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Chehalis officials say local water supply stable but leaks cost millions; new acoustic detection and meter upgrades planned
Summary
City staff told the council the Chehalis system should face minimal direct impact from the statewide 2026 drought declaration because primary sources are rain‑dominated; staff highlighted a 16.6% average treated‑water loss (about 122 million gallons/year) and described new investments — an acoustic leak correlator and upgraded meters — to detect and reduce leaks.
City water staff told the Chehalis City Council that while Washington’s 2026 drought declarations cover much of the state, Lewis County and the city’s water supply currently face minimal direct effects because Chehalis relies primarily on rain‑dominated sources such as the Newakkum River.
Todd, the city’s watershed attendant, said the two sources (Newakkum and the Chehalis intake) give the system redundancy and that current conditions are drier than normal but not officially classified as drought in Lewis County. "As of now, there's no official drought classification for Lewis County," Todd said.
Staff flagged an average system water loss of 16.6% over the past three years, which Todd quantified as roughly 122,000,000 gallons of treated water lost annually. The state target is below 10 percent, and Todd said the largest opportunity to protect supply is reducing that loss through faster localization and repair of leaks.
To address the gap, councilors noted the city approved funding in the 2026 budget for an acoustic leak correlator and meter upgrades. The correlator — arriving about a month earlier — and a pair of staff trained in its use will help crews pinpoint leaks on mains and at valve/hydrant blocks. Todd described how upgraded acoustic meters also flag continuous flow at customer meters so the city can alert customers or dispatch crews earlier, avoiding month‑long delays inherent in monthly manual reads.
A downtown leak discovered with earlier technology was estimated to have been losing about 20 gallons per minute; staff said the new devices help locate such leaks far more quickly and reduce call‑out costs (previous outside call‑outs were about $4,500 each). Council members asked whether the new meters will distinguish leaks on private property from those on the city side; staff said new meters will detect leaks between the meter and house and flag continuous flow for follow‑up.
Hydrant flushing scheduled for mid‑May through June will continue to support system health by removing sediment and maintaining water quality. Staff said they will continue daily monitoring and produce water‑use efficiency reports as required by the state.
Next steps: crews will be trained on the correlator in June, meter rollouts continue and staff will report progress toward the state water‑loss target to the council.
