Ubits January/ February 2016
The drought’s effect on Alder Lake
GOING WITH THE FLOWS
Feb. 11 Delectable Desserts Bake sale in support of TPU’s Senior Assistance Fund
In this issue
Water and Power fight to protect fish during historic drought year When it comes to protecting fish, the 2015 drought was a story of priorities and sacrifice. Thanks to planning and coordinated reservoir and river flow management, Tacoma Water and Tacoma Power were able to fend off what could have been a catastrophic season for salmon, the consequences of which would have been felt for years to come. For Tacoma Water, managing the Green River involves a partnership between federal, state and local resource agencies, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The group, called the Green River Flow Management Committee, makes decisions about water flow, storage and release. “This was by far and away the most difficult year we’ve seen,” said Water Supply Manager Glen George.
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Q & A with Rail’s Dale King
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Early in the spring, the group addressed storing water — how much and when. “It started as a judgment call about how much water to capture,” said Tacoma Water Environmental Manager Greg Volkhardt. “This year, because of record low snowpack, all of the parties recognized that we would have to be very aggressive in what we captured.” Once the reservoir was full, the conversation turned to how to use that water. Pots of water were earmarked for different uses: drinking water, instream flow commitments and fish habitat. There was also some “flexible” water that was used for priority needs — generally fish — identified by the committee.
Community Connection
Continued on page 5
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Water’s Vulnerability Assessment
Q&A with Dale King Tacoma Rail Superintendent
Q
A recent study cited that Tacoma Rail generates more than $11 million annually in public benefits. What are those benefits?
A
They include such things as payroll, taxes paid to city, state and federal governments, congestion reduction, and infrastructure savings by reducing wear and tear on roads. Most importantly, we perform exceptional rail service that enables our customers to remain competitive, while providing 115 family wage jobs in our community. Our economic contribution was calculated by Washington State University consultants as part of the state Department of Transportation study.
Q
The Legislature’s new revenue package includes $107 million for statewide track improvements that support economic development. Does Tacoma Rail get any of that money?
A
We expect to get part of it in the form of loans. In the past, we’ve been awarded interest-free, 10-year loans that have averaged approximately $5 million per year over the past five years, and we think that will continue. We use these funds to upgrade our tracks by replacing old rail and ties in high-traffic areas, and adding additional track to increase capacity and reduce congestion. Without this funding, our rates would have to be raised significantly to maintain our current level of investment in vital infrastructure improvements.
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Q
The ports of Tacoma and Seattle came together to form the Northwest Seaport Alliance. What role will Tacoma Rail play in this alliance?
A
The two Puget Sound ports have been vying for the same ocean cargo for almost 100 years. During that time, they’ve taken business away from each other and watched their overall market share among West Coast ports continue to shrink. The new alliance will eliminate the
“The new alliance will eliminate the competition between the two and give Tacoma Rail the opportunity for more business.” competition between the two and give Tacoma Rail the opportunity for more business. Last August, we started to coordinate and expedite shipments to and from the ocean carriers at both ports. Our rail operation expertise should improve the competitiveness of the Alliance versus other ports with less coordinated rail operations.
Q
Tacoma Rail and the Port of Tacoma have been working under a new operating agreement for two years. How’s it going?
A
Quite well! Since the agreement was put in place, international intermodal container traffic from the port has grown over 50%. That success is the result of a lot of work and goal setting to enhance the competitiveness of our joint operations. We know that as partners, we’re committed to another 18 years of cooperation and information sharing. This has enabled us to jointly undertake significant projects where we both share in the benefits, like resurfacing the Port of Tacoma Road and redesigning part of Tacoma Rail’s yard. We meet monthly to assess the effectiveness of our service offerings, plan future operations and coordinate capital projects.
Q A
What opportunities for business growth do you see in the future?
