Moses Lake keeps well drilling tabled

Advisory committee may be formed

MOSES LAKE — An ordinance concerning drilling exempt wells remained tabled Tuesday night following an hour and a half study session.

The ordinance prohibits further drilling of exempt wells within city limits due to contamination issues and a diminishing water supply.

During the study session Tuesday night before the council meeting, several citizens suggested forming a committee specializing in water and well issues to advise the council. Several citizens felt council may be considering an ordinance based on opinion rather than fact.

Five citizens signed up to serve on the committee, should the council agree to create a committee.

Other citizens shared their concerns during the study session.

Moses Lake-Othello Association of Realtors President Mary Thorn said people who do not have city water available to them should be able to drill their own private well.

"It is the assumption of staff that water is within a reasonable distance," Mayor Ron Covey said.

"I know what happens when we assume," Thorn said. "They still have a right to access groundwater."

Municipal Services Director Gary Harer said all people living within in the city limits are not more than a quarter mile away from access to city water.

Several people in the crowd said it is still expensive to build out that far.

Citizen Bonnie Thompson said reports related to the need for the ordinance are not based on fact.

"This report is useless," she said.

Thompson advised private wells are not pulling from the same aquifer as the city leading to the decline in water. She said private wells are not drilled as deep.

Councilmember Bill Ecret asked if she was able to prove it because several exempt wells are not documented.

She said an exempt well could be drilled as deep as the city drills but chances are slim due to the expense and availability of shallow water. She said the information provided does not take precipitation and well demand from city customers into account.

"I would say you need more studies," Thompson said.

Citizen Steve Shinn said the aquifers used by the city have been dropping for the past 40 years according to Bureau of Reclamation studies and will continue to drop.

He said the decline is not due to private drilling. Private wells are much more shallow, Shinn said.

"I'm concerned we have a bunch of people who don't understand exempt wells," Vice Chair of the Moses Lake Planning Commission Mitchell Molitor said. "Instead of rushing into something, I'm asking you to table your decision."

Councilmember Dick Deane said the ordinance is necessary to protect the water and citizens.

"We don't want anyone contaminating our water. Period," Deane said. "I want clean water, one way or another to protect you, to protect me."

"I don't want you guys to protect me," Thorn said. "It's not your job. You're creating work for yourself and hell for everybody else."

"You can't protect people from themselves, that's not what government is for," Thompson said. "You need to use the knowledge available to you to make these decisions."