Inventory of Potential Contaminant Sources
After delineating the WHPAs associated with the City’s wells, an
inventory of existing and potential sources of groundwater contamination (PDF) was compiled and mapped. High risk potential contamination sources located near the City's wells include hazardous waste storage sites, underground storage tanks, leaking underground storage tanks, high risk businesses, and agricultural land, which may be susceptible to pesticide use.
Contingency Plan
The City's contingency plan consists of the following components:
- Susceptibility Assessments: The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has ranked all of the City's wells as having a moderate susceptibility to contamination, except for Well Number 7, which was ranked low in susceptibility.
- Source Deficiencies: The City can currently meet the system maximum day demand with all sources in service as required by the DOH, but will require an additional 2,000 GPM to serve the growth projected for the next 20 years. However, if the City's largest well becomes contaminated, the City cannot meet its existing maximum day demand by approximately 450 GPM. The City plans to drill a well in the next 20 years to provide for additional source redundancy and source capacity.
- Emergency Response: The City has developed an emergency response plan that includes an emergency call-up list and response procedures for spills, fires, and water supply contamination.
- Short-Term and Long-Term Water Supplies: Because the distance to the nearest potable water systems (City of Yakima and Yakima County Terrace Heights) is considerable, bottled water or tanker trucks in conjunction with water conservation/watering restrictions is the most appropriate short-term alternative water supply. Interties, new source development and groundwater remediation are the most appropriate long-term alternatives.
Local Management Plan
Local management efforts adopted by the City include:
- Posting of street signs at wellhead protection area boundaries
- An annual school seminar program to promote wellhead protection and water education
- Distribution of literature
- Notification of residences and businesses within the City's wellhead protection areas
View the
Regional Management Plan page for more information.