Local News

Cathlamet officials announced Monday that the town’s Greenwood Water Tank has been fully reconditioned, refilled, tested, and certified ready for service.
The tank was taken off line in early May for a major overhaul, which included sand blasting inside and out, metal repairs, priming, and painting with state of the art epoxy coatings.
Originally planned for completion by May 28, the project took twice as long as long to complete than expected because of unexpectedly stubborn rust and corrosion inside the tank, Mayor Dick Swart said.
With the tank back on line, the town has lifted water use restrictions, and customers using town and Puget Island water systems can wash vehicles and make other non-essential uses of water.
Swart said another factor surfaced during the project that troubled him--security of the reservoirs.
“Someone, we know not when, appears to have fired a high velocity, fully jacketed bullet at the lowest level of the tank. Less than one half of the tank wall remained where the bullet struck. We were fortunate to have discovered the damage when the tank was empty and repairable on short notice,” Swart said.
A technician repaired the damage.
“Hunting and shooting sports are a way of life in the Northwest, and are a part of my family’s tradition. It bothers me that irresponsible people have peppered the tank holding half the town’s water storage capacity with shotgun pellets. It really disturbs me that someone would deliberately try to hole the tank at its base and take it off line,” Swart said.
Swart said the council has been considering security measures for the town’s infrastructure for some time.
“This may be the wake up call that might have some impact in the 2008 budget building process. To help the council in its work, I have discussed security options with Wahkiakum County Undersheriff Jon Dearmore,” Swart said.
He declined to elaborate on specifics under consideration.
“On the positive side, Greenwood Tank is now being surrounded by growth and new homes, so vandalism against the tank is less likely to go unnoticed and un-reported. But, in this day and age, any acts that threaten our water supply cannot be tolerated or not be guarded against. The public should rest assured that the safety and security of the town’s water system is a top priority,” Swart said.