Roger Schnabel of Northern Timber Corp. says he might be able to supply the City of Haines with a new water source.
Schnabel said that he will test water from his property at 4.5 Mile Haines Highway within the next few weeks, as well as estimate the cost of delivering the water from a high pressure line directly to the city’s pipes. “I don’t know whether that’s going to fizzle out or not,” he said. “(but) I want to leave the door open for us.”
The water, provided by gravity, comes off the mountain behind the property.
Mayor Greg Combs encouraged Schnabel to come forward with more information, when it’s available.
“We are always interested in investigating additional water sources for the city, provided that the water meets water-quality specifications and can be delivered to city water customers in a cost-effective manner,” Combs wrote to Schnabel.
A year ago, the city council identified a need to replace Lily Lake as its water source. A request for proposals was issued, and businessman John Floreske, Jr. responded with a plan for drilling wells at 1.5 Mile Haines Highway.
The council put Floreske’s proposal on the back burner, though, when it learned he hoped to establish a new water utility west of city limits by having the Alaska Public Utilities Commission decertify the city service area around Piedad and Comstock roads.
Floreske’s complaint to the APUC says the city “abandoned” the water-and-sewer service area through a requirement that any main extensions be accompanied by an annexation petition. City officials say Floreske is just trying to steal about 30 non-city residents who currently receive city water from the Piedad spring.
The commission’s decision has been made and a draft order written, but the decision will not be announced until the draft is reviewed, said APUC spokeswoman Agnes Giles. That could be this week or next, said Giles.