Lacey updates water shortage response plan

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The Lacey Water Resources Department (WRD) recently updated their Water Shortage Response Plan (WSRP) for better communication and readability.

Lacey Water Resource Specialist Linsey Fields said there are changes and updates to the WSRP document to reflect the dynamic operating system of their department every summer, during the Utilities Commission meeting on May 2 Monday,

For this year, the city’s WRD re-organized the format of the WSRP to reflect the needs of its customers. It also added updates to reflect the city’s current organizational structures. Fields said they added the role of the assistant city manager in some stages of their communications.

Fields said they also added specific details to help direct the communication with the customers during an emergency.

“There's a need to work with public affairs better,” Fields said. “To create a communication plan in the case of an emergency on how do we get the word out the best way but also the fastest way.”

Lacey’s water is supplied from groundwater sources, Fields said, making the city not vulnerable to short-term drought conditions.

However, Lacey could be vulnerable to drought conditions caused by six months or longer low fall/winter precipitation, unexpected failure of the water system, natural or human-caused disasters and water supply contamination, explained Fields

Fields said that the present possible production (P3) will be the basis of the WSRP stages. P3 is the maximum amount of water that can be produced with wells in the city pumping 21 hours per day expressed in millions of gallons per day. 

According to the WSRP, for the annual period beginning June 1, the P3 is 18.86 million gallons per day. Therefore, the WSRP stages are triggered as follows:

  • Stage 1: Advisory: Every summer.
  • Stage 2: Internal Action Stage: 15.09 MGD (80% of P3 for 3 consecutive days).
  • Stage 3: Mandatory Stage: 16.98 MGD (90% of P3 for 3 consecutive days). 17.92 MGD (95% of p3 for 1 day).
  • Stage 4: Emergency Stage: 17.92 MGD (95% of P3 for 3 consecutive days

The WSRP provides operating procedures to the city in the event of a weather-related water shortage, natural or human-caused disaster, or other water system operating emergency.

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