Forks residents can wash trucks and cars again now that the city government has lifted water restrictions.
Port Townsend residents remain on a Stage 1 alert, according to city officials.
The two towns were the last on the North Olympic Peninsula still on water use restrictions. Also restricted is one Clallam County Public Utility District water district.
Port Angeles city utility department ended water restrictions for residents Oct. 21.
Forks water
Ivan Cowles, water superintendent for Forks, announced Thursday that “there is no longer a need to maintain the emergency water use restrictions put in place in September.”
Cowles inspected the wells and found they have begun to recover from their earlier very low levels, said Mayor Bryon Monohon.
“Residents can wash their trucks again,” Monohon said.
The city put restrictions in place in September. Several of the five city wells began to “suck air,” so city water managers reduced the amount of water being drawn from the wells, he said.
Monohon said the city utility managers determined that the well recovery and the arrival of the winter rainy season were enough to remove the restrictions.
However, if there is a three-week or longer break in the rain after the next rainstorm, there could be some serious water problems in the city, he said.
Residents should avoid going “hog wild” with water, he said, and should use water responsibly.
Port Townsend water
“We continue to draw down Lords Lake. There is 10 feet of water left in it,” said Ken Clow, Port Townsend public works director.
The city’s backup water source has several months of water stored, so residents are not expected to be without water before the rainy season begins to refill the city’s primary reservoir, Clow said.
Until there is enough rain falling in the watershed — in the Olympic Mountains above Quilcene — to begin rebuilding the city’s water supply, restrictions will continue, he said.
Clow said the rain that has fallen on the city itself has not been in the right place to provide relief.
Stage 1 mandates alternate-day outdoor watering restriction. Even-numbered addresses can water on even-numbered dates and odd-numbered addresses can water on odd-numbered dates.
The weekend rainstorm forecast by the National Weather Service may be enough to slow the rate the Lords Lake reservoir is draining, Clow said, but that storm alone isn’t enough to end restrictions.
“Two to 3 inches gets it started,” he said.
PUD water
There has been no loosening in water restrictions for the Upper Fairview Water District.
“Nothing has changed,” said Mike Howe, spokesman for the Clallam County PUD.
Stage 3 water restrictions are in effect in the Upper Fairview Water District, which is using a temporary system to pump water from two new wells in the lower district to 566 customers in the upper system.
Alternate-day outdoor watering is required under Stage 3 limits.
The district relies on Morse Creek east of the Port Angeles city limits for water for most of the year. The creek is fed by the Olympic Mountains’ snowpack. This year, the snowpack is at zero.
In other districts, customers are asked to reduce water usage without mandatory limits having been set.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
