o Previously: State health officials warned residents not to drink potentially contaminated tap water at the Columbia Crest Estates subdivision north of Woodland.
o What’s new: A court ruling took control of the water system away from the neighborhood’s developer, handing management to the Cowlitz County Public Utility District.
o What’s next: On March 30, a judge will hear subdivision developer Dan Class’ appeal of $21,060 in
fines for health violations.
Safe drinking water has been restored to residents of the Columbia Crest Estates subdivision north of Woodland, following a Monday ruling in Cowlitz County Superior Court in Kelso.
o Previously: State health officials warned residents not to drink potentially contaminated tap water at the Columbia Crest Estates subdivision north of Woodland.
o What's new: A court ruling took control of the water system away from the neighborhood's developer, handing management to the Cowlitz County Public Utility District.
o What's next: On March 30, a judge will hear subdivision developer Dan Class' appeal of $21,060 in
fines for health violations.
Court Commissioner Gary Bashor said his decision to appoint the Cowlitz County Public Utility District to manage the troubled, two-well system would assure the water stays clean. The ruling transferred control away from subdivision developer Dan Class, who, according to state Department of Health allegations, had violated orders to maintain the system’s safety in 2010.
“It seemed the best solution to make sure people have good, clean water,” Bashor said after the hearing. He said Class did not oppose the ruling.
Since June 2, residents of the 22-home subdivision had been warned not to drink the tap water in their houses overlooking the Columbia River. The entire neighborhood was also at risk of losing its water altogether last month because Class had not paid for the electricity used by the system.
Class had also racked up $21,060 in fines issued by Department of Health officials in 2010 after a broken water line spurred concerns that contaminants had entered the system. The developer also was accused of missing deadlines for treating arsenic in the water.
His appeal of that fine is scheduled to go before a health law judge March 30.
Class did not respond to phone calls seeking comment for this story.
The Columbia Crest Estates subdivision’s website lists prices for large homes on two-acre lots at between $450,000 and $500,000.
For residents, safe-to-drink tap water was restored Feb. 19, after state officials stepped in and appointed Kelso-based Beacon Hill Water and Sewer District as the system’s temporary manager, said Carolyn Cox, a spokeswoman for the state’s Office of Drinking Water.
“Beacon Hill inspected the well and got the (treatment system) going to make sure the lines were disinfected and clean,” she said.
Bashor’s ruling changed the short-term fix into a long-term solution, Cox said.
Beacon Hill Water and Sewer is now under a contract to monitor the wells for the Cowlitz County Public Utility District, which will oversee the system for up to 12 months. .
That means peace of mind for residents, said Vernon Herriott, a homeowner in the Columbia Crest Estates tract and a real estate agent with Windermere/Stellar Group in Vancouver.
“It feels good that the water is being monitored,” he said.
