10/09/2007: "County Willing To Help Eastsound On Water & Sewer"

According to the County, Septic systems in Eastsound that are “properly designed” will “not degrade the aquifer and they provide a source of aquifer recharge.” The operative word in that quote from a County press release is “properly”, and that has been a cause for concern by some in the Eastsound Water and Sewer District (EWSD) on Orcas.

In September of 2002 the Western Washington Growth Board (Board) heard an appeal on aspects of the Eastsound UGA (Urban Growth Area), and ruled that the Eastsound UGA “failed to comply with the GMA (Growth Management Act),” because, in part, the UGA had “inadequate sewer capital facilities plan including inventory, projected needs, and financing”

The other real problem was the boundaries of the UGA. The EWSD wanted to extend sewer lines outside of the UGA boundaries to serve areas it currently serves, but the Board said that cannot be done unless it can be shown that it meets the requirements of the GMA.

But if the areas are not to be served by the sewer system, then they will be served by on-site septic systems. Septic systems have a history of failing over time, and the concern is that if they fail, they may impact the aquifer that Eastsound depends on for their water supply.

“Right now, the quality of well water in Eastsound more than meets State drinking water standards,” County Health director John Manning said. To address the concerns that this may change in the future, the County has offered to do “additional water quality monitoring, a grant of up to 20 thousand dollars to help the district prepare its state-required sewer plan, and a willingness to look at a code change to improve the process of declaring a health problem.”

The ability for the County to declare a health problem may be the first step toward convincing the State to declare a public health emergency. Such a declaration would allow the extension of sewer lines outside of the UGA; or at least to those areas defined in the declaration.

This would help to solve an existing problem, but would not allow new hook-ups for proposed homes.
“We respect the District’s position on this matter and agree that the safety and quality of Eastsound’s drinking water is of paramount concern,” said San Juan County Planning Director Ron Henrickson. “The stakes here are high; the county cannot come into compliance with the Growth Management Act (GMA) unless we reach an accord with the sewer district.”

So what happens if the County does not come into compliance? According to Hendrickson, the State could demand the County not issue anymore building permits in Eastsound. But this then means those who cannot build in the Eastsound UGA, which everyone seems to agree is better than building in the rural areas, would have the choice of not building at all, or building in the rural areas; and use an on-site septic system to serve the homes. “The GMA regulations are intended to discourage higher density outside of Urban Growth Boundaries and to ensure that adequate service is provided within them,” said Henrickson.

The County maintains that if their agreement is accepted by the Eastsound folks, it would “move the county one step closer to compliance with the Growth Management Act” The Board gave the County and Eastsound Sewer & Water District 120 days to reach a service agreement. A progress report is required to be submitted by the end of October.