Port of Walla Walla explores new water treatment options
By Griffin Beach on Friday, July 25th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Options for upgrading the Burbank business park’s water treatment system were presented to the Port of Walla Walla Commissioners at their meeting Thursday. The current treatment system has a projected life span of 20 years, and it was constructed in 2009.
John Wells, with the engineering firm Anderson Perry of Walla Walla, said the age of the equipment means that it’s harder to find replacement parts. Although he did mention that despite the age of the equipment, the resin that’s used in the treatment process has tested good meaning the actual treatment portion of the process is still working well.
Port Executive Director Patrick Reay pointed out that the system is housed in a Conex shipping container that’s beginning to show rust, and that the computer software the system uses is out of date.
“We’re on eBay trying to find computers with (Windows) XP,” said Reay
The first option would be to retain the existing system while increasing maintenance on it, which would be the least costly of the alternatives. While it would require no major upgrades there would be increased costs in maintenance and repairs. Certain components in this option would still need to be replaced, including a new enclosure replacing the Conex, and updating software components.
Options two and three would be for the installation of new treatment systems.
The fourth option would be for the Port to acquire a water right and drill to a deep basalt aquifer, which would include costs to access the aquifer and obtain the water right. It would take time to acquire that right. The deeper aquifer contains very low levels of nitrates and arsenic and blending that water with water from the current wells would lower levels of those contaminants to acceptable levels.
Although Anderson Perry’s report ended with a recommended alternative of obtaining the water right and drilling for the deeper well, Reay did mention this was simply a draft report and that it was still very early in this process. “There’s a lot more review and analysis,” said Reay.
