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 quantity.

Caitlin Scott, water protector with the nonprofit Spokane Riverkeeper, described the aquifer’s connection to surface water: “The aquifer is a sole source aquifer meaning it is the only source of water that comes into our river and into our drinking water,” she said, adding that aquifer-fed cold water is important for native trout and for limiting algal growth during hot periods.

Officials described three broad categories of expenses covered by the aquifer protection funds: long-term water-quality and groundwater monitoring and data sharing; education and outreach (including school programs and a water-resource learning center); and city-level projects such as stormwater infrastructure that prevent polluted runoff from reaching groundwater. Bridal said the county uses the funds to produce an aquifer atlas and to work with local water purveyors, the Washington State Department of Ecology and Idaho partners on monitoring.

Commissioners and the interview guests traced the program’s history: voters first approved the aquifer funding measure in 1984, the county used the funds to move away from septic systems and toward centralized sewer in many areas, and a septic-elimination phase was largely completed around 2010. The measure was renewed previously and, if voters approve Measure 1 this year, would be renewed again for 20 years at the same rate.

Not every Spokane County voter will see Measure 1 on their ballot; the fee applies only to properties inside the defined Aquifer Protection Area boundary. Bridal said participating jurisdictions in the upcoming vote include the City of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Millwood and Liberty Lake, plus unincorporated areas that overlie the aquifer. He directed voters to spokanecounty.org/apa-renewal for maps and details on how the fee would appear on a property-tax statement.

Supporters on the program emphasize monitoring and education as prevention tools. Scott said, “We’re not going to know if there’s a problem if we’re not looking for it and keeping an eye out,” and described joint sampling and outreach at community events and in school programs. County staff said the program has reached thousands of students; Bridal estimated about 60,000 students have participated in educational programming since roughly 2010.

What voters will decide on Aug. 5 is whether to continue the existing funding mechanism at the existing rate. The interview did not include a formal recorded roll-call vote of the Board of County Commissioners; Waldrath described the board as having “agreed to place the renewal” on the ballot. Details about parcel-specific billing, meter-size calculations for some nonresidential customers and exemptions for vacant parcels are available on the county webpage.

If approved, the renewal would keep the existing fee levels and preserve the county’s current monitoring, education and local stormwater-investment programs for the aquifer and the Spokane River.

Ending: County officials encouraged residents inside the Aquifer Protection Area to review the maps and FAQ at spokanecounty.org/apa-renewal before voting.