Moses Lake restricts drilling exempt wells
City can regulate wells in Urban Growth Area
MOSES LAKE — With a 5-1 vote, the Moses Lake City Council prohibited drilling exempt wells within Moses Lake city limits.
The city will regulate exempt wells in the Urban Growth Area, according to the ordinance.
An exempt well does not need a water right to draw groundwater.
Council approved the ordinance during their Tuesday night council meeting.
Council found the regulation necessary to protect the city's water, City Attorney Jim Whitaker said. The city noticed a one to two-foot water level drop in municipal wells, possibly due to the use of exempt wells pulling from the same water source.
One way for land owners and developers to obtain permission to drill a water well within the city and the Urban Growth Area, is they must obtain a waiver from the city. Without a waiver, they must connect to the city water system.
With the new ordinance, the city does not have to grant a waiver to developers who wish to create a group A water system, according to the ordinance. A group A water system is a single system serving multiple people with permission from the Department of Ecology, Whitaker said.
Another option to obtain water was discussed and involves obtaining a bond, but city officials had trouble describing the process, which involves an unnamed county agency.
Councilmember James Liebrecht voted no for the ordinance because he did not think there was enough information provided. There should have been more discussion on the issue due to the magnitude of the ordinance, he said.
He felt the ordinance was confusing and did not make sense to citizens.
He said it could cost thousands of dollars for a developer to hook up to the city water system if they are far enough into the Urban Growth Area.
The ordinance is not applicable to lawful wells drilled before the ordinance was approved.
To view the ordinance visit, www.ci.moses-lake.wa.us/index.php?page_id=206, select the June 12 council agenda and select page 93 of the agenda.