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Water is a precious resource. These unseasonably hot days of summer remind us just how important water is to our daily lives and the health of the region.
At Cascade, one of our most important responsibilities is long-term planning to ensure a safe, clean, cost-effective water supply well into the future. To do so, we are required to update our Transmission and Supply Plan every six years. With the next update due in 2010, the process is now under way.
Cascade is unique in that it acts solely as a regional wholesale water provider for its members. Our objective in the planning process is to produce an easily understandable and practical "blueprint" for providing cost effective and environmentally responsible water service to our members. The resulting plan must:
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Meet or exceed applicable regulatory requirements; |
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Comply with other Cascade planning and coordination commitments (e.g. Memoranda of Understanding with King County and Pierce County); and |
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Be readily achievable and |
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Be acceptable to the public, the State, local jurisdictions and Cascade's members. |
Cascade is committed to a planning process that is:
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Integrated – providing a comprehensive and coordinated evaluation of all components of the Cascade water supply system; |
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Innovative – providing a fresh look at past decisions and options and considering new options and alternatives; |
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Seamless – complementing, consistent with and building upon previous Cascade and other regional planning activities; |
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Transparent – clearly understandable to all interested and involved parties; |
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Regional – consistent and complimentary with other Central Puget Sound planning processes |
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Inclusive/Public – providing for involvement of all impacted parties whether direct or indirect. |
We've created the Cascade Water Connections Working Group to ensure we're hearing from key constituencies. We are grateful to the members of this new group who represent business and civic interests, the water industry, local and state governments, utilities, regulatory agencies and local communities from our service area and around Lake Tapps for offering their time and perspectives to the process. The Working Group will serve as a 'sounding board' and a forum for input and questions regarding proposed decisions, in addition to providing valuable input about specific projects and tasks.
We'd like to hear from you, too. Watch for updates to the planning process on the website, or send your comment to contact@cascadewater.org.
Lloyd Warren
Chair, Cascade Board of Directors
Commissioner, Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District
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 The Cascade Water Connections Working Group was formed to assist staff in evaluating the Transmission and Supply Plan and ensure the community, stakeholder and purveyor values and input are included in the planning process. Membership is made up of representatives from regional water planners and regulators, business and civic interests, and local communities from throughout Cascade's service district and from around Lake Tapps.
The group met for the first time in June, and will meet regularly through 2010 to advise and provide input to staff and the Board on the long term planning process. At this first four-hour meeting, the members engaged in a lively discussion of regional water issues and concerns, and learned about the complexities of predicting future water demand. "Long term planning is both an art and science," said Cascade CEO Chuck Clarke. Staff presented a list of 28 potential future water sources and the criteria against which each of these sources will be measured to determine if each is a viable potential source.
Cascade's goal with the Water Connections Working Group is to gain input from a balanced representation of constituents and stakeholders that reside within the Cascade service area or may be directly impacted by those activities, such as the Lake Tapps community.
The working group will be asked to summarize its discussions in the form of a written report that will be presented to the Board of Directors at the conclusion of the working group's deliberations.
For more information on the Cascade Water Connections Working Group go to cascadewater.org.
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2008 was a record breaking year for conservation measures at Cascade. Here's a breakdown by the numbers of the participation in Cascade's conservation programs and the water savings achieved. These and other Cascade programs saved over 400,000 gallons of water per day. To learn more about how you can save money and water, go to cascadewater.org.
Cascade Conservation
Program |
2008
Numbers |
Water Savings
(Gallons Per Day) |
| WashWise $100 Rebates on high efficiency clothes washers |
3,094 |
48,761 |
| Toilet Replacements |
682 |
18,069 |
| Faucet Aerator Replacements |
8,867 |
157,125 |
| Pre-Rinse Sprayhead Replacements |
849 |
116,313 |
| Dye Strip Distribution |
101,073 |
40,728 |
| Irrigation System Audits and Upgrades |
259 |
4,188 |
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Cascade Leads the Way in Water Efficiency
Old, water-guzzling toilets can use 3.5 to five gallons per flush, accounting for up to 30 percent of all indoor water use in many households. Recent advancements allow newly manufactured toilets to use slightly more than one gallon per flush and still provide great flushing performance. The U.S. EPA has developed a certification program called WaterSense that identifies the most efficient and best performing toilets. Read More >
Cascade's Dye Strip Distribution a Success
For the second year, Cascade provided toilet leak detection dye strips to all its residential customers. The dye strips were mailed in May to over 100,000 homes throughout the region. Read More >
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Cascade Sponsors Annual Lake Tapps Event
Cascade was the event sponsor of the annual Lake Tapps Community Council Dinner and Silent Auction on Sunday, July 12. The event was the group's annual community fund raiser to benefit Lake Tapps and the communities around it.
Enlarge Photos >
Bonney Lake Days
Cascade is a proud sponsor of the 2009 Bonney Lake Days. Join the fun at the Bonney Lake Days August 15 and 16, Allen York Park.
Need a Speaker?
Interested in hearing more about Cascade Water Alliance or regional water issues? Cascade staff and board members regularly present to business, civic and community groups. If you'd like a speaker at an upcoming meeting, just let us know. Contact Cascade via email or call 425.453.0930.
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Cascade Water Alliance
11400 SE 8th Street
Suite 440
Bellevue, WA 98004
425.453.0930 Phone
Email >
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