Residents on a fixed income welcome essential maintenance and upgrades to Mountlake Terrace infrastructure, but the question is if they can afford it.

Mountlake Terrace City Manager Jeff Niten and Public Works Director Jesse Hoffman presented an update on Mountlake Terrace’s infrastructure at the Mountlake Terrace Civic Campus and answered questions for the audience during a city-sponsored Terrace Talks event March 13.

In response to the audience’s question on price, Niten mentioned that the utility discounts offered to homeowners had recently been expanded to renters. 

Information for financial assistance with utilities can be found at www.cityofmlt.com/165/Financial-Assistance. 

The state of some infrastructure and the necessity of outsourcing critical aspects of water management — how to get fresh water and get rid of wastewater — led to the cost questions.

About 44% of Mountlake Terrace’s water pipes are between 40 and 70 years old, with a life expectancy of 50 to 100 years.

Niten said that 3.5% of the pipes were installed in the 1950s and will be the first to be replaced. About 25% were installed in the 1960s, and 14.1% were installed in the 1970s.

The decade of installation is important because of the material used. Niten explained that cities used cast iron pipes until the early 1980s.

“As the earth starts to settle on the street side of our houses, that’s when those lines break,” Niten said.

He added that although the newer flexible PVC lines are less prone to breakage, it is still possible.

In a conversation with the audience, Niten mentioned that in the 1970s, the federal government paid 60% of infrastructure costs, and now it pays about 10%.

Another aging aspect of the infrastructure is the city’s 1.8 million, 2.3 million, and 2.5 million-gallon water tanks, which Niten said “aren’t nearly as good as they used to be” and lack seismic reinforcement.

“If we had an earthquake, there is going to be an issue,” he said. 

The tanks must also be cleaned out and internally recoated regularly to ensure the water meets safety standards. Hoffman quoted the price to be roughly $200,000 after labor and consulting fees. The last quote the city received to replace one of the tanks was $5 million. 

“We have to plan all of that into our capital planning to make sure that there is no interruption in service at all,” Niten said. 

Another factor of utility prices is water costs. Niten explained that the City of Mountlake Terrace purchases its water from the Alderwood Water District, which buys its water from the City of Everett, which is supplied from the Spada Reservoir. 

The City of Mountlake Terrace does not control the prices at which the water is sold.He added that the water rates have increased 46.7% in the last 10 years. 

Mountlake Terrace wastewater treatment is handled by the City of Edmonds, with some areas being serviced by King County.

Rates are charged by an equivalent residential unit (ERU), which is equivalent to a single-family home for the more than 6,000 sewer connections in the city.

The wastewater is carried to the processing plants through 75 miles of sewer connections to properties and 83 miles of service pipes. Until the switch to PVC in 1999, cities used concrete pipes, which can develop cracks and allow rainwater to seep into the lines. 

Rainwater adds to the amount of wastewater that needs to be processed, raising the cost. Niten noted that the difference between the City of Edmonds and King County rates is significant.

“We pay the City of Edmonds $16.17 [per ERU] to treat our wastewater,” Niten said. “The same unit goes to King County, and you pay nearly $63 per unit, so there’s a huge difference between the two.” 

Niten answered an audience question about why a small portion of the wastewater goes to the King County processing plant.

The short answer is that the laws of physics and King County’s rates are cheaper than machinery.

Niten explained that using elevation to create pressure from gravity eliminates the need for a pumping system, which would require pumps, their electrical costs, maintenance and trained staff. 

However, Niten said he wanted to draw attention to one aspect of the city infrastructure: the team of workers who maintain the freshwater, stormwater and wastewater lines.

“If a water pipe breaks at 2 in the morning, and it’s 35 degrees out, these are the people who are going to be out there,” Niten said.

— By Rick Sinnett