Providing abundant, low cost, high quality water/wastewater service to their customers used to allow utility providers to be somewhat invisible. The bills were small and systems could grow easily and inexpensively without significant regulation and control. With the ever changing political climate, increasingly stringent land use, water quality and environmental regulations and higher cost of providing service, consumers are becoming better informed about the operations of their utility providers.

The following article outlines the areas where Cedar River is working daily to protect the interest of our customers.

American Water Works Association (AWWA) This international organization sets standards for water quality and utility operations, provides public information and offers classes to maintain employee certifications. The AWWA works directly with the EPA, Congress and environmental groups to represent the interests of water utilities. The new president of AWWA is from Portland and should be very familiar with the impacts of the recent listings under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and should help bring increased national attention to ESA related issues that impact the Northwest.

Consumer Confidence reports (CCR’s) These are annual reports required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued by water suppliers to their customers informing them of the chemical content, corrosiveness, purity and testing history of their drinking water.

East King County Regional Water Association (EKCRWA) This is an association of municipal water suppliers located to the east of Lake Washington that provides regional water planning services and that are pursuing the North Bend aquifer as a new regional water supply source.

Environmental Protection Policies and Best Management Practices (EPP’s and BMP’s) These are self imposed rules of operation prepared in coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. They should reduce the environmental impacts of utility operations and offer some legal protection from third party lawsuits as a result of the ESA listings in the Puget Sound area.

Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) This is a board mandated by the Washington State Growth Management Act that coordinates regional growth, develops policies regarding extensions of water and sewer service and the protection of environmentally sensitive habitat from development activities.

King County/Metro(KC) This agency is not only the general purpose government with jurisdiction over the unincorporated parts of King County, but also provides wastewater treatment services to approximately 36 municipalities by contract which expires in 2036. Regional wastewater supply planning services provided by Metro(KC) includes siting of a third Lake Washington basin treatment plant, water re-use, and funding for ESA related salmon restoration. projects.

Metro(K/C), Inflow and Infiltration study (I&I) The purpose of this study is to reduce inflow and infiltration into sanitary sewers and create additional treatment capacity in the County's sewage treatment plants. Repairing sewer systems, and reduction of inflow and infiltration is less expensive than building larger treatment plants. This study may result in private property owners having to remove their downspouts and footing drains from the sanitary sewer system.

Purveyors Committee This is a committee of water utilities that purchase water from Seattle Public Utilities working on issues related to the existing water supply agreement with Seattle that expires at the end of 2011. There are additional sub-committees dedicated to rates and finance, contract and legal matters, water quality, planning and engineering, conservation, nominating, rules and finance.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) SPU supplies water either directly or indirectly (by wholesaling water to cities and water districts) to approximately three fourths of King County. SPU is currently negotiating new long term water sales agreements to cover the next 30 to 50 years. SPU is also coordinating water conservation activities, constructing two water treatment facilities (having a cost of nearly $200 million) and planning upgrades to the entire water distribution system (having an approximate cost of $2 billion).

Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts (WASWD) This is a statewide association whose members are water and sewer special purpose districts and consultants. They have pooled their efforts to represent the industry before local and state government, educate the public, provide employee and management education to enable an overall increase in productivity, reliability and accountability in service.

Washington State Auditors Office The State Auditor examines the financial records, resolutions, minutes, policies and procedures of districts on a routine basis.

Water Supply Association (WSA) This is a local group of existing SPU purveyors who have joined together to cooperatively negotiate similar water supply contracts with SPU. Each member may personalize an individual water supply contract.

By actively participating in these organizations, Cedar Rivers Board of Commissioners and management team can best implement changes that are beneficial to the long term water and wastewater services to our customers and ensure regulatory compliance. Cedar Rivers Board, management and staff endeavor to be responsible stewards of your utility payments.