Diversifying the type of businesses to which we provide rail services will be the key to maintaining our own growth in the coming years. Over the past 20 years, we’ve reached out beyond Tacoma to grow our business. Now, we’re concentrating on opportunities within the first five miles of our railroad, where about 95% of our revenue is generated. We’re fortunate to have a deep-water port and an oil refinery right in the middle of our operating territory. We need to focus on opportunities that complement international intermodal and crude oil traffic. Some options we’re pursuing are bulk commodities like grain, ethanol, crushed rock and fertilizer.
2016 COMMUNITY CONNECTION EVENTS
Why I volunteer TPU employees are known in the local nonprofit world as some of the best volunteers out there. You give up your time and money to make a difference in the community. Each year, you give more than 2,300 hours (valued at $63,000). Here’s why some of you do it:
January
Mike Robinson of Electrical Inspection: “Volunteering reminds me that our customers are not just account numbers or addresses, but people in our community. It’s awesome to engage and lend a helping hand where we can.”
February
Lori Dabson of Customer Solutions: “Selfishly, I volunteer because it makes me feel good! Nothing beats the feeling of helping others and knowing that my efforts are not only needed, but appreciated as well.”
March
4 My Sister’s Pantry 9 Emergency Food Network Repack 11-25 Children’s Book Drive
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1 My Sister’s Pantry 11 Delectable Desserts 13 Emergency Food Network Repack
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Lori Luscher of Tacoma Rail: “It’s the right thing to do. Actions speak louder than words. The joy you see on the faces of people you help is priceless.”
My Sister’s Pantry Emergency Food Network Repack Boys & Girls Club Bowl-a-Thon
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April
4 My Sister’s Pantry 9 Emergency Food Network Repack 30 Rebuilding Together South Sound Home Remodel
Al Martinez of Customer Solutions: “Helping others isn’t just about giving — it’s about learning and growing. I get to meet great new people and learn from them, and in turn I can share that knowledge with others who don’t have the experience. It’s become a passion I want to experience with others.”
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May
Karen Gerken of Tacoma Water: “To make a positive difference in someone else’s life.”
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Alan Hardy of Tacoma Rail: “It’s a great way to pay it forward. I have worked hard to overcome obstacles that were placed in my path, but without the help of others, I might not have succeeded. My hope is that the people I help will also pay it forward.”
Cut out and save the dates!
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August
1 My Sister’s Pantry 13 Emergency Food Network Repack 8-17 School Supply Drive 20 Dam Ride
September
10 Emergency Food Network Repack 19 My Sister’s Pantry 21 United Way Campaign Kick Off 23 United Way Day of Caring
October
3 My Sister’s Pantry 8 Emergency Food Network Repack 12 United Way Campaign Closing Ceremony and Swiss Celebrity Waiters Night 17-26 H.U.G.S. Drive TBD Adopt-a-Family
November
2 My Sister’s Pantry 7 Emergency Food Network Repack
7 My Sister’s Pantry 12 Emergency Food Network Repack TBD Salvation Army Giving Tree
June
December
6 My Sister’s Pantry 11 Emergency Food Network Repack 13-22 Food & Basic Supplies Drive
July
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9 Emergency Food Network Repack 18 My Sister’s Pantry 30 Habitat for Humanity Build
5 My Sister’s Pantry 10 Emergency Food Network Repack TBD Volunteer at Tacoma Mall Salvation Army Gift Wrapping Station
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bits & pieces
Tacoma Power crews help bring light to neighbors After Tacoma Power got the lights back on for its own 13,000 customers who lost power in the big November windstorm, it wasn’t long before a neighbor made a call for help. Up north, the storm left about 150,000 Snohomish Public Utility District residents and businesses — half of its customers — out of service. So, for four straight days, Tacoma Power rotated multiple crews who worked 30-36 hour shifts to help restore power to SnoPUD’s customers. The Snohomish territory is like the south end of Tacoma Power’s territory — rural, lots of trees, long stretches of road and harder to reach. “Line electricians are prepared for this kind of work,” said Craig Lohrey, Construction and Maintenance Operations manager with T&D. “They’re excited to put their skills and training to use when customers need it most. Everyone wanted a chance to go up and help Snohomish.” Tacoma Power has mutual aid agreements that allow City employees to help neighboring utilities when they need it. The utility first makes sure its customers all have power and then reschedules what planned work it can. Neighboring utilities would do the same for Tacoma Power if the utility needed it. In events like this, the host utility reimburses those filling in to help. That Tacoma Power is able to provide crews to help others is a testament to our utility’s system, which is kept in good working order with a hearty maintenance program. Tacoma Power trims trees to keep limbs off the lines, replaces power poles to make sure they’re sound, and makes sure lines and wires are functioning well, among other things. Line Electrician Ivan Welch works to restore power in Snohomish County after the November windstorm.
