Kittitas County Public Works told commissioners it will continue to prioritize county crews’ access to municipal fill-station water after the City of Cle Elum tightened rules for who may use the city’s water filling station.

Arden Thomas, the county’s water resources manager, said the city now restricts the station to contractors who hold active building permits and to use within identified service areas and urban growth areas. The change prompted inquiries last year from residents and contractors who previously relied on the fill station for construction, dust control and temporary domestic or fire-suppression needs.

Public Works staff told the board they have maintained access as a water customer of the Cle Elum system and are able to secure water for county operations. Extending access to county residents or developers would require capital investment, staffing and a secure location; an Upper County shop was mentioned as a possible site but is not staffed and would need infrastructure upgrades, staff said.

Staff noted an active, separate proposal by the City of Kittitas to seek roughly $171,000 through a regional funding request to install a fill station. Public Works has not identified county funding for a broader public fill-station program and recommended monitoring demand and coordinating with nearby cities, fire districts and private operators before acting.

A speaker representing a local fire district reported calls from residents who are using cisterns and commercial water and said the district could host a fueling/fill option off Highway 902; that option would be a separate local solution. No formal county action, appropriation or program design was adopted during the meeting; commissioners directed staff to continue monitoring and report back if constituent requests increase or a concrete proposal is presented.

The transcript did not quantify how many households or contractors currently lack access to needed water; staff described contacts from “a number of people” last year but said direct need is not currently documented.