Sewer District Moves Ahead into New Year of Accomplishments

By Margie Doyle

Carl Yurdin, current Chair of the Eastsound Sewer and Water District, announced recently that all of Bonnie Brae and some OPAL Commons homeowners have signed agreements to hook up to sewer lines. The homes had previously been served by septic tanks, and residents had resisted signing on to the new and extended lines.

Yurdin was generous in his praise of the work of ESWD Office Manager Sue Kimple, who “has been instrumental in clearing up the financial information,” says Yurdin.

Bonnie Brae has been producing some 2,000,000 gallons of waste annually from its homes off Enchanted Forest Road. “There is no guarantee the material is going into the aquifer, but there is no guarantee that it’s not, either,” said Yurdin.

The ESWD maintains that it is required by state law to ensure that health standards are met; and that those standards require hookup to the district’s sewer lines.

Sue Kimple talked to each homeowner personally and walked them through the process, says Yurdin. “Once they found they could defer or reduce their fees, folks that were leery and resisted signing on before came forward to sign on.”

“Trust was built [in a process] that started off with folks angry, uncertain and misunderstanding, to become pleased and accommodating: they did the right thing to help the community.

“They really stepped up.”

Next on the ESWD agenda is replacing the outfall pipe off Port of Orcas property on North Beach. The outfall pipe was damaged when the Port, in attempting to fix its pipe nearby, dropped blocks on the sewer district’s cast iron pipe.

Yurdin reports working with several different agencies and with the help of Chris Betcher, an underwater surveyor, being able to save nearly half a million dollars “to the taxpayers’ benefit.

“Betcher did the preliminary surveys; he worked closely and cordially with a dozen agencies to get permitting out 1,500 feet between two beds of eelgrass.”

This spring, Eastsound Sewer district will be going out for bids for the repair project.

Another project will be a de-watering plant to make Class A bio-solids that normally can be used as surface fertilizers, Yurdin said.

The de-watering plant will make it possible to use the wastes on-island, rather than shipping those wastes off the island, at great expense. “That’s one thousand gallons that other pumpers don’t have to  take off the island,” said Yurdin, adding that the fee to homeowners will be minimal.

And the Sewer District remains in good financial situation with cash reserves.

Commissioners on the ESWD, besides Yurdin, are Greg Ayers, Dave Lowry and Ed Sutton. There is a vacant position on the public district board.

The ESWD commissioners will next meet on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 4:45 p.m. in District offices off North Beach Road and Schoen Lane. The passcode to open the gate is posted right at the gate. The public is welcome to attend ESWD meetings.