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Mayor directs developers to provide additional culinary water as council backs memorandum
Summary
Engineering staff warned the council that new subdivisions could push Preston to the limit of its culinary water capacity. The mayor issued a memorandum requiring developers of large subdivisions to provide additional culinary water (water rights or wells) as a condition of approval; the council voted to support that directive.
City planning and engineering staff presented a water-model update and recommended immediate steps to protect the city's culinary supply. Sean Alverson reviewed the Keller Associates analysis and a follow-up memorandum from the mayor that stated, in part, "the developer be required to find additional culinary water sources such as a deep well as a condition of approval." City engineers told the council that even when secondary (non-culinary) irrigation systems are provided, the municipal system is approaching reliable capacity in the forecasted buildout.
The mayor instructed staff to begin informing new subdivision applicants that culinary water rights or equivalent capacity will be required for larger developments; several council members supported the memorandum and asked staff to bring strengthened code language to capture PUDs and other non-subdivision development types. Staff explained that the existing code section (16.10.010) already allows requirements in certain subdivisions and that proposed code updates would extend that authority and add specifics about when water rights or off-site improvements are needed. Council voted to support the mayor's memorandum and directed staff to proceed with administrative notice to applicants and future code amendments.
