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Follow on Google News | Water Shortage For Columbia River Gorge Unincorporated Town Of Dallesport, WashingtonIn an Official Complaint to the Washington State Engineer Board of Licensing, Darrin Eckman, PE of Tenneson Engineering Corporation of The Dalles, Oregon is named for not following standard engineering practices.
"This mistake changes all the projected water use calculations," Washington Law prohibits Professional Engineers from doing work in a field of which they do not have specific education or experience. Washington Administrative Code The Dallesport Water Association, Inc. serves most residents in the unincorporated town adjacent to The Dalles, Oregon on the Columbia River. In April 2005 the DWA sold the last of it 219 connections. Without potable water Klickitat County cannot issue a building permit. In 2006 Tenneson Engineering Corporation of The Dalles, Oregon was hired by the Dallesport Water Association for the purpose of writing a Project Report. This 'Project Report August 18, 2006 ' was required by the Dept. of Health, Office of Drinking Water for the Association to install a booster pump and allow the increase of connections above the approved 219 ERUs. The ERU is an Equilevant Residential Unit and one of the primary factors used in calculating water system design. The booster pump purchase and installation was funded by a Klickitat County Economic Development Authority grant. This money could not go directly to the DWA because it is a private association. The local volunteer Fire District #6 received the money and gave the booster pump to the DWA for the purpose of "Fire Suppression" The Project Report August 18, 2006, prepared by Tenneson Engineering erroneously calculated the Average Day Demand (ADD) to be 420 gallons per day per ERU. The correct ADD should be 783 gallons per day per ERU. This inaccurate calculation is the foundation for projecting estimates of the physical water storage capacity and the Peak Hour Demand for the Dallesport Water Association customers and the fire flow as required by Washington Administrative Code for the areas serviced by the Association. Klickitat County is currently restricted from approving building permits in the Dallesport area as per a requirement from the Dept. of Health, Office of Drinking Water, "Any property owner requiring construction of a new water main to serve their property is not eligible to receive a building permit until the WSP is approved. We informed the DWA of this fact in our August 1, 2007 letter." The letter to Kevin Barry, Director of Health Dept., Klickitat County from the Office of Drinking Water, Washington State Dept. of Health, Director Denise Addotta Clifford. Tenneson Engineering used the same inaccurate Average Day Demand calculations for the Dallesport Water Association's Comprehensive Water System Plan 2008. Currently in the review at the Eastern Regional Office in Spokane, WA. The Water System Plan is to address the current needs of the water purveyor and estimate the projected system wide improvements and expansion. The future development of the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport is now unknown. 'Without potable water there is nothing we can do.'; The Airport Board has been working with the Klickitat County on expanding its operations. Earlier this year the County approved a new well to be drilled on the Airport Property. Without the infrastructure of the Dallesport Water Association the only other water system able to provide service for the airport tenants is the Dallesport Industrial Park. Approximately one mile to the east at a cost of over three million dollars. Unknown to the public: In 2005, prior to the Project Report by Tenneson Engineering Corp., Mike Wellman, PE was hired by the DWA to write a Water System Plan. Mr. Wellman and then DWA board member Steve Nelson took source meter readings for an extended period of time in 2005. With these readings and many years of water design experience, Mr. Wellman calculated the DWA would need a storage tank of 172,000 to serve approximately 350 ERUs. This information was not made public and was sent to the DWA. After a request by the DWA to write a Water System Plan in three weeks Mr. Wellman sent the DWA a letter explaining that a Water System Plan is a complex document, could not be completed in three weeks and ended his business with the DWA. The DWA did not make this information public. Contradictions The Project Report states the primary reason for the booster pump is to increase connections. Dept. of Health, Office of Drinking Water, Easter Regional Office states the booster pump is not necessary to increase connections. The DWA states the booster pump is for fire suppression. The EDA grant states the booster pump is for fire suppression. Office of Drinking Water Director, Denise Clifford letter of August 20, 2007 states, there are ten tanker trucks to fight fires in Dallesport and these are filled off site in Murdock, WA. "Not true", says Rhet Howard, Fire Chief for District 6. The letter asserts these facts to the Klickitat County Fire Marshall, who does not exist. Tenneson Engineering Corp. states at the DWA August 2007 meeting "the Project Report calculations are correct". Contacts: Darrin O. Eckman, PE Tenneson Engineering Corporation 3313 West 2nd Street The Dalles, Oregon 97058 Phone: 541-296-9177 Denise Addotta Clifford Office Director, State of Washington, Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water PO Box 47822 Olympia, Washington 98504- Phone: 360-236-3110 Andres R. Cervantes, PE Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water, Eastern Regional Office 1500 West 4th, Suite 305 Spokane, Washington 99201 Phone: 509-456-4430 Mike Wellman, PE White Salmon City Hall 100 North Main Street P.O. Box 2139 White Salmon, WA. 98672 Phone: 509-493-1133 Dallesport Water Association, Inc. PO Box 131 Dallesport, Washington 98617 Phone: 509-767-4767 Dallesport Water Association, Inc. Board of Directors Chris Jones, President Phone: 509-767-4524 or 541-490-4703 E. Lynn Mathewson 509-767-1451 or 541-980-1238 Kenneth C. Thiemann 509-637-2505 Renee Briggs 509-767-2316 Craig Stephens 509-767-2141 or 503-349-8943 End
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