[Vision2020] Our Precious Water!

Tue, 16 Dec 2003 07:43:49 -0800

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Visionaries,

I was under the weather and unable to attend last night's water meeting =
with the city council and county commission but want to convey my =
thoughts on our water situation. Here is what I intended to give last =
night:

I would like to thank Bill London and Bill French for posting pertinent =
water information on Vision 2020 website to help me get up to speed.

=20

When I heard the results of your June 23rd meeting I was stunned that =
you didn't do the right thing and make watering restrictions mandatory. =
I also had in the back of my mind that because of this "non action" you =
may be capable of making some sort of "backroom deal" with Naylor farms =
to give away "our" water. Some of your actions and inactions cause the =
voters of Moscow to distrust you.

=20

I come from the little town of Sandusky, Michigan and I watched 4 =
council people recalled for something less serious than the decision you =
folks made on June 23. I took it from that action that you really =
weren't representing the people of Moscow and evidently so do many =
others or we wouldn't be having this meeting here tonight.

=20

You hired a consultant to look into the water rates and usage for the =
city and paid this person $26,000. What do you have Gary Reidner and =
other city management people for? If they can't do this type of work =
then you should get someone who can. Every time you people need to make =
a decision you think you need to hire an outside consultant. You poured =
$24,000 down a rat hole on the police radio decision. You paid someone =
to study your parking problem and I go downtown and can't find a parking =
place.

=20

Last summer we put in some drip irrigation and then wanted to find out =
how many gallons of water it was using in 15 minutes. I went to look at =
where the water meter was and found that there is only an adapter for a =
meter reading device. I have no way of knowing my water usage for a =
certain time or use. I think we need to have that option available to us =
be able to conserve water.

=20

My wife lived for some years in Western Kansas where water is also =
scarce. They were allowed only so many gallons per person in a =
household. Anything over that and you paid a premium. This can only be =
done if actual meters are installed at each household.=20

=20

We have started some xeriscape landscaping in the area between our =
sidewalk and the street and have discussed putting in a buffalo grass =
lawn so it wouldn't need water. I think that until we can get a grip on =
what we are doing wrong here we may need to curtail lawn watering. I =
love a green lawn just as much as the rest of you. I could even stand a =
sort of bilious green lawn. =20

=20

It's been in the news for overt a year that the folks north of us, Coeur =
d'Alene, Post Falls, Spokane, Sand Point, Rathdrum and all points in =
between on the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer applied for and now have =
received a federal grant to study their aquifer.=20

This is what must be done here with the Grand Ronde aquifer instead of =
trying to "guess" how much water we have below us. This action needs to =
be started tomorrow by the city of Moscow contacting the other members =
of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee and starting the ball rolling to =
apply for federal monies. If the results come back that we should stop =
development then so be it.

(Because I figured there would be a 3 minute time limit this is all I =
would have presented)

Additionally, yesterday I called the City of Cookeville, TN, a city of =
about 25,500 people and also Tennessee Tech University is located there. =
Cookeville has no wells and has no water under the city. They pipe water =
11 miles from Center Hill Lake. They have had a 30" line for many years =
and just finished installing another 30" line. Their cost for the pipe =
and installation was $68.61 a foot plus any cost for right-of-way and =
they had to buy some land.

So if Moscow wanted to run a line to the Snake River which may be =
reached in probably 26 miles as the crow flies the cost would be =
$9,418,780.00 plus, plus, plus!

Cookeville's water and sewer rates are 2 tiered as they do sell water =
side the city but not sewer services.

Water   City   first 2,000 gal.  $5.88

               Over 2,000 gal       $2.26 per 1,000 gal.

   Outside City first 2,000 gal. $8.82

          Over 2,000 gal             $3.39

Sewer Minimum   $4.50  (even if someone is not hooked to the sewer) (per =
month)

                            $2.42 per 1,000 Gal. Based on water usage.

Because of the high water usage in Moscow I'm wondering if a comparison =
has ever been done comparing how many gallons of water are pumped =
compared to how many gallons of water are billed per month. Many times =
there are water main leaks that are very sever and which don't show =
themselves.

I hope this has given some thought on how we can solve our current water =
problem. I just hope there will still be enough water for us to grow a =
few tomato plants and use drip irrigation to keep them alive.

