Water utility projects on tap in Tumwater

The City of Tumwater plans to pursue two new water utility projects in 2027, according to an update of its Capital Facilities Plan. 

Officials are currently working on the annual update of the plan, which outlines capital improvement projects over the next six years. This year’s update covers projects from 2026 to 2031. 

Dan Smith, the director of the city’s water resources and sustainability department, talked about the proposed additions to the document at a meeting of the Tumwater Public Works Committee on Thursday, Oct. 9 

New water utility projects include planned improvements for a booster pump on C Street and the installation of deep monitoring wells in the Bush Wellfield area, one of the city’s three main wellfields. 

One of the projects calls for the replacement of the booster pump and roof of the building containing it, as well as updates to the control system to bring it up to the current standard. 

Design and planning for the upgrades are expected to begin in 2027, with construction slated for 2028. The project is expected to cost $1.2 million. 

Another project deals with the installation of two to four deep monitoring wells to track water quality, seasonal fluctuations, and identify impacts from the nearby industrial areas. 

Smith said while monitoring already exists around the wellhead area, those wells are in shallower parts of the aquifer and are intended to detect contaminants that could enter from the surface.  

The new wells would be placed lower in the aquifer to detect contaminants outside of the immediate surface area. The project would cost approximately $150,000 with installation in 2027.  

Smith also went on to discuss ongoing water utility projects in the Capital Facilities Plan. Overall, the draft plan outlines 14 projects totaling more than $50 million.