Spokane County places Measure 1 on Aug. 5 ballot to renew aquifer protection at $15 a year

County Commissioner Amber Waldrath said the Spokane County Board of Commissioners agreed to place a 20-year renewal of the Aquifer Protection Area (Measure 1) on the Aug. 5, 2025, primary election ballot.

The renewal would keep the current fee structure — $15 per year for typical single-family properties, and an additional $15 per year for properties that use septic systems (a $30 maximum) — and would continue funding monitoring, education and eligible stormwater infrastructure projects intended to protect the Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer and the Spokane River.

The measure matters because the Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer supplies groundwater that feeds the Spokane River and provides drinking water for large parts of the county. Spokane County Environmental Services Administrator Ben Bridal said the aquifer “is able to be pumped and a lot of water come out and then be used on the surface” for household and business uses, and that ongoing monitoring helps track changes in water quality and…