Drafter
Clerk 09/19//2002
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AN ORDINANCE approving the Sallal Water Association 2001 Comprehensive Water System Plan.
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PREAMBLE:
K.C.C. chapter 13.24 requires approval of comprehensive plans for water utilities as a prerequisite for granting right-of-way franchises and approval of right-of-way construction permits.
The Sallal Water Association is located east of the city of North Bend and currently provides retail and wholesale water service to approximately five thousand people; about ten thousand people are projected to be retail or wholesale customers when the service area is fully developed under existing zoning. The association's only wholesale customer is the Wilderness Rim development. The service area is largely rural, although some of the city of North Bend's urban growth area is also served.
The association's water rights for its three wells are not sufficient to support all of the growth projected to occur in the future assuming existing patterns of water use. Of concern is the total annual quantity of water allowed to be withdrawn under the rights. This quantity will likely be reached in approximately 2005. The association will need to acquire additional water rights or additional sources of supply to meet future demand or else go into moratorium.
To address the water rights problem, the association is pursuing several additional supply options, including additional ground water rights, connection to the city of Seattle's Cedar river source at the Masonry pool, and development of and connection to other potential supplies.
The Sallal Water Association provides water service to portions of unincorporated King County. Under K.C.C. chapter 13.24, the county may require an update plan or documentation whenever conditions for water availability have changed significantly within a water utility service area. K.C.C. chapter 13.24 further requires that water utilities promptly notify King County of any significant changes affecting service provision.
The association has done an exemplary job of designing and implementing a rate structure to encourage water conservation. The association's water rates for high-volume users are among the highest in the county and send a clear price signal to customers engaged in excessive irrigation, while remaining very affordable for those practicing conservation.
The plan contains a capital improvement program valued at approximately two million dollars and includes the costs of an additional water source, water treatment, and distribution system improvements.
The King County utilities technical review committee (UTRC) reviewed and conditionally approved the plan on March 13, 2002. The conditions of approval, technical changes to the plan, are reflected in the plan version attached to this ordinance. The UTRC recommends that the council approve the plan.
A determination of nonsignificance for the plan was adopted on May 17, 2002, in accordance with the state Environmental Policy Act. The association intends to adopt the plan after county and state approval.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The Sallal Water Association 2001 Comprehensive Water System Plan, Attachment A to this ordinance, is hereby approved, so long as the Sallal Water Association updates the utilities technical review committee by the end of September
2003 on the status of efforts to secure new water rights and supplies to meet growth projected in the adopted King County Comprehensive Plan.
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