Engineering:
The foundation of efficient and economical operation of a water system is good design. No matter the quality of the installation, either in terms of equipment or workmanship, a poor design will be the cause of headaches and expense for the life of the system.

In the years of managing water systems, NWS has a great deal of experience with good designs, and some that are not so good. In terms of concept and execution, we know what works well and what does not.

Our design and engineering staff is not only experienced in designing water systems, they also have experience operating and managing systems. No ivory towers here, we provide plans that ensure ease of construction with efficient and economical operation.

Engineering and Design Services
System Analysis

New Construction

Waivers

Upgrades and Expansion

Water Treatment

Water System Plan

Group B

Small Water System Management Programs

New Construction
We are able to assist you with the entire construction process from permits to the final Completion of Construction documents.  Water systems under 1,000 connections are governed by a different set of regulations than larger systems.  We specialize in these smaller systems and are therefore able to develop designs that will run trouble free for years without being over built, wasting time, materials, and financial resources.

Upgrades and Expansion
At least half of our engineering work is related to upgrading and expanding current water systems.  It is essential to understand the history of water systems in order to ensure the new components are compatible with the existing equipment.  Any upgrades and expansions should look to future demands on the water system.  We believe in helping our clients choose the most efficient and cost effective alternatives within the scale and scope of the upgrades to their water system.

Water System Plan
Water System Plans (WSP) are required for all new or expanding Group A Water Systems and must be updated every six years.  We have experience in generating new as well as updating existing Water System Plans.  Most engineering firms write a WSP to meet the minimum Department of Health requirements.  Because the Washington State Department of Health mandated WSP can be a bit cumbersome and difficult to use we provide a quick reference summary with every WSP at no additional cost.  This summary provides our clients with the "nuts and bolts" information needed to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the water system.  Our goal is to create a document that meets all WSDOH requirements AND is a useful tool that is actually worth taking off the shelf.

Small Water System Management Program
For new non-community water systems, as well as small (<1000) non expanding water systems, a Small Water System Management Program (SWSMP) can be developed in place of a WSP.  A SWSMP is much smaller in scope and scale when compared to a WSP.  We always recommend that systems pursue a SWSMP rather than a WSP whenever possible.  The SWSMP need not be completed by an engineer; therefore, we are able to either work with you in understanding, researching, and completing various portions of your own SWSMP, or provide you with a finished product.

Waivers

Nearly all of the rules and regulations have provisions for exceptions to be made if "engineering justification" can be supplied.  Most of the DOH rules are somewhat arbitrary, blanket regulations which may or may not apply to a specific situation.  Examples of common waivers with which we assist our clients are related to the 100-foot Sanitary Control Area around the well, issues surrounding water treatment, the amount of storage needed and the number of connections a system is allowed.

Water Treatment
Again, our experience managing water systems has provided us with the opportunity to see a wide range of treatment systems, which operate with varying degrees of success.  Most impurities in water requiring removal can be treated with at least three entirely different methods.  Our goal is to work with you to help you choose the treatment method that will best serve your needs.  We are able to assist you in the treatment of any of the following:

              Iron

              Manganese

              Arsenic

              Hardness

              Disinfection

              Hydrogen Sulfide

              Corrosion Control

              Bad Taste

              Odors

              Tannins

              Others . . .

All water can be treated; however, every situation is different.  What works on one water system may fail on another.  We believe in being up front and honest when it comes to water treatment.  We can run pilot plants and do extensive water quality testing, but we cannot and will not guarantee that a treatment plant will work perfectly.  We believe that any engineering firm that makes this claim is not being realistic.  We are proud of the fact that as of yet we have had no treatment plant failures (other than expected maintenance) on those systems for which we did the design.

Group B Designs
We typically complete between three and four Group B water system designs or modifications to a current Group B system every month.  We typically charge a flat fee of $2000 for a Group B design.  We believe that our Group B designs are among the best and most professional designs available.  Especially with these smaller systems we believe in simple, workable designs.  There is nothing more painful than to go into the pumphouse of a small water system and see a $100,000 Hummer when a $25,000 pickup is what the system really needed.

To B or not to B

A typical Group B water system costs $20,000 - $30,000 to construct.  Obtaining all the necessary information to generate a Group B workbook can require a couple weeks.  Once we have all the information, we can usually complete a Group B design within one to two weeks.  County review of the design requires as little as one month, but can take longer (sometimes a lot longer, depending on where the design is located.  Most of those who build a Group B water system turn over ownership to the homeowners after the system has been completed.  It is generally less expensive, but more hassle to develop a Group B water system.

Can I get more than six connections without a water right?

Yes!  All wells in the state of Washington have an automatic water right to withdraw 5,000 gpd.  Usually, the DOH concludes that this is sufficient to supply six houses.  There are two primary methods of obtaining more than six connections to a water system without a water right:  1)  Build five to six houses and take meter readings for one year.  From these meter readings we can then estimate the usage per house and extrapolate the actual number of connections the system can support at 5,000 gpd.  2)  Complete a design which will ensure low water use, including restrictive covenants prohibiting in-ground sprinkler systems for lawns, a landscape design using drip irrigation and drought tolerant plants, limiting the number of hose bibs per residence to one, etc.  There is a potential for as many as 14 connections on an expanding group B system.  However, if you are building $500,000 homes on 2.5 acre lots on Bainbridge Island . . . just be thankful that you can get six.

System Analysis
We are able to complete and analysis and develop a report encompassing all or part of your water system.  One of the systems we manage hired us to look the system over when customers began complaining of low water pressure.  We found undersized and improperly plumbed piping in the pumphouse surrounding the booster pumps.  About $100 worth of changes to the piping resulted not only in fixing the pressure problems, but also began saving the system $70/month on their electrical bill. 

Typical analysis reports include:

• Condition of System Components
• Capacity Analysis
• Excessive Head Loss (pressure losses)
• How to Reduce Emergency Repairs and Prepare for the Future
• Feasability Study
• Analysis of Alternatives

Our goal in all of our reports is to find realistic ways in which the system can provide better water service and improve their financial condition. All of our reports include real answers and concrete recomendations. We do not believe in expensive studies that do not say anything and are filled with exceptions and qualifiers. If we write a report, you will get the answers you need!