By Blythe Mackey
(Map courtesy of the Walla Walla Basin Watershed
Council)
Drinking water around the world is taken from surface and groundwater
sources. Surface water sources
include lakes, rivers, streams and springs.
Groundwater sources are aquifers and accessed by wells.
The City of Walla Walla uses a combination of surface and groundwater
sources to supply water. In 2000,
Mill Creek provided 85.9 percent of the water supply, and seven wells throughout the
city provided the remaining 14.1 percent.
Surface water from Mill Creek is collected at an intake facility in the
Mill Creek Watershed, straddling the Oregon-Washington border. The headwaters area (36 square miles) of the Mill Creek
watershed is carefully protected and managed to prevent contamination of the
water. This water is then piped
approximately 36 miles to the Mill Creek Water Treatment Plant, where it is
collected in two 7.5 million-gallon open reservoirs to allow sediment to settle.
The water is then treated with ozone, a strong oxidant, in order to
destroy bacteria, microorganisms, and organic materials that may be present in the
water. After ozonation, the ozone
is removed from the water and a specific amount of chlorine is added to the
water to protect against re-growth or contamination within the distribution
system. Water quality tests are
performed daily to ensure maximum water quality.
In 2000, no contaminants were detected, nor were Cryptosporidium or
Giardia found in the water supply.
Radiocarbon
dating at the wells indicates that the well water is over 20,000 years old.
Ground water from deep within the basalt aquifer is not treated because
the water is considered free of any biological contaminants.
(Information
and figures from the City of Walla Walla 2000 Water Quality Report)
How
do we pay for our water use?
What
is a water right?
A water right is the legal authorization to use a certain amount of
public water for specific beneficial purposes.
This right must be applied for and approved before water use begins.
A water right is needed when
whenever you divert surface water, including water contained in lakes,
rivers, streams, and springs. It is
also needed if you divert more than 5,000 gallons per day of groundwater or
irrigate more than a half acre of land.
A water right is not needed if you use less than 5,000 gallons per day of
groundwater from a well for the following uses:
-
stock watering
-
single or group domestic purposes
-
industrial processes
-
watering less than a half acre of noncommercial lawn or garden
The
criteria for assessing applications for water rights includes:
-
beneficial use
-
no impairment of existing (senior) water rights
-
water availability
-
no detriment to public
(Information
from the Washington State Water Law A Primer, Publication #WR-98-152, Washington
State Department of Ecology)
(Information
from the City of Walla Walla 2000 Water Quality Report)
What
is the Aquifer Storage and Recovery System (ASR)?
The ASR was established in 1999, in response to concerns about the
aquifer level falling as much as four feet per year.
The system is designed to store excess winter water to be utilized later,
during high-consumption and low-surface flow periods. Currently, the ASR consists of one well located at the Mill
Creek Water Treatment Plant that is recharged with treated water when surface
water supply exceeds water demands. The
treated water is “pumped” into the well by gravity flow at 1250 gallons per
minute.
(Information
from the City of Walla Walla 2000 Water Quality Report)
Where does our
water go after we use it?
Wastewater is treated at the City of Walla Walla
Wastewater Treatment Facility.
http://www.ci.walla-walla.wa.us/Public_Works/wastewater/index.cfm
Water Conservation Tips
Water
is our most precious resource. It
is used daily to sustain life on earth, within our communities and environment.
For this reason, it is important to protect our water resources for
future generations by conserving the amount of water we use.
Bathrooms
1.
Check toilets for leaks. Drop food
coloring or a leak-detection tablet in the tank. If color appears in the bowl, there is a leak requiring
immediate attention.
2.
Flush only when necessary. Every
time you flush you use about six gallons of water.
Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket.
3.
Reduce the water level per flush by installing a water-displacement device in
the toilet tank. A plastic bottle,
weighted with water or sand, works well. Never
use a brick.
4.
Take shorter showers. Turn off
water flow when lathering up and turn it back on to rinse.
5.
Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictions, which are available at
local hardware stores and other retail outlets.
6.
Take baths. Only the shortest
shower saves more water than a partially-filled tub.
Also, consider bathing small children together.
7.
Turn off the water after wetting your toothbrush. Use a glass of water to rinse.
Avoid letting the faucet run.
8.
Rinse your razor in a sink of water. Letting
the water run uses about three gallons per minute.
9.
Check faucets and pipes for leaks. A
small drip from a worn washer can waste 20 or more gallons per minute.
Kitchen
and Laundry
10.
Turn the dishwasher on only when full.
11.
Use both sides of the sink when washing dishes by hand--one to wash, one to
rinse. Avoid washing dishes under
running water.
12.
Wash your dishes only once a day.
13.
Buy and install a faucet aerator.
14.
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid running the tap to
get a glass of cool water.
15.
Pre-rinse clothes only when absolutely necessary.
16.
Use the proper water level or load-size selection on the washing machine.
17.
Don’t use or install in-sink garbage disposals. These devices use about 11.5 gallons of water daily.
Encourage composting of organic wastes instead.
18.
Clean vegetables in a pan of water, not under a running faucet.
Collected water can be used for your household plants.
Lawn
and Garden
19.
Water only when needed. Frequency
depends on the type of plants and soil conditions.
20.
Water only as rapidly as the soil can absorb the water.
21.
Water root areas of your plants to establish hardiness.
Shallow roots are less likely to withstand drought condition.
22.
Install a trickle or drip irrigation system for a slow, steady supply of water
to the plant roots. This method can
save up to 60 percent of the water used in other watering techniques.
23.
Water the lawn in the evening when evaporation is less likely to occur.
Avoid watering during the heat of the day or when windy.
24.
Use native plants when landscaping your lawn.
Generally, native plants require less care and water than other
ornamental varieties.
25.
Place a layer of mulch around plants and trees to avoid excessive evaporation.
26.
Replace leaky or broken sprinklers and sprinkler heads promptly.
27.
Consider water requirements when purchasing new plants.
Other
28.
Prevent water runoff from your sprinkler system. Watering the sidewalk, gutter, or street wastes water.
29.
Use a broom, not a hose, when cleaning driveways and walkways.
30.
Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle to wash the car.
31.
Locate the master water supply valve and label it. The master supply valve can be easily turned off in the case
of a major leak or broken pipe.
32.
Clean gutters and down spouts manually instead of hosing them down.
(Tips
quoted from the Water Saving Guidelines Pamphlet, City of Walla Walla Water
Division, Washington State Department of Health, and Washington State Department
of Ecology)
Links to
additional websites about water:
Information about the city of Walla Walla’s water supply
http://people.whitman.edu/~dunnivfm/wwwater/
Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council
http://www.wwbwc.org
City of Walla Walla Water Division
http://www.ci.walla-walla.wa.us/Public_Works/Water/in
Walla Walla County Conservation Districts
http://www.wwics.com/~consvdist/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District Water Management Site
http://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nww/
U.S.G.S. Water Resources of Washington State
http://wa.water.usgs.gov/
Learn
about how to become active in your local watershed:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/earthday/earthday.html
Link
to learn more about national water issues: