Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sequim presents water-system plan, says existing rights and modeling support '30-plus years' supply; council asks for more public materials
Summary
City staff presented a water-system overview saying certificated water rights and modeling indicate about 30-plus years of supply under current growth projections, described an upcoming deep-well project and reclaimed-water discussion, and proposed a multi-agency task force and a public white paper; council requested community forums and more public-facing documentation.
Paul Busich, the city's water-system presenter, told councilors the city's certificated water rights and existing modeling indicate about 30-plus years of water availability under current growth and usage patterns, though he acknowledged uncertainty without broader monitoring wells and a regional model update.
Busich said the city will bid a deep-well contract by the end of the month and expects that project to allow drawing from the deep aquifer in about six to nine months. He urged a long-term, collaborative approach: "This is not a sprint... it's a marathon," he said, recommending regional coordination with the PUD, Department of Ecology, Fish & Wildlife and other stakeholders to update modeling and plan mitigation. (Paul Busich)
Staff also recommended exploring reclaimed-water uses to offset potable supply needs and said the city is forming an executive water task force with subcommittees to address surface, groundwater and reclaimed-water issues. Council members and staff agreed to produce an executive white paper and consider community forums to share findings; several councilors urged posting federal/state resources and modeling assumptions in the next packet.
Questions from the public and council focused on local versus regional aquifer impacts, monitoring private wells, and how reclaimed water might be allocated. Busich emphasized model limitations, the need for funding partners for a regional model update, and that ecology has agreed in principle that a model refresh is worth consideration but that it will be expensive and multi-year.
Next steps: staff will pursue an updated technical model in coordination with partners, produce a white paper for public distribution, and consider a community forum once the updated resources are available.
