Moses Lake OKs water, sewer connections

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake City Council approved requests for a water connection at the Port of Moses Lake and a sewer connection in the Larson housing area.

The first request, made last month by the port's executive director Pat Jones, asked for authorization to connect a pumping station on 22nd Avenue Northeast to the city's water system without annexing the property into Moses Lake.

The port is in the process of constructing the new pumping facility to provide fire protection to a building at the Grant County International Airport, Jones explained in a letter to council.

Moses Lake Municipal Services Director Gary Harer said the pumping station is situated within a half mile of the city limits and in the city's Urban Growth Area (UGA).

"That half mile is the magic line either requiring them to annex or to allowing them not to annex," he said.

City code requires council to determine it is impractical for a property owner to annex property before approving a request to connect.

Considering the pumping system is to be used only for fire protection, Jones stated he anticipates no monthly requirement for water and therefore requested an exemption to the city's monthly minimum water charge.

City council also approved a request made by John Poling, Executive Director of the Grant County Housing Authority, who asked permission to connect residential units to the municipal sewer system on Lowry Street without annexing the property to the city.

Last summer the Housing Authority completed a duplex demolition on Arlington Drive and subdivided the lot, Poling stated in a letter to council. A duplex on Lowry continues to exist, but sewer service is only available to the units via a connection running through the adjacent lot, he explained.

Harer said the parcel is about 400 feet from the city limits, well within the Moses Lake UGA.

As part of the connection approvals, both the port and the housing district will sign extraterritorial agreements with the city.