented to Sammamish, but has so far not wanted to hear from the Water District. It’s clear Issaquah doesn’t give a damn about public opinion or scientific questions over the dispute and it’s equally clear it doesn’t want to hear from the Water District, which is why the District felt compelled to “go public” in the first place.

But you can watch the following videos:

Issaquah Presentation to Issaquah City Council (this was the same presentation given to the Sammamish City Council the same evening). This is 31 minutes.

Water District Presentation to Sammamish City Council on June 4. (Issaquah hasn’t invited the Water District to present to the City Council). Advance to 46:30 minutes for the hour-long presentation.

I think you will find a great deal of useful information that you can compare about who is more factual and more complete.

With respect to the allegation of “self-preservation,” Issaquah is attempting a hostile takeover of a small portion of the District that includes three wells (the ones using the aquifer at risk) in such a way that will dismember the infrastructure to the detriment of Sammamish residents, and those in unincorporated King County. 93% of the District lies outside Issaquah (using Issaquah’s own number) and Issaquah refuses to talk with the District or Sammamish in a way to resolve these issues and concerns. Instead, officials have made it clear that they are only interested in themselves, no matter the consequences to anyone else.

The threat to the water quality is why the Water District is putting up such a fight.

The case for another off-leash dog park in Sammamish

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Sammamish needs another off-leash dog park. Here’s why and how it can be safe.

The Beaver Lake dog park is too small to be of real use. The dogs don’t have enough room to run and play. The “dog prisons” that exist there now compress the play and exercise areas, and the large breed area with its path can be traversed in five minutes. My Golden Retriever gets no exercise to speak of here.

As readers know, I advocated turning Big Rock Park into an off-leash park. There was a long comment posted why this should not be done: safety, potential harm to sensitive areas, etc.

The response is easy.

First, if people know it’s an off-leash dog park, problem solved. The conflict emerges with the assumption that it is not an off-leash park and some people nonetheless let their dog off-leash.

Certain days (or even certain hours) could also be designated off-leash with the remaining days on-leash.

Second, as with Marymoor Park, fence off those sensitive areas. Costly? Perhaps, but after spending a half million dollars (!!!) for two (!!!) boat docks at Sammamish Landing, I’m not sure there is a good argument on cost.

Whether Big Rock Park or another park becomes off-leash, Sammamish has plenty of “people” parks. Having a sizable off-leash park, well designated, is a convenience and an amenity.

People complain about having to drive off the Plateau for goods and services, and note that keeping people on the Plateau reduces traffic. The same argument can be made for this amenity.

I received this email from a reader.

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Issaquah stonewalls Klahanie on water at annexation meeting

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Representatives of Issaquah refused to answer any questions at the city-sponsored informational meeting for the potential annexation of Klahanie about plans to inject polluted stormwater into a well that could contaminate the aquifer providing drinking water for Klahanie.

There was a public meeting last night, May 22. They were asked over and over and over to comment on the water issues; they refused every time.

[The Sammamish City Council raises questions over Issaquah’s plans.]

So much for Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger’s pledge of being “open and transparent” on the water permit issue.

Several Klahanie residents asked the representatives of the city about Issaquah’s plans to inject water into the so-called LRIG, the Lower Reid Infiltration Galley. The aquifer provides water to Well 9 owned by the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, and in 2009 the state Department of Ecology closed the LRIG because fecal coliform (bird and other poop) infiltrated through the LRIG and contaminated the aquifer.

Issaquah on May 8 told another Klahanie-focus meeting that there will be no change in what agency supplies the water, but this omitted the fact that the city is already engaged in a hostile takeover attempt of the Water District.

Here is a Fact Sheet the Water District issued (click on images to enlarge):

Klahanie Fact Sheet Pg 1

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Klahanie Fact Sheet Pg 2

Become a Party of Interest in the Issaquah/Ecology permit application

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I have learned from the Department of Ecology that it intends to issue its Draft Permit to Issaquah for the right to inject storm water into the so-called LRIG by the end of June. There will be a 30 day comment period from then.

I’ve written several posts expressing grave concern over Issaquah’s plan and Ecology’s intention to allow this. The Lower Reid Infiltration Galley, or LRIG, over an aquifer from which the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District draws water that serves parts of Issaquah, all of Klahanie and parts of unincorporated King County, and three quarters of our city, Sammamish (basically all but the far north end).

Tests have shown in the past high concentrations of fecal coliform (bird and other poop) penetrated past the LRIG and infiltrated into the aquifer. Ecology shut down the LRIG infiltration in 2009 but is prepared to let Issaquah resume this shortly.

It’s important that citizens of Sammamish (and of Klahanie and all areas, for that matter, including Providence Point and Overdale in Issaquah) weigh in on this permit.

By becoming a Party of Interest, you will be notified when the Draft Permit is issued and will therefore be able to comment as part of the official record.

To become a Party of Interest, email Cheryl Thompson at Ecology at chth461@ecy.wa.gov

Check out my previous posts for more information on these issues.

Gerend wants Klahanie; Issaquah to meet with Klahanie May 22

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Don Gerend declared once again that as a Sammamish City Council member, he wants to see Klahanie annex to Sammamish instead of Issaquah.

The area with 10,000 residents and a shopping center is, of course, in the Issaquah Potential Annexation Area. Issaquah officials met May 8 with a small group of residents at the Issaquah City Hall and has a meeting scheduled May 22 at Challenger Elementary School, 25200 SE Klahanie Blvd. at 7 p.m. to discuss possible annexation into Issaquah.

Gerend made the comment to a resident who lives in an unincorporated area between Klahanie and Sammamish and who doesn’t want to be part of Issaquah. The area is also in Issaquah’s PAA. The resident asked Sammamish to become involved, which can only be done if the areas are struck from the Issaquah PAA.

Gerend said that for 14 years (his entire time on the Sammamish City Council) he’s wanted to annex Klahanie.

A complicating issue has emerged over annexing Klahanie, however: this is Issaquah’s permit application the State Department of Ecology to inject stormwater into the aquifer from which Klahanie gets its drinking water and plans to effect a hostile takeover of part of the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District that draws its water from that aquifer.

Issaquah also eventually wants to assume the part of the Water District that Klahanie falls within, even though as recently as May 8 the city said nothing would change on this point, failing to reveal its true intentions.

I wrote about this deliberately misleading action on the part of Issaquah previously.

(Click on the illustration to enlarge.)

Klahanie SPWSD page

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Clearly, Issaquah has some explaining to do with Klahanie, starting with why on May 8 it told Klahanie residents nothing would change about who provides water service to the area when plans have been underway for a long time to seek a hostile takeover of parts of the SPWSD, including the Klahanie area.

Then there are questions about the water quality protection of the aquifer that serves Klahanie. Although Issaquah claims its plan will be safe, the SPWSD has a different view. Klahanie residents might want to ask Issaquah and the Water District about this.

I have written several posts on this water topic. There are several links within the following to other stories by media. Here is a report from the Issaquah Press.

“We all drink from the same glass”

Issaquah takes the cheap route-except it doesn’t

Issaquah plan threatens Sammamish, Klahanie water supply