Community Well Update

For those who are new to the neighborhood, I moved here over 4 years ago and noticed that the water had some issues.  We had a private company to come to our house, test our water, and found that it was high in iron and manganese. The company offered a filter system that was very expensive and found that other neighbors had issues also. This started the journey with KPUD to see if a filter can be installed on the well.

I went around and asked the neighbors to sign a petition to get KPUD to test the well and see what it would cost to put a filter on the well.  I got an overwhelming response from you all and KPUD did the pilot test (KPUD paid for the test). Their test also showed iron at 0.28 ppm and manganese at 0.098 ppm

Traditionally (and currently) Manganese is a secondary contaminant, an aesthetic nuisance, not a health concern.  There is however ongoing research showing that manganese can be a health concern at higher levels.  In 2003, the EPA set a Recommended Health Advisory level of 0.3 ppm, but as of now there is no primary MCL for manganese. 

At 0.098 ppm the manganese level is high enough that it would be beneficial to remove it, but it does not require removal, so the cost of filtration would need to be borne by the homeowners.

The estimated cost of installing a filter and modifying the existing building to add the tank is $250,000.  The cost to each homeowner would be an estimated $10.00 a month or an additional $20.00 per billing cycle. This would be over a 20-year period and would show as a surcharge on your bill. Please note, the estimated cost is conservative, and we all hope that the project can be less expensive.

Maintenance to the filter once installed would be taken on by KPUD not the HOA.

After the meeting, I will once again walk around to you all to sign another petition for the filter and modification to the existing building to be completed. KPUD requires a 51% majority.

At the next HOA meeting, on April 19, several KPUD representatives will also join in to the meeting to answer any questions you might have.  It would be helpful if you would ask your questions ahead of time so we can gather them together in advance. Email questions to officers@strawberryhillhoa.org.

Thank you,

Jackie Fidecaro