Wifi Through the Sewers in Anacortes

The city of Anacortes, WA, is making news by running part of its new fiber optic cable network through its water system.

Brown and Caldwell’s Water News for September 25, 2019, links to a report by KUOW News: “Wifi wires will run through water pipes in northern Washington town.” This “first in North America” system, according to Fred Buckenmeyer, Director of Public Works for Anacortes, has already connected Anacortes with neighboring city, Mt. Vernon.

Richard Walker, of goanacortes.com, writes: “installation of the first fiber optic cable began April 8, using a method commonly used in Europe … using conduit installed in active water lines.” According to KUOW’s report, the internet tube is encased in the same plastic as the water pipe.

Buckenmeyer continues, “Like having a water pipe inside a water pipe. No chance of contamination or anything like that.”

It is also being touted as a way to reduce costs such as eliminating the need to dig under Washington State’s Skagit River, the Swinomish Slough and “15 miles of farms, wetlands, streets and sidewalks along the way.”

Jacqueline Allison, also of goanacortes.com, writes that this is intended to provide a fiber optic telemetry enabling communication between fire stations, water stations and other city facilities.

The city will sell the unused broadband capacity to consumers as part of a municipal wifi network. Interest in connecting to this growing network has already been expressed by Island Hospital in Anacortes, and Western Washington University in Bellingham, among others. The city is hoping to entice customers from commercial internet providers. According to project manager Jim Lemberg, if they can capture a third of the commercial market, the project will “pay for itself in 15 years.”

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