Your Water Is Safe To Drink! - Snohomish County PUD

Snohomish County PUD • 2010 Annual Water Quality Report
Where Your Water Comes From
The PUD’s water service territory: Greater Lake Stevens,
Arlington & Granite Falls Water System. (The PUD does not
provide water to the cities of Marysville and Snohomish.)
The water distributed to your home is purchased from the City of Everett. The
water comes from the Spada Lake Reservoir, which is located at the headwaters
of the Sultan River about 30 miles east of Everett.
Spada Reservoir is located in the Sultan Basin Watershed, which covers nearly
84 square miles. A watershed is a geographic area where all precipitation drains
into a single body of water. In the Sultan Basin Watershed, rainfall and snowmelt
from the Cascade Mountains flow into Spada Reservoir. One of the wettest watersheds
in the continental United States, the basin’s average rainfall is about 165
inches.
Created in 1965 by construction of the Culmback Dam, and increased in size
in 1984, Spada Lake Reservoir holds approximately 50 billion gallons of water.
Water from Spada Lake travels eight miles by tunnel and pipeline to the PUD’s
Jackson Hydroelectric Project where turbines generate enough power to supply
electricity to about 35,800 homes.
The water is then routed by pipeline from the powerhouse to Everett’s Lake
Chaplain, where it is held in preparation for treatment. Everett’s treatment plant
uses coagulation and advanced filtration techniques to remove suspended particles
that may contaminate the water. The pH (acidity) of the water is adjusted
to reduce its corrosiveness, thereby reducing the likelihood of lead and copper
being leached from household plumbing. Chlorine is added as a disinfectant to
make sure the water is free of harmful microorganisms, and f luoride is added
for enhanced dental protection. The levels of these two additives are monitored
constantly to assure proper dosages are being used.
Improving Your System
The PUD completed several system improvements in 2010.
All projects were completed under original cost estimates.
There were seven water main replacements across the
county, upgrading approximately 11,500 feet of failing infrastructure.
Main replacements were completed in the Kayak
Point area of Stanwood, Dutch Hill in Snohomish and various
locations around Lake Stevens. The PUD added 6,000
feet of new 12-inch ductile iron main in conjunction with
the Granite Falls Alternate Route road construction. A new
water tank was constructed at Hillcrest Reservoir, adding
three million gallons of storage to the system.
Changes to Fluoride Levels
in Your Drinking Water
On January 7, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services announced a change to the recommended
levels for fluoridation of drinking water. The new range of
0.7 mg/L to 1.2 mg/L is lower than the previously recommended
range of 0.8mg/L to 1.3 mg/L. Acting on advice
from the Washington State Department of Health and the
Snohomish Health District, the City of Everett adjusted its
target dose from 1 mg/L to 0.8 mg/L. Snohomish County
PUD purchases treated, filtered, fluoridated water from the
City of Everett and distributes it directly to our customers.
The City of Everett began adding fluoride to the water supply
in 1992, after a vote of the people, for dental health
reasons.
2 – Snohomish County PUD Integrated Water System