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Commissioners authorize August ballot measure to create West Plains Aquifer Protection Area
Summary
Spokane County voted April 14 to put a proposed West Plains Aquifer Protection Area on the August 2026 ballot; staff proposed a boundary covering about 18,000 parcels, an annual fee structure (example: $15/year for single-family homes on sewer, $30 if not connected), an estimated $400,000 in annual revenue and a 20‑year term to fund monitoring, planning and conservation.
Spokane County commissioners unanimously authorized a ballot measure April 14 to ask voters in the West Plains to approve an Aquifer Protection Area (APA) that would collect annual fees to fund monitoring, planning and water-related projects.
Ben Bradepo, a county water-resources official, outlined a plan that mirrors an existing Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie APA. He said the proposal uses voter-precinct boundaries to define the West Plains APA, excludes federal installations (Fairchild Air Force Base) because fees cannot be applied to a federal property, and currently excludes the Spokane International Airport area due to separate inclusion in the existing APA. Staff estimated the…
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