White Salmon lifts water restrictions

WHITE SALMON — All restrictions on water use have been lifted in the Strawberry Mountain pressure zone, which stretches from Columbia High School in the north to where El Camino Real meets NW Lincoln Street in the south, and east from Paco’s Tire Service to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the City of White Salmon announced Aug. 25.

In early June, engineers discovered that one pump at the Los Altos Reservoir, White Salmon’s largest water storage facility with a capacity of 1 million gallons, had completely failed. With half the normal flow traveling up Strawberry Mountain, the reservoirs eventually ran dry on July 12, triggering a four-day boil water notice. Affected residents had to subsequently halt all non-essential, outdoor water use and then follow a fixed irrigation schedule.

“While the emergency issue has been addressed, the city encourages continued thoughtful water use to support long-term system reliability and community resilience,” reads a press release.

The pump required parts, including the rotating disk with vanes responsible for moving water, or the impeller, made to specifically suit White Salmon’s hydraulic conditions. Although the installation occurred more than a month ago, a manufacturing discrepancy meant the pump couldn’t provide adequate pressure, prolonging the restrictions.