Local News

Wahkiakum PUD has started what could be a long process to build a new substation.
Manager David Tramblie said Tuesday that the Cathlamet substation is currently operating at 73 percent capacity. If the system load continues to increase, as it has the past few years, the load would outstrip substation capacity in around 10 years, depending on how fast the load grows.
One of the first tasks is to find a site for the substation, Tramblie said. The location must meet conditions set by Bonneville Power Administration, which would feed power to the substation.
Tramblie said it takes about five years to site and build a substation.

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting of the PUD board of commissioners, Tramblie announced that 42-44 connections have been prepared for the extended portion of the Western Wahkiakum Water System.
All but two or three connections were ready by the end of January, and the others have been completed he said, so customers may connect their lines to the system.
He recommended the board set January 1 as the starting date for billing those connections the monthly basic service charge of $42, the same as for other system customers, whether or not the customers have connected. A usage charge will be applied once customers start consuming water.
Tramblie also requested an executive session to discuss a potential settlement to a dispute with the Wahkiakum County Public Works Department over the cost of paving repairs where connections crossed county roads.