Just need to build it

Medical Lake is now two-thirds of the way to the finish line in their effort to secure emergency water for its citizens following a July 23 vote of the Spokane City Council. By a 5-2 margin, the council approved an intertie with the West Plains city.

Spokane council members opposing the deal were Kate Burke and Mike Fagan.

Earlier, on June 18, the Medical Lake City Council unanimously, by a 5-0 vote of members present, passed their part of the deal that will provide a potential backup supply, should the need arise in the future.

The water would only be used in the event of an emergency, and upon approval from Spokane, could supply up to 600 gallons per minute from that city’s lavishly abundant aquifer. Medical Lake, on the contrary, “Is just in a lousy aquifer,” City Administrator Doug Ross said following the June meeting.

Now with each government signing off on the deal, there is still a matter of building approximately $500,000 of infrastructure in the vicinity of Craig Road and State Route 902 where the two supply lines meet.

Currently the lines are only about 300 yards apart, Ross said. A yellow fire hydrant signifies the current Spokane connection.

“We have to build a pump house to get if from their reservoir where it is coming from, which is a long ways from our water tank,” Ross said. “We have to build a booster station to get it to our water tank.”

That physical connection is still in the works as to whether it will be done this fall or next spring, Ross said.

Once completed, to access that emergency supply Medical Lake would simply contact Spokane, appraising them of the situation and get the flow started. The only time such a supply might be tapped into would be if a well goes down or a water test is returned with bad readings, Ross said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.