The twin water reservoirs atop Strawberry Mountain, which have a combined capacity of nearly 100,000 gallons, were completely empty two weekends ago because of a pump failure at the lower, larger Los Altos Reservoir.
The twin water reservoirs atop Strawberry Mountain, which have a combined capacity of nearly 100,000 gallons, were completely empty two weekends ago because of a pump failure at the lower, larger Los Altos Reservoir.
WHITE SALMON — A significant swath of White Salmon had to boil drinking water for four days last week after a pump failure caused two reservoirs atop Strawberry Mountain to sit empty. While now refilled, the city is mandating affected residents to immediately halt all nonessential, outdoor water use until pump replacement occurs.
During a routine maintenance operation on June 3, contractors with Hurley Engineering learned that one pump at the Los Altos Reservoir, White Salmon’s largest water storage facility with a capacity of 1 million gallons, had completely failed. With half the normal flow traveling up Strawberry Mountain, it became a question of how long supply could meet summer demand, and water eventually ran out on July 12.
“It was a perfect storm,” said Public Works Director Andrew Dirks, adding that hot temperatures were another important factor. “We couldn’t keep up with demand, and so in that instance, we just depressurized the main line, which automatically triggers a boil water notice.”
The Strawberry Mountain service area stretches from Columbia High School in the north to where El Camino Real meets NW Lincoln Street in the south, and east from Paco’s Tire Service to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which lies just outside the western boundary.
Map of the Strawberry Mountain service area.
Courtesy City of White Salmon
On June 5, Mayor Marla Keethler declared an emergency to quickly replace the pump, and city council approved just over $14,000 for Hurley Engineering to procure and assemble the necessary parts during its June 18 meeting. According to Dirks, however, Hurley must manufacture a new impeller — a rotating disk with vanes responsible for moving the water, specific to White Salmon’s hydraulic conditions — which won’t be shipped until the end of July.
Meanwhile, public works used sanitized fire tankers to refill the reservoirs, and following two satisfactory water quality tests, lifted the boil notice last Wednesday. The city is still requiring, though, that residents in the affected area immediately halt all outdoor and nonessential water use until further notice, including watering lawns or gardens, running other irrigation systems, car washing and filling pools. The city elevated its water conservation alert to stage 4, or extreme shortage, after implementing a stage 1 alert following the emergency declaration.
“We’re now taking the necessary step to significantly limit water use so we can maintain sufficient supply for drinking water, indoor use and emergency preparedness,” said Keethler in a press release.
Despite the shortage, the release noted that fire response remains intact since the West Klickitat Regional Fire Authority relies on alternate reservoirs and direct system access to ensure readiness. Additionally, state law requires water systems to maintain base rates to cover fixed costs such as staffing, infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance — even during boil notices or usage restrictions — so residents will still receive bills.
“Please conserve the water. We’re doing everything in our power to right this situation, and talk to your neighbors,” said Dirks. “If somebody’s already spoken with me, please share that information. I’m trying to respond to people as fast as I can.”
During the inspection, Hurley employees discovered the other pump needed replacement as well, which the city plans to complete after addressing the failed pump and demand slows. To prevent similar situations from reoccurring, the city will also have a backup pump on hand and intends to modernize the entire booster station in the coming years, alongside other actions outlined in White Salmon’s Water System Plan.
The recent boil notice lasted far shorter than previous ones. Back in 1999, the city discovered intestinal parasites and fecal bacteria in its sole water source, Buck Creek, and issued a boil order until the first of two additional wells were installed in 2000. After the construction of a water treatment facility in 2009, those three sources continue to supply White Salmon’s water, with Jewett Creek acting as an emergency backup.
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