Skagit PUD general manager tells Mount Vernon council the system can hold up during droughts, outlines safety and upgrade projects
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Summary
George Sidhu, general manager of Skagit Public Utility District, briefed Mount Vernon council on the PUD's seven water systems, the Judy Reservoir (about 1–1.5 billion gallons), service statistics and near-term projects including a 1.6 million‑gallon storage tank, a switch from chlorine gas to liquid sodium hypochlorite and a treatment-plant generator upgrade.
George Sidhu, general manager of the Skagit Public Utility District, told the Mount Vernon City Council on March 25 that the PUD’s system provides regional resiliency and will undergo safety and storage upgrades.
"It holds about 1 almost 1 and a half billion gallons," Sidhu said of Judy Reservoir during a presentation that summarized PUD history and infrastructure. He said the PUD now operates seven water systems that serve about 116,000 people, roughly 27,000 water services and more than 600 miles of pipe.
Sidhu described the Judy treatment plant’s capacity as about 24,000,000 gallons per day, with an average day of about 8,000,000 and summer peaks around 15,000,000. He framed the reservoir and treatment capacity as providing five months of raw water storage in a drought or contamination scenario.
The general manager also outlined near-term capital projects. The PUD plans a roughly 1,600,000‑gallon storage tank near Judy Reservoir to provide fire protection and gravity-fed service to higher-elevation customers. Sidhu said that should reduce dependence on pumped service in areas with frequent power interruptions.
On treatment-plant safety, Sidhu said the utility will reduce its reliance on bulk chlorine gas and move toward liquid sodium hypochlorite. "Which is just bleach," he said, adding that new procedures would shrink the amount of chlorine gas on site from one-ton cylinders to much smaller, 150‑pound cylinders to lower risk to operators and nearby residents.
Sidhu described a program the PUD used to temporarily transfer water rights to irrigators during droughts (2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023) and a three‑year pilot that extended transfers seasonally for a small group of users. He said staff are considering longer‑term policy options for using the PUD’s water-rights resource.
Council members asked about property and permitting impacts for a planned pipeline project in the Hillcrest neighborhood; Sidhu said the PUD will communicate directly with affected residents and coordinate with city staff.
The PUD presentation concluded with an invitation for council and staff to tour the Judy Reservoir and treatment plant later in the year.
The presentation was informational; no council vote was required.