Injecting new life into underground cables Some of Tacoma Power’s wires have been in service as long as 35 years. Tacoma Power recently gave new life to the old wires by injecting them with a solution that will allow them to be used for another 20 years. Called cable injection, the process uses a vacuum on one end of the wire to pull the injected solution through, while filling voids and restoring insulation. Injecting the wires instead of replacing them saved Tacoma Power $90 a foot. With more than 76,000 feet of wire injected over three years, the $815,000 project paled in comparison to
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the amount saved — $6.8 million. Data show wires typically last 20 to 30 years. With that in mind, T&D’s Asset Management group identified wires reaching the end of their life cycle. Wires buried directly in the ground that were likely to fail and had a high cost associated with failure were selected for injection. Project foreman Steve Raynolds and line electrician Jeff Stevenson worked with a small contract crew to complete the final 23,000 feet of the project in two months.
New performance report coming soon With so many projects and initiatives at TPU, how do the Public Utility Board and executive management team ensure the utility is on track to accomplish its mission? A new performance metrics report will help. The reporting tool was developed by a cross-divisional team to give the Board and executives status updates about key performance areas. “The goal is for leadership to easily see from a high level how we’re performing,” said Deputy Director of Administration Jim Sant, who led the team and development of the report. “This tool is designed to give them regular temperature checks in a dashboard-type report and alert them when immediate action or course corrections might be needed.” The report will also be shared with the City Council. “They’ve already expressed interest in the report,” Jim said. “While the tool is primarily about how we’re performing in key areas, it might also help showcase where TPU shines. We have
great stories around rate competitiveness, contributions to green power and energy efficiency successes that City leadership and the public might better appreciate when reading the report.” The report will cover these key performance areas: Financial integrity
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Rate competitiveness
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Reliability and service quality
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Operational and cost efficiencies
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Environmental stewardship
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Customer satisfaction
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Safety and employee satisfaction
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The report will be shared quarterly, with the first publication expected near the end of the first quarter in 2016. Watch for a link in Newsline.
Protecting fish continued from page 1 Tacoma Water’s two interests are people and fish. The utility needs to supply enough drinking water to meet the needs of customers while maintaining river flows in the Green River to keep salmon healthy. More water gives the fish more living space and helps moderate temperatures. Add to that a “threatened” status for chinook and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act and, well — things get complicated. Despite seeing record-low inflows every day for three straight months, the group was able to make sound decisions about how to best use stored water to protect fish until the fall rains came. That collaboration was essential, particularly since the 2015 chinook run was one of the largest since 2007.
Balancing priorities
The drought forced Tacoma Power and its hydroelectric project advisory committees to wrestle with tough
decisions about how to balance the needs of fish with recreation and generation. “Our top priority is always maintaining minimum flows on the rivers for fish,” said Matt Bleich, fisheries biologist. “Power Management did a great job of proactively filling our reservoirs this spring to give us a running start before the drought hit.” The fish in many unmanaged rivers in Washington struggled this year; hotter water wreaks havoc on their systems and can increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks. “The main issue for us wasn’t the amount of water, but the temperature of it,” Matt said. “We are fortunate, because managed rivers provided thermal refuges for fish this year.” Employees could not apply a one-size-fits-all drought approach at the four hydro projects.
