January 05, 2015
Monday PM

Dear Editor:

The following letter to the Ketchikan City Council of December 05, 2014, has received no acknowledgement or reply. It is now being shared as an Open Letter.

Ladies and Gentlemen: In the late 1970s I worked with Retherford Associates, Consulting Engineers, of Anchorage, on a comprehensive study of Ketchikan Public Utilities’ (KPU) Electric, Water, and Telephone departments. In the course of that study it was noted that although much of KPU’s water supply originated in Ketchikan Lakes, a pristine original source, the water was ponded in a forebay, sometimes called “Fawn Lake,” prior to its intake into the water system. It was evident because of its low volume, relatively high surface area, mud bottom, heavily vegetated shoreline, and exposure to wildlife and seabirds, the Fawn Lake forebay was highly subject to contamination.

In considering remedies to Ketchikan’s ongoing water treatment problem, I suggest that KPU and its consultants evaluate relocating the water system’s intake from the Fawn Lake forebay to Ketchikan Lake No. 1. I believe this revision could enable the water system to receive much cleaner water, requiring less treatment, helping to resolve current water quality issues.

Sincerely yours,

Kent Miller
Industrial Economist
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received January 05, 2015 - Published January 05, 2015

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