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Moses Lake staff say water supply is strained as UGA developers seek service letters and annexation
Summary
City staff told council the water system is nearing source limits, with some wells running beyond recommended hours. Developers seeking extraterritorial service or annexation asked for water-availability letters so SEPA and plats can move ahead; council agreed to reconvene staff, engineers and developers for detailed follow-up.
City staff and outside consultants told Moses Lake City Council on Monday that the city’s water supply and long-term water-rights picture will limit growth unless the city and developers coordinate financing and timing.
Richard Law, a city presenter, opened the study-session briefing by saying, “So, water system, that’s always the, the pink elephant in the room,” and walked council through a water-system plan update submitted to the state Department of Health in late 2024. The plan projects capital needs that include PFAS treatment at well 29, a new storage tank in the Moses Point zone and distribution upgrades. The capital-improvement program in the plan totals roughly $38,000,000 through 2030.
Why it matters: City officials said the limiting factor for growth through the 2030s is the source (the aquifer and wells). Staff and consultants said several zones were being pumped at or above the Department of Health’s recommended 20 hours a day during summer peaks; in Knowles Vista and Larson zones some…
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