The Highline Water District and other water districts in addition to Southwest Suburban and Midway Sewer Districts should be commended for their buried supply systems.

Like all our neighbors, the buried water, sewer and gas services were not interrupted during the five days we lacked power and telephone service. We burnt everything in sight to keep warm and slept in so many blankets that we know how a hamburger feels.

FIRST, some of the problems faced by residents were due to long-term inexcusable system neglect on the part of PSE management. Water, sewer, drain and gas lines are buried.

As a former Highline Water Commissioner, we regularly removed and replaced water lines, meters and so forth when they exceeded their 25 to 50 year life expectancy. As you are aware, this kind of work requires heavy construction. By contrast, the majority of local power and telephone lines can be buried with a simple trenching tool.

SECOND, trees serve decorative and environmental air-cleaning purposes. However, height and rot standards should be established to keep overgrown trees from endangering power lines and neighbors.

Based on news reports, 14 people died in this storm, directly or indirectly due to falling trees. Sixty mph gusts are not hurricane standards. Reasonably maintained ornamental trees should have taken those gusts. This is not Florida!

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE: Much of the cost of storm damage, insurance, generators, emergency supplies, loss of income and on, could have been avoided if PSE and telephone utilities had buried or at least properly protected their equipment before the storm.

Perhaps the utility taxes collected by the cities could be earmarked for line burial and tree control.

The cities should request that the Washington Utilities Commission refuse any storm damage rate adjustments to force certain CEOs to take positive corrective steps to justify their jobs!

Much of the storms damage and public hardship were due to pure system neglect!

Dan Caldwell

Des Moines