Transportation & Engineering

Water Resources & Sustainability

May/June 2023

PERSONNEL UPDATES & ANNIVERSARIES

Forrest Bailey

WRS Cross Connection Specialist | 05/14/2002, 21 yrs

Curt Shields

WRS Water Quality Lead Worker | 05/04/2004, 19 yrs

Michael Erickson

WRS Water Distribution Lead Worker | 05/01/2007, 16 yrs

Shannon Geary

TED/WRS Ops Administrative Assistant | 05/01/2015, 8 yrs

Meagan Baker

TED Project Coordinator | 05/01/2019, 4 yrs

Dan Smith

Water Resources Director | 06/06/2000, 23 yrs.

David Mills

TED Engineer I | 06/14/2002, 21 yrs.

Eldon Newell

TED Streets Lead Worker | 06/09/2008, 15yrs.

Chuck Deuel

TED Maintenance Tech II | 06/11/2008, 15 yrs.

Dale Kapsandy

WRS Maintenance Tech II | 06/03/2013, 10 yrs.

Jacob Norton

WRS Maintenance Tech I | 06/09/2008, 15 yrs.

TRANSPORTATION & ENGINEERING

Interstate 5/Trosper Road/Capitol Boulevard

Reconfiguration Project

The contractor, Active Construction, is making significant progress on Lee Street, the new 6th Avenue Extension, Capitol Boulevard, and the new Trosper Extension roadway

The underground water and storm drainage systems have been completed on Lee Street, along with a good portion of the new 6th Avenue roadway. The contractor recently completed paving operations on Lee Street and also paved the base lift for a portion of 6th Avenue.

Projects In Design

Israel Road/Linderson Way Water Main Project

The Israel Road and Linderson Way Water Main Project will replace 4,700 linear feet of water main ahead of the City’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Improvement project scheduled for 2024. The project is in the final design stages. It is expected that the project will be bid in June of this year, with construction commencing shortly after contractor selection.

2023 Pavement Maintenance Project

The 2023 Transportation Benefit District (TBD) funded Pavement Maintenance project was developed to maintain pavement preservation within the City. The project will include new asphalt overlay and paving, fulldepth roadway repair, pavement repair, roadway crack sealing, and pavement striping on various roadways throughout the city. The roadways being improved are a blend of high traffic volume arterials and collectors, along with streets in residential areas. contamination from the water prior to entering the Deschutes River. Sediment from flooding events and natural runoff collects in the pond, overtime reducing the capacity and affecting the operations of the aerators.

The City contracted with Clearcreek Contractor LLC to dewater the lagoon and remove the accumulated sediments from the lagoon to restore it to its original design capacities. The project is underway, water flows have been by-passed and they are actively dredging the material from the pond. When completed, the aerators will be installed, restoring the lagoon to full operation. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of July. The lagoon represents one of many mitigation strategies to remove known contamination from the ground water and restore a clean environment.

WATER RESOURCES & SUSTAINABILITY

Wa State Geologist Licensing Board

Water Resource Specialist Appointment

Carrie Gillum is the latest addition to the Washington State Geologist Licensing Board. Starting July 1, she will join the seven-member board. The board is responsible for licensing geologist within the state, investigating violations of state regulations related to the practice of geology, and recommending rules and regulations for administering licensing and regulatory laws. The appointment will be through May 2026.

Congratulations Carrie!

PALERMO AERATION LAGOON Cleanup and Restoration

The Palermo Aeration Lagoon is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Palermo Superfund cleanup site for ground water contamination mitigation. The aeration lagoon collects shallow ground water runoff from a subdrain system and treats the water with aeration pumps. The aeration action allows the contamination to volatilize, effectively removing the

Tree Inventory Grant Awarded

City of Tumwater Receives DNR Grant

The City of Tumwater was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to complete a tree inventory on City-owned properties An iTree analysis estimates the value of the ecosystem services provided by our urban forest, develops a maintenance plan for our urban forest, and identifies potential planting areas to improve canopy equity. This project will accomplish six distinct actions in the City Urban Forestry Management Plan (2021).

Funds for this project were provided by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, administered through the State of Washington

Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Sapp Road Park Volunteer Event

17th Field Artillery Brigade

In May, the 17th Field Artillery Brigade volunteers worked with the City of Tumwater via Stream Team to remove plastic sheeting from Sapp Road Park, to help restore undergrowth. The park plays a large role in helping to mitigate stormwater flooding and pollution, making these restoration efforts all the more important for our community. The volunteer’s efforts removed over 150 lbs of plastic sheeting. As the seasons progress, more opportunities to volunteer to will present themselves. We invite you to participate in these restoration events, and learn more about hands on science as it relates to data collection and the importance this information plays to help us manage stormwater runoff and overall water quality within the City. You can sign up for these events and workshops at the Stream Team events page.

Team newsletters, flyers about the Arbor Day Tree Event, toilet leak detection tablets, dog waste bags, and free car washes to reduce pollution in stormwater. Staff have also provided Fats, Oil, and Grease kits, recruited for the Climate Advisory Workgroup, and promoted community conversations related to tree protection and landscaping code updates.

Water Infrastructure Solar

Drinking Water and Renewable Energy

Year after year, electricity consumed to produce and distribute clean drinking water to our community makes up the largest “piece of the pie” of our City Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions. As Tumwater’s population grows, a key strategy to reduce emissions is to utilize renewable energy. While the City purchases renewable energy certificates through Puget Sound Energy’s Green Direct Program for all of our accounts, the City can also reduce emissions by installing renewable energy on-site where space allows. In 2022, WRS installed a 3.08 kW ground-mounted solar array at the Crites Road Water Fill Station and a 0.77 kW ground-mounted solar array at the Sapp Road Pressure Reducing Valve location. We are happy to report that these two solar arrays are now fully functional and powering these two infrastructure locations.

Sapp Road Park clean up volunteers

Reaching Community Members

Thurston County Food Bank

The Thurston County Food Bank graciously allows the Water Resources & Sustainability (WRS) Department to engage community members at their drive-through distribution at the Mountain View Church on Israel Road. Each quarter WRS staff provides community members with information and utility incentives related to water quality and sustainability in Tumwater, invitations to participate in city activities, and works to build trusting relationships. In April WRS staff distributed ~120 Stream

Municon Conference

Staff Present on Best Management Practices!

Staff attended the Municon Conference in Wenatchee, WA on April 25 and 26 to share stormwater best management practices developed collaboratively by City stormwater and GIS staff, presenting the new Catch Basin