Palouse committee eyes next step in updating water plan

The next step in securing a water system plan for Palouse is hiring an engineer and tracking down the proper city records useful for the plan, according to the water and sewer committee for Palouse.

Committee officials met with regional Department of Health (DOH) officials Sept. 21 to go over their options for designing their own plan.

The city council voted Aug. 10 to begin working on such a plan under accusations from would-be developer Nicole Wood that their lack of a plan was hindering the placement of water and sewer lines.

A water system plan will cost the city an estimated $50,000, most of which goes to pay the engineering firm that prepares it. It is a comprehensive mapping of city water lines and city goals for future water line development.

The DOH instructed Palouse to hire its own engineer in the next six months and try to do as much of its own research into city documents relative for inclusion in the plan.

Committee head Connie Newman said they don’t yet know where they will get the $50,000. They are considering a low-interest loan or tapping into the city’s water and sewer reserve funds.

Citizen Doug Willcox also attended the DOH meeting. He said he was thankful the city was finally on track to design this plan and water extension policy, saying they had been needed for a long time.

DOH gave Palouse officials several ideas for funding for the plan.

“A water system plan is not something where you write a check,” Willcox said.

A Community Development and Block Grant from the state could help in this instance, but the median income in Palouse is too high to qualify for that grant, the DOH told the committee.

The water and sewer committee will begin assembling a summary on the Water System Plan. An engineer will need to be hired to write it up. That salary will make up the larger part of the $50,000, said City Clerk Joyce Beeson.

Both the city clerk and Mayor Michael Echanove have hesitated to say for certain in past Gazette interviews that the council kick-starting their water plans was a direct result of Palouse realtor Patty Green-Kent’s complaint about the lack of a plan at the Aug. 10 meeting.

Echanove said the city has, since 1998, had a water system plan in the works. That plan mentioned the low water pressure issues on the city’s south hill.

The Department of Health last December told the city of Palouse they should get this plan updated.