Study projects growth in temporary worker housing and rising water demand; presenters outline permitting and mitigation options

Jared Bean, a hydrogeologist at Geosyntech, presented a module focused on water demand for temporary worker housing facilities and said the current facility count is "approximately 550." He estimated that occupancy could grow from about 38,000 to 61,000 and that annual water use associated with these facilities could rise from around 950 acre-feet per year to roughly 1,500 acre-feet over the next 20 years.

Bean summarized four common permitting categories for such facilities, tied to how they are classified relative to municipal water-supply definitions and groundwater-exemption rules. He identified common challenges: the same-project ambiguity from case law (Campbell and Gwinn references in the presentation), areas with limited physical supply, variable water-bank availability if mitigation is required, and the difference in permitting speed when a permanent exemption applies versus when full water-right mitigation is necessary.

The presentation outlined options to address future demand: prioritize siting where connection to public water systems is available, explore pipeless utility models that draw from municipal portfolios without physical connection, target mitigation where water banks exist, and consider statutory change to expand the permanent-exemption statute (the presenters referenced amending RCW language to include municipal facilities as qualifiers) or a legislative fix to clarify permitting for temporary worker housing.

Presenters said implementing a mix of these options could help meet projected demand if growth occurs as modeled, and recommended further coordination between state agencies, permitting authorities, and local utilities.