Mason County adopts water-leak credit policy, limits credits and allows exception process

Mason County commissioners approved a resolution June 24 adopting a water-leak credit policy for the Public Works Utility and Waste Management system that allows utility customers to seek credits under defined circumstances while protecting public funds.

Commissioners praised Public Works staff for drafting the policy. "This gives the ability for us to write off if there's a big event... it also gives the ability they can do once every 3 years, but if it's a special exception, something really big happens, we have the ability to bring it to the commission for another separate look at it," a commissioner said while supporting the policy.

Loretta Swanson, Public Works and Utilities and Waste Management, thanked the county prosecutor for reviewing the policy and emphasized the county's fiduciary responsibilities: "We also need to make sure that we aren't gifting public funds and giving away free water," Swanson said, noting the policy balances fairness to ratepayers with stewardship of public resources.

The resolution was on the board's action agenda and approved as part of the motion adopting the action items; commissioners recorded the passage by voice vote. County staff said the policy formalizes procedures staff previously used informally and provides an exception pathway for unusually large losses that may require commission review.

Commissioners asked staff to share the policy across departments and thanked public-works employees for their work drafting the rule.