Skookum Ranch: Notice of Interruption of Water Service

On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Washington Water Service will be performing a flush of the well and all pump house plumbing with chlorinated water. This will require that we depressurize the water system, resulting in a temporary outage to all homes served by the water system. This is being done as a precautionary measure, after coliform bacteria was found in samples collected from the well and distribution system. Although this incident was not an emergency, as a customer of the water system, you have a right to know what happened and what we did or are doing to correct the situation.

Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment, harmless to the general population and are used as an indicator that other potentially harmful bacteria may be present. The presence of coliform bacteria is a warning of potential problems because pathogens (organisms which can cause disease) may also enter the system via the same route as the coliform bacteria. The presence of coliforms usually means that soil or vegetation has entered the system. Any sample that shows the presence of coliforms is further tested to see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E. coli are present. As none of these bacteria were found, your water was – and continues to be – safe to drink. You do NOT need to boil your water. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants and some elderly may be at an increased risk and may want to contact their health care provider for additional guidance.

Our staff will begin shutting the water system down at 9:00 a.m. and water service is expected to be completely restored by 4:00 p.m. that same day. Once the work is completed, the system will be flushed, and follow-up bacteriological samples will be collected.

In advance of the work being done, you may wish to fill a few sanitary containers and pitchers with water for drinking purposes. Filling a bucket or your bathtub with water can be useful for household purposes such as toilet flushing. Bottled water for drinking/cooking is also being delivered with this notice.

After this work has been completed and water service has been restored to your home, but before using water inside, please run your outside hose bib until the water is clear. This is to prevent any discolored water from entering your faucets and fixtures and to evacuate air from your service line.

If you choose to purchase bottled water during this advisory, you may submit your receipt for reimbursement and a credit will be applied to your account. Please mail your receipt to our office at PO Box 336, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Be sure to include your account number and address on the receipt.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Protecting your health and safety is our highest priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call our Customer Service Center. We can be reached toll free at (877) 408-4060 or by email at [email protected].