Sequim officials outline water system assets, planned projects and funding gaps at April 28 work session

Public Works Director Paul Busich told the Sequim City Council during an April 28 work session that the city’s water system is “one of the two most important features or functions that the government performs,” and stressed the need to fund and maintain aging infrastructure.

The discussion included a technical overview of supply and distribution, condition-assessment methods, the city’s automated meter initiative and near-term capital projects. Staff outlined available funding for 2025 projects and noted a multi‑million‑dollar gap in longer‑term needs.

The water system overview: Public Works Director Paul Busich, Utilities Manager John Christiansen, City Engineer Nick Dosti and Administrative Services Division Manager Amy Doherty described the system’s components and condition. “Without healthy water, the community such as we have or any community really could not exist in the form that we have,” Busich said.

John Christiansen summarized supply and distribution: “The City of Sequim operates 2 groundwater well sites and 1 rainy well site. We have 7 traditional groundwater wells spread across these 2 sites,” he said, and added that combined reservoir storage is about 3 million gallons, enabling six pressure zones served by roughly 77 miles of transmission and distribution mains. Staff reported about 3,100 potable meters in the system and roughly 2,000 isolation valves.

Condition assessment and testing: Staff described several assessment tools. Physical coupon dye-testing provides a lab measure of pipe wall condition for exposed pipe samples, while newer acoustic methods use sound waves to estimate wall thickness without taking mains out of service. A 2023–24 federal EPA lead‑pipe screening required third‑party review and field checks; results showed no lead in the city system, staff said.

Daily water quality sampling and regulatory testing are performed in accordance with Department of Health and EPA requirements. Staff noted crews must hold state certifications (WDM2 and cross‑connection control specialist) to operate and maintain the system.

Meter automation and SCADA: Staff said late‑2023 work began a citywide conversion to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) using radio units on existing meters. Amy Doherty told council full billing‑system integration was expected by early May and a customer portal by mid‑summer, which staff said will allow customers to view usage and set leak alarms. Staff also described plans to introduce SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) more broadly after a new deep‑well control building is online, with a strategic rollout planned in later years.

Production, consumption and leakage: Staff reported average daily production of just over 1,000,000 gallons per day (about 372 million gallons per year) and said single‑family residential consumption averaged approximately 146 gallons per day per equivalent residential unit (ERU) across the city. The city’s three‑year rolling distribution system leakage was reported at roughly 6 percent, below the 10 percent national standard.

Planned capital projects and funding: Staff identified near‑term projects in the capital improvement program (CIP): the Silverhorn deep well (control building, chlorination station, new main), a West Sequim Bay water expansion (developer contribution cited), and a Reservoir Road water‑main and booster design and future construction. Doherty said the city received a $555,000 Opportunity Fund grant for design of the Reservoir Road booster station and that the project’s construction estimate is about $4 million. A loan supporting the deep well was described as a low‑interest financing with 20‑year repayment; staff cited a public‑works loan amount of about $4,830,000 and said roughly $1.6 million remained to finish the well.

Doherty summarized 2025 funding: monthly utility rates were budgeted to cover about $2,900,000 of $3,000,000 in operating costs, and staff presented a 2025 capital project budget figure (shown in staff slides as about $4,125,000). Staff said there are about $63,000,000 of unfunded water projects identified in planning documents; staff attributed roughly $16,600,000 of that to repair and replacement and about $46,600,000 to construction projects.

Discussion and next steps: Staff said additional condition assessment (coupon testing, acoustic testing, hydrant and valve exercising) and asset management work will guide priority replacements. Busich and Doherty emphasized grants as a preferred funding source but noted the expectation that utilities maintain rates sufficient to support system work. Staff said they will return to council with focused funding and rate discussions, and that SCADA implementation will proceed in phases tied to the deep‑well facility.

Questions from council and staff followed on testing responsibilities, rainy‑well operation near the Dungeness River (staff said turbidity occasionally forces shutdown of that source but groundwater supplies can fully supply the city), and climate‑change monitoring and conservation measures.

The presentation closed with staff noting the water system plan is a state‑mandated document that drives six‑year CIP priorities and longer‑range (10–20 year) planning.

Ending: Staff recommended continued condition assessments, using AMI data to catch leaks sooner, pursuing grants for large construction projects and advancing the deep‑well and booster station designs. Council did not take formal action during the work session; staff will return with finance and rate details later this year.