May 15, 2013

May 14, 2013

The May 16, 2013, Finance and Management Committee meeting has been cancelled.

May 14, 2013
Lake Tapps community, Cascade team up to promote Swimsafe; host community meeting on May 22

Contact:
Elaine Kraft, Intergovernmental and Communications Director
425.283.0364
ekraft@cascadewater.org
www.cascadewater.org

Lake Tapps WA – With temperatures rising and beaches filling up, the Lake Tapps community and Cascade Water Alliance are taking steps to help swimmers and boaters who enjoy recreation on Lake Tapps and other area waterways stay safe this summer.

“We remember all of those who died tragically over the years at Lake Tapps. Unfortunately, it is a rare occurrence for a year to go by without at least one drowning at the lake,” Pierce County Council member Dan Roach said.

City of Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson adds “We take safety issues seriously and expect improvements made at our parks will enhance safety as well as improve park users’ experiences while visiting Allan Yorke Park. Swim safe!”

The public is invited to attend a community meeting to learn more about Swimsafe programs and promotions. The meeting is sponsored by the City of Bonney Lake, Pierce County, East Pierce County Fire and Rescue, Bonney Lake Police Department, Sumner School District, Dieringer School District and Cascade Water Alliance.

Swimsafe Community Meeting
Wednesday, May 22 | 6 – 8 pm
North Tapps Middle School
20029 12th Street E. Lake Tapps, WA

These agencies have been meeting regularly to develop strategies and a community education program designed to promote water safety. “As owner of Lake Tapps, it’s an honor to work with the different agencies that serve the communities around the lake. Together, we strive to keep the Lake Tapps area clean, healthy and safe. Cascade is proud to help promote Swimsafe. We urge residents and visitors to enjoy the lake safely,” said John Marchione, Cascade board chair and City of Redmond mayor.

This summer, Bonney Lake police officers will conduct safety ramp inspections, patrol the waters, and provide a water safety course to the kids in the Sumner and Dieringer School Districts. Pierce County has dedicated a memorial to those lost on the lake. And, East Pierce County Fire and Rescue have stepped up their life jacket loaner program. Additionally, seventh grade students at North Tapps Middle School explored various measures to improve water safety on Lake Tapps this semester and came up with their own ideas for Allan Yorke Park, which they presented to Mayor Neil Johnson in April. Mayor Johnson gave the go-ahead to the students and the memorial should be up by Memorial Day.

Learn more about Swimsafe programs and promotions at a community meeting on May 22, or by visiting these websites:

City of Bonney Lake

Pierce County

East Pierce Fire and Rescue

Cascade Water Alliance

Dieringer School District

Sumner School District

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May 14, 2013
Cascade Water Alliance and Veolia Water North America Sign Innovative Sustainable Water Services Agreement

By Veolia Water North America

Editors’s note:  The below article appeared in The Sacramento Bee on May 14, 2013

Puget Sound communities to benefit from sustainable, cost-effective reservoir management and operations services to maintain quality of future water supply

CHICAGO, May 14, 2013 – /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Cascade Water Alliance (Cascade) has extended the term of its agreement with Veolia Water North America (Veolia Water) to provide improved operation, maintenance and management (OM&M) services for the White River/Lake Tapps Reservoir Project. The project will serve as a future water supply for seven municipalities in the Puget Sound region.

The public-private partnership with Veolia Water will keep the water surface of Lake Tapps Reservoir at established target elevations, will work to maintain existing infrastructure and will provide day-to-day operations of the project. By so doing, Veolia Water will help Cascade to ensure the delivery of a safe, clean, reliable water supply to the almost 350,000 residents and more than 20,000 businesses that are served by Cascade Members. The four-year contract extension was awarded to Veolia Water based on the success of a transitional operations phase during 2012.

“Although water is critical to the continued growth of society and local economies, it can also be a limiting factor,” said Shilen Patel, business development director for Veolia Water. “Veolia Water’s strategy is based around implementing sustainable models of water management. This will help ensure the long-range municipal water needs of the Central Puget Sound region.”

Over the course of the agreement, a team of water industry experts from Veolia Water will help Cascade improve customer service and operational performance levels through asset management and by conducting in-depth diagnostics of the reservoir infrastructure system, developing specific recommendations for improvement, and supporting Cascade Members in programs that are compliant, safety-focused and cost efficient.

“Growing our economies and creating jobs means ensuring an efficient, sustainable method for supplying water services,” said Patel. “We call this ‘blue growth,’ and that’s what Cascade is doing through this reservoir and its agreement with Veolia Water. We’re looking forward to working together with Cascade to continue to provide water management in line with the needs of the future.”

Cascade is a municipal corporation based in Bellevue, Wash., which provides drinking water to 350,000 residents and 20,000 businesses in the Cities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Tukwila and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts in Washington State. Cascade owns and operates Lake Tapps in eastern Pierce County, Washington for eventual drinking water supply.

Based in Chicago, Veolia Water North America is the leading provider of comprehensive water and wastewater partnership services to municipal and industrial customers, providing services to people in approximately 550 North American communities. The company also operates more large-scale water treatment facilities for North American industry than any other company – providing water management and product and resource recovery services at more than 100 industrial facilities.

The company is part of the Veolia Environnement companies in North America, with 10,000 North American employees providing sustainable environmental solutions in water management, waste services, and energy management.

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services and technological solutions. Its parent company, Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE and Paris Euronext: VIE), is the worldwide reference in environmental services. With more than 315,000 employees, Veolia Environnement recorded annual revenues of $38.8 billion in 2012. Visit the company’s Web sites at www.veolianorthamerica.com and www.veoliawaterna.com, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/veoliawaterna.

SOURCE Veolia Water North America