Palouse embarks on water study

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Mar 01, 20170

Planning is underway in Palouse for the future of its water system.

After the windstorm of November 2015 damaged its pre-1900 reservoir, the city took it offline, creating a need for a backup. This matter and pressure issues on the south hill led the city to hire TD&H Engineering of Lewiston.

The firm is set to study and review the water line and water system plan, examining low flows on south hill.

With the old reservoir off line, the city uses its 1974 reservoir, a 500,000-gallon structure which sits next to the original half its size.

“A half-million gallon reservoir is capable for our needs,” said Mayor Michael Echanove. “But now we don't have redundancy in our water reservoir system.”

On Feb. 14, the city council authorized Echanove to seek grants for future work.

These could include a Community Development Block Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

TD&H and Project Manager Michelle Bly are now applying to the Washington State Department of Health for a pre-construction grant to amend Palouse's water system plan. The next step would be to look for grant and loan money to complete design and construction of a reservoir.

Do they know for sure at this point a new one is needed?

“I believe we do,” said Bly. “But analysis would determine location, elevation and size.”

If TD&H and the city are turned down for the Department of Health grant this spring, a next set of grants will be applied for in June with the Department of Commerce.

Overall, Bly indicated that the analysis may be funded and complete in the coming months.

“I'm hoping within a year,” she said. “In the fall, we hope to try for design and construction dollars.”

“Anything we do could be decades off, could be a lot sooner,” Echanove said.

The mayor indicated that happenings on a national level may play a role as well.

“We also see the current administration talking about a huge, trillion-dollar infrastucture program nationwide,” he said. “It's always good to be in a position of knowledge when programs like that get started.”