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The Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its Sept. 8 meeting to assume lead agency status on a proposal by Whitewater Creek Inc. to install 700 ground source heat pumps at the Lakemore development in the eastern section of the city. Pictured are LLSWD commissioners Steve Skipworth and Tom Agnew.

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LLSWD steps up as lead agency in Lakemore proposal
9/29/2014 12:46:36 PM

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor 

Just over a week after the city of Liberty Lake issued its opinion on a proposal to add 700 ground source heat pumps to a residential project orchestrated by a Hayden-based developer, the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District moved to the forefront of the discussion.   

The LLSWD Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Sept. 8 to assume lead agency status in reviewing the plan by Whitewater Creek Inc. to install wells that would be submerged 450 feet into the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer and power the heating and cooling systems for the Lakemore mixed-use development in the eastern section of Liberty Lake. The district supplies potable water to around 9,000 residents through the sole source aquifer.

"The importance for the district to step up is for protection of the aquifer and the sole source of drinking water to our customers of Liberty Lake," said LLSWD General Manager BiJay Adams.

As the lead agency, LLSWD will now move forward on an environmental impact study (EIS) under the umbrella of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Public comment on the scope of the EIS will be received until Oct. 31. The district will then work with a consultant to generate the document and afterward determine whether or not to grant water and sewer permits to Whitewater Creek on behalf of Lakemore.

At their Sept. 8 meeting, LLSWD commissioners expressed concern with various aspects of the proposal, including the depth of the wells and the use of a substance called bentonite slurry, an absorbent clay that is injected into the borings.

"How do you mitigate something that goes wrong with these?" asked Commissioner Kottayam V. Natarajan Jr. "You can't just dig down 450 feet and take it out." 

In speaking with a variety of qualified people about the project, Commissioner Tom Agnew said he was left feeling more tenuous than assured.  

"These are environmentally conscious types who think geothermal is a great idea, and none of them expressed anything but concern or reservations about this," Agnew said. "I don't know why the experts are so skeptical. It makes me concerned." 

The city of Liberty Lake issued a mitigated determination of non-significance (MDNS) related to the Lakemore proposal on Aug. 29. As part of the SEPA review, the city outlined eight requirements for Whitewater Creek before moving forward with the project, including the construction of a test well under the supervision of a licensed Washington state hydrogeologist. LLSWD was among eight agencies to contribute comments to the MDNS. The state Department of Ecology, Spokane Aquifer Joint Board and Spokane County Utilities also added input, among others. 

LLSWD brought on GeoEngineers, a Spokane-based firm with experience in local geology and hydrogeology, to conduct a study of the hydrogeological findings submitted by Whitewater Creek. That research and a list of 39 questions and comments from LLSWD was issued to the city on Aug. 21.

"It is a lack of knowledge about the potential threats and safety of these systems coupled with the lack of regulation in environmentally sensitive areas that is of serious concern," Adams wrote in a cover letter to the city that accompanied the 22-page report.

Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson said the city completed the MDNS under the auspices of the SEPA because the proposal for the Lakemore development goes through the city initially "from a development and building application standpoint." 

"The district had concerns about their wells and our water supply," Peterson said. "They are the purveyor for us to that resource. They and the groups they work with across the region wanted more analysis and input. For this project, it only made sense to let them be the lead agency or coordinator. They will be the arbitrator for a final solution. We are happy they stepped up to the task."

While the district's gathering on Sept. 8 did not include a large crowd, several attendees added their input to the conversation. Corky Witherwax, a consultant who has worked with Whitewater Creek but was not representing the company at the meeting, described bentonite slurry as an inert substance consisting mostly of water that is used commonly in the drilling of wells. 

Witherwax, who once served as the president of the Garwood Water District in Idaho, said the term "geothermal" can sometimes generate inaccurate interpretations.

"I understand the concerns," he said. "I just hate to say ‘geothermal' because it denotes a different type of heating source. It's just that you have the transfer of heat out of the ground." 

Mike Galante, district manager with the North Kootenai Water and Sewer District, submitted a letter to the city opposing the project and urging LLSWD to "ask the city to reconsider their position." 

"There is a lot of concern over what would happen if a leak developed," said Gallante. "The concern is real."

Natarajan pointed out that the long-term impacts of bentonite have yet to be determined.

"We have to make sure that stuff is as inert 50 years from now as it is today," he said. 

Todd Prescott, owner of Whitewater Creek Inc., stood up for the systems under scrutiny when responding to questions from The Splash, saying the wells provide safe and sustainable energy. 

"If you research ground source heating systems, specifically the ground source heat pump systems, you will find the reliability, safety and efficiency of this technology is of the highest caliber," Prescott said. "The technology allows for safe, renewable and efficient ground source energy."

The Liberty Lake City Council unanimously approved the Lakemore plat at its Sept. 16 meeting with the understanding that the development would include traditional heating/cooling systems unless a determination on the ground source heat pumps is confirmed. 

Prescott said Whitewater Creek "will not be installing heating/cooling systems until we complete the process currently under discussion with the lead agency."

"We believe we have provided comprehensive due diligence documentation to the city of Liberty Lake and other agencies interested in the project development and infrastructure elements," Prescott said. "Additionally, we have met all elements included on the environmental checklist. Our goal is to work collaboratively with the lead agency to determine and fully address impacts determined to be significant or necessary."

Commissioner Steve Skipworth said the district was "concerned about the protection of the aquifer as a whole, not just in Liberty Lake." 

"I'm not saying it's a bad system," Skipworth said. "But not having a lot of science on it, we have to make sure we're protecting the aquifer." 

Peterson expressed confidence that the process would generate a positive result.  

"The city and the district have been working well together, and we jointly want what is best for our community," he said. "I believe we will have the best outcome as we look at adopting new technology in our buildings here in Liberty Lake as well as the region."                                

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