At the Cushman Hydroelectric Project, they had to mitigate on the fly for the drought’s effects on new projects — the floating surface collector and two hatcheries. Power’s smallest reservoir, at the Wynoochee River Project, heated up quickly and had to rely on its mixing towers to cool the water down. The Cowlitz River Project went relatively unscathed and thus became a safe haven for fish from other basins. At the Nisqually River Project, sacrifice was the name of the game. “We faced a delicate balancing act between providing fish habitat and preserving as much cold water as possible,” said Florian Leischner, fisheries biologist.
Lessons learned
“Like Tacoma Water, we learned so much from this experience,” Matt said. “These lessons have prepared us should we face a similar situation in the future.”
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PREPARING FOR THE WORST
Tacoma Water completes Vulnerability Assessment When you don’t know where or when something bad is going to happen, how do you prevent it or plan for its aftermath? That’s what Tacoma Water has been wrestling with, in terms of thinking about its infrastructure and how some incident — natural or man-made — could disrupt the supply of safe drinking water to its nearly 99,000 customers. Since 2014, Tacoma Water has been working on a vulnerability assessment by analyzing service delivery impacts due to hazards of a grand scale. The utility has made a considerable effort to identify significant threats to its system and develop a prioritized plan to mitigate them. The analysis included quantifying the likelihood, consequence and vulnerability for each utility asset and each way it could be damaged. The result was a comprehensive risk score and understanding of the most critical actions needed to improve overall water system resilience.
What we learned
While the Pacific Northwest is known as one of the most seismically active regions in the world, it came as a surprise to learn that earthquakes and other natural hazards compose 90% of the total risk to our system, said Water Supply Manager Glen George. That information is a good start in helping the utility prioritize strategies to mitigate risk. “There are probabilities with earthquakes, so you work with what you do know,” Glen said. “We know approximately when they’ve happened and how much time was in between. We’ll use that to help us prepare.”
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As for man-made threats, Tacoma Water factored in local, state and federal law enforcement agencies’ input in the risk Tacoma faces. It turns out that we face low frequency and magnitude of theft and vandalism in our water system. In general, acts of sabotage, though certainly possible, are very rare. We also gathered input from key stakeholders, including large businesses, to understand how they would withstand a water outage. That information helps the utility plan the level of system resilience required.
What’s next?
Now that the final assessment report and suggested timeline are complete, the work to improve system resiliency to withstand a catastrophic event and rapidly recover from it begins. First, Tacoma Water will make minor seismic improvements at several key facilities, as well as a number of security and emergency preparedness improvements. From there, the utility will begin strategizing and planning long-term fixes that could include replacement of major transmission pipelines, enhancements to in-town water supply, installation of seismically resilient pipes, and development of secondary water supply for outlying service areas. “Given the breadth and scope of the recommendations from the vulnerability assessment, projects will be evaluated and addressed over a 50-plus year period,” Glen said. “Business case evaluations will be started soon for those highest priority items in order to include them in upcoming budget requests.”
The Alaska Street Reservoir, one of the Tacoma Water facilities examined during its vulnerability assessment.
Working together
Since all utilities share similar risk, Tacoma, along with water utilities throughout Snohomish, King and Pierce counties, are working together to coordinate with each other to improve regional resiliency; the vulnerability assessment helps inform that effort. Prabhat Karna, a Tacoma Water professional engineer who is leading the assessment work, said the analysis and methodology used in this project puts Tacoma Water in a cutting edge position for developing a standard for getting back on its feet after a catastrophic event. “If a disaster happens and people are out of water, we want to get them back in service in the shortest amount of time possible,” Prabhat said. “This work will help us do that.”
