| Water planning helps keep it flowing By
Christopher Dunagan, November 17, 2004 Bremerton, WA - Kitsap County residents expect clean, fresh water when they turn on their kitchen faucet — and most people are glad to leave it to experts to make that happen. But with nearly 80 major water systems in Kitsap County and another 1,000 smaller ones, nobody should assume that conflicts won't occur over water supply or distribution, said Bill Hahn of Kitsap Public Utility District. Fortunately, he said, most water systems have been able to resolve anticipated conflicts and establish procedures to resolve future problems. An updated version of the Kitsap County Coordinated Water System Plan, now in draft form, makes minor adjustments to "service areas" defined by water systems more than a decade ago. During the latest review, a few overlapping areas were identified — such as between Bremerton and Silverdale — but it appears that disputes about serving those areas are unlikely, Hahn said. As such, they were declared areas of "uncontested overlap." When new development is proposed in overlapping areas, water managers have agreed that the closest water mains will generally serve those areas, Hahn said. If there is a dispute, the plan lays out a process to resolve the conflict with the help of the Kitsap County Health District. A public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Silverdale Water District Headquarters will provide an overview of the revised plan and allow for public comments. The headquarters is at 5300 NW Newberry Hill Road. For information, check the KPUD's Web site, www.kpud.org. As outlined in the plan, cooperation among water systems is as important as conflict resolution. The plan identifies existing water mains used to "intertie" one system with another — such as North Perry with Bremerton. The plan encourages further connections where feasible. "Some systems have a good bit of water available, and we would expect interties where easy connections can be made," Hahn said. "Eventually, we anticipate trying to develop a regional water-transmission system." With growth targeted to the Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard region, it seems reasonable to pipe groundwater out of rural areas to the west to serve the growing needs of urban areas, he said. The updated plan eliminates further consideration of the concept of bringing water from rivers on the Olympic Peninsula, where reserved water rights were extinguished for Kitsap County. Future water supplies on the Kitsap Peninsula will need to come from groundwater, although conservation can stretch the supply, according to the plan. The larger water systems in Kitsap County are unified in their efforts to increase conservation through education and other programs, such as rebates for low-water appliances. Over the long term, Kitsap County might need to purify seawater to provide for its growing population, Hahn said. Reach Christopher Dunagan at (360) 792-9207 or at cdunagan@kitsapsun.com.
What: Public meeting about Kitsap County Coordinated Water System Plan When: 7 p.m. Thursday Where: Silverdale Water District headquarters, 5300 NW Newberry Hill Road Info: Check Kitsap Public Utility District Web site, www.kpud.org
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