PORT ANGELES — The first tests of a proposed water filtration method for Elwha River water will begin this week in anticipation of the 2004 removal of the Elwha River dams.
When the two dams are removed, more than 90 years of sediment from Lake Aldwell and Lake Mill will be washed into the Elwha River, which provides drinking water for the city of Port Angeles, the Dry Creek Water Association, the Elwha Place Homeowners Association and numerous private wells.
“Anybody who gets water from the Elwha will be affected. A lot of people depend upon the Elwha River,” said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokeswoman.
The dam removal and the sediment behind the dams will both cause changes in water quality.
To adjust to this, a new filtration system is needed to ensure its water meets federal drinking water standards.
In August, the Port Angeles City Council authorized a consultant from Olympic National Park to test two filtration processes for effectiveness and operating costs.
The park’s consultant has settled on two potential water treatment methods.
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