Sixteen employees graduate from apprentice programs
Congratulations to the apprentices who recently graduated to journey-level status after completing thousands of hours of on-the-job training, classes and tests.
Tacoma Power graduates pictured from left to right: Wayne Snow, Rob Lewis, Kevin Madden and Sean Keely. Also pictured is Dolores Stegeman (T&D Manager) and Alice Phillips (IBEW Local 483 Business Manager).
Tacoma Water
Tacoma Water graduates pictured from left to right: Lance Matney, Mike Huber, Brandon Corey, Richie Shepherd, Matt Brehmer, Tamar Jackson and Adina Joslyn.
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Matt Brehmer Brandon Corey Mike Huber Tamar Jackson Adina Joslyn Lance Matney Ben Schuetz Richie Shepherd Keith Smith
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Sean Keely Robert Lewis Kevin Madden Hai Nguyen Kurt Schuman Wayne Snow Shane Theuerkauf
Who’s new around here
Phillip Cloran Line Electrician Tacoma Power
David Cowan Principal Engineer Tacoma Power
Kent Klaassen Van Oorschot Shuhua Liang Line Electrician Utilities Economist Tacoma Power Tacoma Power
Dylan Cramer Engineer Tacoma Power
Franklyn Pascual Electrical Inspector Tacoma Power
Kirk Hardtke Kate Haney Jacqueline Gonzalez Natural Resources Technician Admin. Assistant Grounds Maintenance Crew Leader Tacoma Power Tacoma Power Tacoma Power
Michael Rasch Kelly Schmutz Eric Shoblom Railway Track Maint. Worker Assistant Chief Surveyor Natural Resources Biologist Tacoma Rail Tacoma Power Tacoma Power
Who’s ready to relax The following employees retired in December: Toni Vroman, water utility worker with Tacoma Water, retired after 18 years of service. Evan Storlie Facilities Maintenance Mechanic Tacoma Power
Sarah Sweet Conservation Associate Tacoma Power
Kurtis Turner Machinist Tacoma Power
Dennis Dick, hydro utility worker with Tacoma Power, retired after 14 years of service.
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Tacoma Public Utilities PO Box 11007 • Tacoma WA 98411
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TACOMA WA PERMIT NO 2
HEART FOR HOMES
Conservation wins award for study that changes state building code
Ubits is a publication for Tacoma Public Utilities employees and is provided as a courtesy to retirees. Jenae Elliott, editor cms@cityoftacoma.org • (253) 502-8754
Some research by TPU’s very own energy conservation group could make a big difference in people’s heating bills across the state. Bruce Carter and Rich Arneson of Tacoma Power’s Conservation Resources Management (CRM) team recently won the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s first Leadership in Energy Efficiency Award for Innovation. The award recognizes outstanding achievement for the use and promotion of innovative solutions that help Washington achieve more energy savings. In 2013, Bruce and Rich recommended Habitat for Humanity install ductless heat pumps in one of its new neighborhoods, so Tacoma Power could study and measure the energy savings in those homes. Bruce and Rich coordinated with other utilities, Washington State University and the Bonneville Power Administration for funding and information sharing. The study, which runs through 2017, compares energy use from two types of heating systems — electric baseboard
heaters and a combination of ductless heat pumps and baseboards. The research establishes how much electricity ductless heat pumps save in new construction homes. The preliminary study results have already led to a change in Washington’s building code that will help people with new construction homes lower their electricity use and costs. “This project is an example of what’s required for ongoing energy efficiency success,” said Steve Bicker, CRM manager. “I’m proud that our team recognized the opportunity and built the relationships to create this success.” While Bruce and Rich feel honored by the recognition from their industry peers, Bruce says the goal, and real heart of the project, was learning whether ductless heat pumps are cost effective for new construction homeowners. “This work can really make a difference in people’s lives,” Bruce said. “That impact means the most to us.”