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Island County approves Race Lagoon and Sandburg water franchises; commissioners press for clearer maintenance standards
Summary
The board approved two 10-year water franchise agreements on June 10 — Race Lagoon Water Association (60 connections, capacity 65) and Sandburg Water Association (24 connections, capacity 36). Commissioners discussed adding measurable maintenance requirements and encouraging consolidation of small systems to improve resiliency.
The Island County Board of Commissioners on June 10 approved franchise agreements for two small water systems: Race Lagoon Water Association and Sandburg Water Association. Both approvals grant 10‑year franchises with a 10‑year extension option.
Assistant county engineer Matthew Lander presented both items. He said Race Lagoon’s system currently serves 60 connections and has capacity for up to 65; the franchise is listed as PW2024‑0166. Sandburg’s franchise (PW2024‑0168) covers a system with 24 existing connections and capacity for up to 36 parcels; Lander said parts of Sandburg’s infrastructure date to an application that started in 1982 but was not finalized.
Commissioners raised operational and resiliency concerns during deliberations. One commissioner asked whether the county has any mechanism to verify routine maintenance and leak detection on small, privately operated water systems; Lander said the franchise template currently includes general expectations for maintenance and operations but does not require itemized, measurable reporting such as pressure-testing or leakage-rate documentation. Lander told the board such specific reporting could be added to future franchise templates or addressed at the time of optional franchise extension reviews.
The board also discussed a recurring policy goal: encouraging small “class B” water systems to consolidate into larger systems. A commissioner noted that class B systems (those with fewer connections) are not always subject to the same state reporting and infrastructure standards that apply to larger systems and said consolidation can improve reliability and regulatory compliance.
Both motions to approve the two franchise items were made and seconded and were adopted by the commissioners present. Meeting minutes show the board approved PW2024‑0166 for Race Lagoon and PW2024‑0168 for Sandburg; the transcript records no public protest or objections during the public-comment periods for either franchise.
Commissioners and staff said they will consider updating the county’s franchise application template and the utilities element of the comprehensive plan to include clearer, measurable expectations for maintenance, reporting and system resilience as part of longer-term planning work.
