Walla Walla water supply secure amid nearby Paradise Fire, officials tell city council

WALLA WALLA — City water officials assured the Walla Walla City Council during Monday’s work session that the local drinking water supply remains fully secure despite the active Paradise Fire threatening the Mill Creek Watershed.

Public Works Director Ki Bealey and Water Operations Manager Adrian Sutor briefed council members on operations following the Aug. 19 evacuation of watershed staff. Fire lines are being held roughly half a mile from the city intake facility, where automated sprinklers and backup generators continue to safeguard infrastructure.

Bealey informed councilmembers the city intake facility is relying on a decade’s old generator.

“We have some concerns about that generator, it’s 37 years old,” Bealey added. “That’s what we’re relying on, so far, so good, but we did secure a backup.”

City wells currently supplement surface water to maintain the daily 14-million-gallon demand, supplying roughly 4 million gallons alongside 10 million gallons pulled from Mill Creek. Officials emphasized that the city holds robust, decades-old water rights across six active deep wells, complemented by a long-running aquifer storage and recovery program.

“For basic life support for water, we’ve got that three times over just in the well field,” Sutor told council members, confirming the city’s ability to cover culinary needs if surface water is shut down.

City employees are coordinating with state, federal, and academic partners — including the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Idaho — to prepare for post-fire impacts such as potential flooding, erosion, and ash runoff once fire suppression ends.

File photo of city intake facility located in the Mill Creek Watershed

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Elkhorn Media Group