Holmes Harbor Estates
Feb 1, 2023
2023 was a highly satisfactory year for the Holmes Harbor Water Co, your water system overseen by the HHWC board.
Hello Holmes Harbor Estates Neighbors!
It’s been a quiet year in Holmes Harbor Estates, water-wise.
The good news is that we have completed all of the construction work for the water system upgrade: new distribution pipe, new pressure reducing valves, new hydrants, new booster pumps, new controls, a repaired reservoir lining and an arsenic treatment system. The Washington Department of Health will require us to mitigate our high arsenic levels within the next few years, and we were fortunate to have enough funds remaining in the USDA grant to cover the cost of installing the treatment system in 2021.
The not so good news is that our old (ca. 1991) pump in well #1 can no longer produce the pressure required to backwash the arsenic filters. As I write (early January) we are working with our engineers on the specifications for a new pump and obtaining bids from pump suppliers. The engineering and possibly part of the pump installation will still be covered by USDA grant funds. We will need to contribute part of the cost from our reserve fund but are well able to do that.
The remaining tasks on the system upgrade are completion of a one-time audit required of all federal grantees (in progress) and the wetland mitigation maintenance and monitoring required by our US Army Corps of Engineers permit for another three years. After that, we simply need to supply USDA with annual financial documents and keep up our loan payments.
Your costs for water usage and water reserve fund are projected to increase by an annual cost-of- living amount but no extraordinary increases or special assessments are anticipated.
Many thanks to HHWC board members Sharon Dunn, Lydia Sikes, Rick Waclawik, David Paull and Cyndy King for their work this year. All board members have participated in regular monitoring of the pump house and, as we are still not meeting in person, have been extraordinarily responsive to requests for review of information and weighing in on board decisions. Special thanks to David Paull for continuing maintenance of blow-off valves and hydrants, as well as the generator that keeps our system running during power outages! More special thanks to Cyndy King for monitoring new builds and responding to water service problems!
With the imminent close of the USDA project, I will be stepping down as HHWC president but will remain as a trustee. Our board works well and efficiently together to keep the water system running properly, but we could use your help to continue serving the community effectively. There are several open board positions. Please consider joining us in 2022!
Nancy Sharp
President, Holmes Harbor Water Co., Inc. January 2022Holmes Harbor Water Co. President’s Letter
Greetings Members of Holmes Harbor Estates!
2022 was a highly satisfactory year for the Holmes Harbor Water Co, your water system overseen by the HHWC board.
We saw the official conclusion of the repiping project begun back in 2016 when the board applied for and received a long term loan and grant from USDA to replace the water mains and attendant infrastructure of our aging water system.
As the project was winding down late in 2021, one of the well pumps failed. In April 2022 we were able to use remaining grant funds to help pay to replace this vital piece of equipment. Once the well pump was replaced, a crew of community volunteers, led by Jim Caveness, reroofed the old well house.
In August, the final repiping project bills were paid and the construction phase of the project officially closed out by the USDA.
Nancy Sharp, who agreed in 2018 to serve as board President through the end of the project, handed in her resignation as President. She led the board throughout the course of the bidding, construction and follow-up phases of the water system upgrade, working closely with the USDA and our General Contractor, C Johnson Construction. Her knowledge of the inner workings of government loan and grant funds was invaluable in using every last bit of the grant funds available to us! Thanks Nancy!
Our one-time audit, required of USDA grant recipients, was completed by the end of 2022, checking off another important box!
Going forward, we will supply the USDA with annual financial documents and keep up our loan payments.
We have completed the third (out of five) year of monitoring of the required Wetland Restoration along the path of the new water main in community property between the ends of Shoreline Drive and Farmington Rd. The glowing report from our consultant shows successful growth of healthy native plants. There is a foot path through the area that has access to the Greenbank Farm trails. Please check it out if you’re taking a walk!
Looking forward in 2023, our system has the capacity to provide water to 100 connections, and currently serves 84. The Island County Health Department requires us to show that our two wells have no salt water intrusion before approving the remaining connections. To fulfill this requirement, we have hired a hydrogeologist to do a study and produce a report for Island County Health. We are confident that our wells are currently safe from salt water, as we have them tested every 6 months for the chemical indicators of this condition.
Please consider joining the HHWC Board as a Trustee. It’s so interesting to learn where our water comes from, and to help oversee its protection and distribution!
Lastly, please attend the 2023 Annual Meeting on February 11, at 10 am. It will be held at the Progressive Club on Bakken Rd in Greenbank. There will be a Zoom link (find it on the Members page of the community website) for those who can’t attend in person. The URL is: holmesharborestates.org
See you in 2023,
Cyndy King
Acting President, Holmes Harbor Water Co, Inc.
January 2023
email: holmesharborwatercompany@gmail.com