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City outlines pilot for aquifer storage and recovery after $500,000 Ecology grant; hopes to increase water right
Summary
Public works staff described a planned pilot test for an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project funded in part by a $500,000 Department of Ecology grant. The pilot will test how much water the local aquifer can accept and whether the city can obtain an increased water right.
City staff described plans for a pilot study to test aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) after receiving a $500,000 stream‑flow restoration grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Staff said the pilot would be performed in a shoulder season (not summer) to avoid conflicts with spring and summer pumping and would include a period of forced injection followed by aggressive pumping to observe how the aquifer responds. “We got a half a million dollar grant from the Department of Ecology to do this study,” the presenter said.
The staff presentation described a detailed hydrogeologic model that draws on historical data and additional recent testing. The model predicts substantial storage capacity in the aquifer and a gradual rise in water levels during repeated injection cycles until a point where leakage balances inputs. Staff said the pilot will measure how much water the aquifer accepts, how fast it moves through the aquifer, where the water goes, and how surrounding wells respond.
Staff noted that Ecology and other agencies are watching the project because municipal water rights are scarce on the Western side of the state. The presenter said a successful ASR program could support the city’s request for an increase in its water right—staff cited an illustrative target of about 400 acre‑feet—while also providing streamflow benefits for the broader watershed. The project’s data, staff said, could help the region plan for increased permit‑exempt well use anticipated under regional growth forecasts.
The presentation emphasized both opportunity and scrutiny. Staff said Ecology and other agencies have shown strong interest; that attention has added review time; and that any reservoir permit application to Ecology following the pilot could carry conditions.
Next steps: staff said they will finalize the pilot‑test plans, coordinate timing with seasonal pumping constraints, and submit follow‑up permit applications and modeling calibrations to Ecology. No formal council action was taken at this meeting.
