Corrects when the new water system went online.

PORT ANGELES — Residents of the upper Fairview Water District can water their lawns, gardens and crops again after five days of testing proved their new water delivery system is working as planned.

On Monday, the three-member Clallam County Public Utility District voted unanimously to immediately lower Level 4 water restrictions on upper Fairview customers, which prevented any outdoor water use, to Level 3 water restrictions, which allows outdoor watering every other day.

Commissioners Ted Simpson and Hugh Haffner were present at Monday’s meeting. Commissioner Will Purser participated by telephone.

Their vote was met with enthusiastic applause from about 20 residents who attended the meeting.

Residents with odd-numbered addresses can water on odd-numbered dates, while residents with even-numbered addresses can water on even-numbered dates, said Doug Nass, the PUD’s general manager.

Washing vehicles will not be allowed.

“We are all in drought. Everyone should conserve as much as we can,” Nass said.

Shut down

The upper Fairview water treatment plant was been shut down since last Wednesday, and no water has been removed from Morse Creek since then.

Outdoor water use has been banned for 566 upper Fairview customers since June 10.

The Stage 4 restrictions were imposed by the state Department of Ecology and were based on the rapidly falling Morse Creek, which, until mid-June when wells began servicing the lower district, was the primary water supply for about 1,300 customers in the district.

After the wells were operational, only the 566 customers remained on the creek water.

On July 1, Ecology informed the PUD that it must find another source of water for those customers during low creek flows by Aug. 1.

When the creek’s flow slows to 25 cfs, the district can no longer draw water from the water diversion above Morse Creek Falls to protect fish, the state says.

Water diversion

As per an agreement with Ecology that allowed continued use of the creek until the pump system came online, the PUD diverted about 100 gallons per minute from the stream in the upper creek and added about 200 gallons per minute of well water into the lower reaches of the creek.

Three pumps were installed to reverse flow that once brought water from the upper creek to the lower Fairview customers.

Currently, the pumps are installed in the open along roadsides, but the PUD is working with the county to determine what kind of fencing or other barriers can be installed to protect the pumps and exposed piping from cars or vandalism, Nass said.

The water is pumped from the new wells to the Deer Park Reservoir, and through three newly installed pumps to the 300,000 gallon Township Line Reservoir to serve customers in the upper district.

When winter rains begin and creek flow increases, it will again be the primary water source, due to the expense of pumping water uphill, Nass said.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.