Dick Schmidt

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Visionaries,
&nbsp;
I was under the =
weather and=20
unable to attend last night's water meeting with the city council and =
county=20
commission but want to convey my thoughts on our water situation. Here =
is what I=20
intended to give last night:
&nbsp;
I would like to thank =
Bill London=20
and Bill French for posting pertinent water information on Vision 2020 =
website=20
to help me get up to speed.
<?xml:namespace =
prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
When I heard the =
results of your=20
June 23rd meeting I was stunned that you didn=92t do the =
right thing=20
and make watering restrictions mandatory. I also had in the back =
of my=20
mind that because of this =93non action=94 you may be capable of making =
some sort of=20
=93backroom deal=94 with Naylor farms to give away =93our=94 water. Some =
of your actions=20
and inactions cause the voters of <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"=20
/><st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> to distrust =
you.
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
I come from the =
little town of=20
<st1:City><st1:place>Sandusky</st1:place></st1:City>,=20
<st1:State><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:State> and I watched 4 =
council=20
people recalled for something less serious than the decision you folks =
made on=20
June 23. I took it from that action that you really weren=92t =
representing the=20
people of <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> and =
evidently so do=20
many others or we wouldn=92t be having this meeting here tonight.
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
You hired a =
consultant to look=20
into the water rates and usage for the city and paid this person =
$26,000. What=20
do you have Gary Reidner and other city management people for? If they =
can=92t do=20
this type of work then you should get someone who can. Every time you =
people=20
need to make a decision you think you need to hire an outside =
consultant. You=20
poured $24,000 down a rat hole on the police radio decision. You paid =
someone to=20
study your parking problem and I go downtown and can=92t find a parking =
place.
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
Last summer we put in =
some drip=20
irrigation and then wanted to find out how many gallons of water it was =
using in=20
15 minutes. I went to look at where the water meter was and found that =
there is=20
only an adapter for a meter reading device. I have no way of knowing my =
water=20
usage for a certain time or use. I think we need to have that option =
available=20
to us be able to conserve water.
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
My wife lived for =
some years in=20
<st1:place>Western Kansas</st1:place> where water is also scarce. They =
were=20
allowed only so many gallons per person in a household. Anything over =
that and=20
you paid a premium. This can only be done if actual meters are installed =
at each=20
household. 
<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
We have started some =
xeriscape=20
landscaping in the area between our sidewalk and the street and have =
discussed=20
putting in a buffalo grass lawn so it wouldn=92t need water. I think =
that until we=20
can get a grip on what we are doing wrong here we may need to curtail =
lawn=20
watering. I love a green lawn just as much as the rest of you. I could =
even=20
stand a sort of bilious green lawn.&nbsp;=20

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
It=92s been in the =
news for overt a=20
year that the folks north of us, Coeur d=92Alene, Post Falls, Spokane, =
Sand Point,=20
Rathdrum and all points in between on the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer =
applied for=20
and now have received a federal grant to study their aquifer. 
This is what must be =
done here=20
with the Grand Ronde aquifer instead of trying to =93guess=94 how much =
water we have=20
below us. This action needs to be started tomorrow by the city of=20
<st1:City><st1:place>Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> contacting the other =
members=20
of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee and starting the ball rolling to =
apply=20
for federal monies. If the results come back that we should stop =
development=20
then so be it.
(Because I figured =
there would be=20
a 3 minute time limit this is all I would have presented)
&nbsp;
Additionally, =
yesterday I called=20
the City of Cookeville, TN, a city of about 25,500 people and also =
Tennessee=20
Tech University is located there. Cookeville has no wells and has no =
water under=20
the city. They pipe water 11 miles from Center Hill Lake. They have had =
a 30"=20
line for many years and just finished installing another 30" line. Their =
cost=20
for the pipe and installation was $68.61 a foot plus any cost for =
right-of-way=20
and they had to buy some land.
&nbsp;
So if Moscow wanted =
to run a line=20
to the Snake River which may be reached in probably 26 miles as the crow =
flies=20
the cost would be $9,418,780.00 plus, plus, plus!
&nbsp;
Cookeville's&nbsp;water and sewer=20
rates are 2 tiered as they do sell water side&nbsp;the city but not =
sewer=20
services.
Water&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
City&nbsp;&nbsp; first 2,000 gal.&nbsp; $5.88
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Over=20
2,000 gal&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$2.26 per 1,000 =
gal.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Outside City=20
first 2,000 gal. $8.82
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Over 2,000=20
gal&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;=20
$3.39
&nbsp;
Sewer =
Minimum&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
$4.50&nbsp; (even if someone is not hooked to the sewer) (per month)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
$2.42 per 1,000 Gal. Based on water usage.
&nbsp;
Because of the high =
water usage=20
in Moscow I'm wondering if a comparison has ever been done comparing how =
many=20
gallons of water are pumped compared to how many gallons of water are =
billed per=20
month. Many times there are water main leaks that are very sever and =
which don't=20
show themselves.
&nbsp;
I hope this has given =
some=20
thought on how we can solve our current water problem. I just hope there =
will=20
still be enough water for us to grow a few tomato plants and use drip =
irrigation=20
to keep them alive.
&nbsp;
Dick Schmidt
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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