Mercer Island City Manager Jessi Bon and Mayor Salim Nice sat before city residents during a Zoom town hall meeting on the evening of July 8 and said that water conservation is crucial at this juncture.
As the weather has heated up, Mercer Islanders’ water use has also skyrocketed and caused the city’s two four-million-gallon reservoir tanks to be “depleted faster than they can be refilled,” according to a city press release. Immediate water conservation efforts are critical within the next 24 hours for all Island residents and businesses in order for the city to dodge the mandatory realm and an extreme water crisis, the city added.
Currently, the city sits in the voluntary stage for water conservation efforts, the city announced on June 12.
Nice said at the town hall: “As we are again at a water emergency, a year after having our last one, I want to thank everybody for your extra efforts conserving water over the past month. We need your cooperation now as we face the possibility of moving to mandatory water conservation measures.” In April of 2023, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews completed emergency repairs on a pair of faulty valves after residents engaged in water conservation over a nearly four-day period.
The city said that water use peaked at a much higher than normal 6,000 gallons-plus per minute over the weekend, and that excessive use has continued into Monday. Since April, Mercer Island has been only receiving the maximum amount of 2,500 gallons of water per minute from the SPU backup line as the mainline is undergoing repairs.
The tanks top off at 29.5 feet and they currently sit at 26.5 feet. On July 8, the city was unable to “catch up” the tanks (refill them during lower usage times — typically overnight). The tanks must climb above 19 feet to maintain “fireband,” which is the amount needed for firefighting abilities, the city said.
“If this pattern continues, we’re going to draw down those reservoir tanks to a critical level. We must, as a community, work together to curb our use and allow these reservoir tanks to catch up,” Bon said at the town hall. “If we cannot work together to reduce our water use, we are quickly moving to a mandatory stage and that will be rolled out tomorrow if the levels in the reservoir tanks continue to drop.”
On May 1, Bon declared a local state of emergency regarding the water issue, during which the Island is currently receiving water through the 16-inch backup line as the 24-inch mainline is being mended following leakage.
At the June 18 city council meeting, Bon said about conservation efforts in the voluntary stage — and it’s needed now more than ever: “This is all to hopefully stave off mandatory measures. We do believe this community has it in them — we’ve done this work before to pull back our water use.”
Residents shared their thoughts on the water situation via the city’s Facebook page. One poster thanked the city for the heads up with the information; and another Islander feels that too many people reside on the Island to accommodate its antiquated system.
For conservation information, including new or additional actions that residents and businesses can take, visit: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/water-conservation-guidance.
To view the town hall meeting, visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/RBmcIHcJBuk
During the blistering heat, the Mercer Island Community and Event Center is open to residents as a cooling shelter, Bon said.
*** Original story from July 8 from city press release and Reporter archives:
As the weather has heated up, Mercer Islanders’ water use has also spiked significantly and caused the city’s two reservoirs to be depleted faster than they can be refilled. According to the city on July 8, all Island residents and businesses should conserve water immediately and cut unnecessary use within the next 24 hours to avoid mandatory restrictions and prevent a severe water emergency.
Currently, the city sits in the voluntary stage for water conservation efforts, the city announced on June 12.
The city said that water use peaked at more than 6,000 gallons per minute over the weekend — significantly above normal peak consumption — and exceptionally high use has not subsided today. Mercer Island is only receiving the maximum amount of 2,500 gallons of water per minute from the Seattle Public Utilities’ backup line that’s supplying water to the Island’s reservoirs.
On May 1, City Manager Jessi Bon declared a local state of emergency regarding the water issue, during which the Island is currently receiving water through a 16-inch backup line as the 24-inch mainline awaits repair.
“Certain reservoir levels are required to meet water quality, safety and fire suppression needs. If water use continues at these high rates, levels in the reservoirs will fall below the ‘fireband,’ which is the amount needed for firefighting abilities,” the city said today.
At the June 18 city council meeting, Bon said about conservation efforts in the voluntary stage — and it’s needed now more than ever: “This is all to hopefully stave off mandatory measures. We do believe this community has it in them — we’ve done this work before to pull back our water use.”
For conservation information, including new or additional actions that residents and businesses can take, visit: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/water-conservation-guidance
Bon and Mayor Salim Nice will provide the community with an overview of this challenge and explain more about ways Islanders can help conserve water in a Zoom town hall meeting at 6 p.m. tonight: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85201404367?pwd=DElBPmDkBIwb4NckxQ2Sz0dqfDdlDV.1
