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Consultants recommend $4 million capital plan and phased rate increases in South Bend water system update
Summary
A consultant presented a 10‑year water system plan for South Bend that estimates $4,000,000 in capital improvements and recommends a phased rate schedule; plan was submitted to Washington Department of Health and Ecology and requires formal adoption after public hearing and addressing agency comments.
At a public hearing the city heard a detailed presentation on the water system plan update and related water‑use efficiency measures. Dominic Miller, a professional engineer with Gramann Osborne Engineers, told the council the plan inventories sources and facilities, identifies system deficiencies and recommends capital projects totaling about $4,000,000 over 10 years to address aging infrastructure and ensure treatment and storage needs.
Miller said the city’s primary raw water sources are Electric Light Creek and Martin Creek, the recent treatment upgrade added a membrane filter package and the treatment capacity in the plan is described as roughly 900 gallons per minute. The plan inventories about 25 miles of mains and just over 1,000 water services; Miller reported 4,005 equivalent residential units (ERUs) in 2025 with modest projected growth over 20 years.
To fund planned work the consultant recommended a phased rate schedule as part of the financial plan. Miller described a multi‑year schedule (a pattern of modest annual increases with a larger increase in one of the years) to produce sufficient revenue if the city takes low‑interest loans to complete projects; he also emphasized that grants would reduce the borrowing need if the city secures them. The plan also recommends continued grant pursuit and annual budget review.
Councilors and members of the public raised affordability questions. Staff said the city maintains an income‑based discount program for single‑family households that ranges from 5% to 40% depending on eligibility (poverty‑guideline based sliding scale). Miller and staff explained the city must also prepare an annual water‑use efficiency report and a water‑loss control action plan because the city's leakage exceeds Department of Health targets.
Next steps included responding to Department of Health comments, finalizing the plan for re‑submission to DOH and Ecology next month, and starting the 10‑year planning clock once state approval is received.
