Jul. 31—During a workshop on Monday, July 24, City of Chehalis councilors and staff discussed projects necessary to meet water demand as development increases in Chehalis' southern urban growth area (UGA).
Currently, the pump station on 18th Street has a maximum capacity of 1,797,120 gallons per day, enough to supply approximately 5,990 residential units (or units with equivalent water usage) per day.
Chehalis had about 7,679 residents in the 2020 U.S. Census: already more than the pump station's capacity. City staff anticipate as many as 22,000 residents by 2042, according to previous reporting by The Chronicle.
"To tackle this challenge, the city has initiated two key projects," said Lance Bunker, Chehalis Public Works director.
The projects will be necessary, he said, both for residents and future development. Those are the Bishop Road loop project, estimated to cost about $1.1 million, and the Market Boulevard pinch-point project, which, along with pump station upgrades, is estimated to cost around $6 million.
As the Port of Chehalis attempts to close deals on new developments, the risk of being denied utilities is a "huge concern," said Port Executive Director Lindsey Senter, during the workshop last week.
"It's a huge concern of mine to be working with these great developers and become a community with the reputation that there (are) no utilities," Senter said. "Especially when we're putting so much work — all of us, the city, all of our partners — putting so much work into making sure there are going to be water utilities moving forward."
Bunker said he expects the Bishop Road loop project to be completed this year. Once done, it will connect two water main lines, increasing water service reliability.
But, especially with the Port's aspirations, that may not be enough, Bunker said.
"It may not be sufficient to meet the water demands of new applications in the south UGA," said Bunker.
Different consulting agencies for the project gave vastly different estimations for how much water flow could increase with the Bishop Road loop completed, he said.
"One engineer is telling me, and this is all in theory, that we are going to get 40 gallons per minute extra when that loop is completed," Bunker said. "Another one is telling me we're going to get a minimum of a thousand."
City staff are working on models for water flow with higher demand in the area, Bunker said, and their findings should be completed by the end of the month. Senter said she and hopeful partners in development are anxiously awaiting the results.