December 17, 2014

Whatcom County Coordinated Water System Plan Update

WRIA 1 Planning Unit

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Jim Bucknell

RH2 Engineering

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Coordinated Water System Plan

Plans are to provide for “maximum integration and coordination of public water system facilities consistent with the protection and enhancement of the public health and well-being.” (RCW 70.116.050)

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Coordinated Water System Plan

(CWSP) Developed pursuant to the Public Water

System Coordination Act (Chapter 70.116 RCW) and the Water System Coordination Act (Chapter 246-293 WAC)

Identifies the Critical Water Supply Service Area (CWSSA)

Incorporates water system plans for public water systems in the CWSSA

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Brief History of Whatcom County CWSP

Process initiated in 1990 CWSSA designated in 1991 Draft CWSP was produced in 1993 Never officially adopted by WDOH Draft was updated in 2000 and was

approved by WDOH Current update commenced

November 2014

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Background Critical Water Supply Service

Area Boundary COUNCIL RESOLUTION 91-075 All land in Whatcom County west of

the National Forest excluding the Nooksack Indian Reservation and trust lands and the Lummi Indian Reservation but including all fee lands on the reservations within existing service areas as defined by WAC 248-56-200(11) which are under State and County jurisdiction and are not currently receiving water service from the Lummi Indian Nation or the Nooksack Indian Tribe.

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Background County Council Resolution 2014-

045 Commenced Update Reaffirmed CWSSA Planning Unit interaction

2016 County Comprehensive Plan Update

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Current CWSP Components

Water Demand Forecasting Coordinating growth with water Expanding systems System status

Water Utility Service Areas Exclusive service areas Avoid duplication of infrastructure/costs

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Water System Service Areas

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Current CWSP Components

Minimum Design Standards Fire flow

Utility Service Review Procedures Process to determine who can/will serve

specific areas in need of service

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Current CWSP Components

Satellite Management & Receivership Management of remote systems System failures

Regional Resource Issues (examples) Nitrates, arsenic, seawater intrusion Financial Viability of systems Water rights Joint facilities/system interties Water Conservation

Growth Management Act (GMA)

The GMA, originally adopted in 1990, required Whatcom County to adopt a comprehensive plan addressing:

Urban Growth Areas Agriculture, Forestry and Mineral Resource Lands Rural lands.

The GMA requires a comp plan update and Urban Growth Area review by June 30, 2016.

The GMA addresses the interface between water supply and land use planning.

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Coordinate Zoning with Water

Growth Management Hearings Board

“. . .the County’s Coordinated Water System Plan Update is admitted. The Board finds this exhibit assists the Board in understanding the full scope of the water issues and the information will be necessary or of substantial assistance to the Board in reaching its decision. . . (Hirst v. Whatcom County, Growth Mgmt. Hearings Bd., Western Washington Region Case No. 12-2-0013, Final Decision and Order (June 7, 2013), p. 8.

GMA Implications

The GMA requires integration of land use and water planning.

The County Comp Plan encourages coordination of land use and water planning.

The Growth Management Hearings Board ruled the County’s land use plan must not be inconsistent with water availability.

The WUCC provides a forum, and the CWSP provides a vehicle, to ensure coordination.

CWSP UPDATE We plan to use whatever we can use

from the existing plan We see four types of information:

1. Information still relevant will be re-used

2. Information that needs to be updated 3. Information no longer relevant will

be deleted 4. New information will be included.

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Water Utility Coordinating Committee

(WUCC) Statutory “vehicle” to do CWSP

update WUCC Voting and Non-Voting

Members WAC 70.116.040 Defines who is a

voting member Representative from each purveyor

serving more than 50 customers (connections)

County Legislative Authority (Council) County Planning Agency County Health Agency

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Water Utility Coordinating Committee

(WUCC) Voting by WUCC Members

WAC 70.116.050(2) Decisions of the committee shall be by

majority vote of those present at meetings of the committee.

All voting WUCC members: Assign a primary representative

(required) Assign an alternate representative

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County Council Representative

WUCC – Voting Member Carl Weimer Rud Browne, alternate

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County StaffWUCC – Voting Members Planning and Development

Services Mark Personius

Health Department John Wolpers

WUCC – Non-voting Member Public Works

Gary Stoyka20

WDOH StaffWUCC – Non-voting Member

Regional Planner Richard Rodriguez

Regional Engineer Jolyn Leslie

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Ecology StaffWUCC – Non-voting Member WRIA 1 Watermaster

Kasey Cykler

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PurveyorsWUCC – Voting Members Systems Serve More Than 50

Connections

WUCC – Non-voting Member Systems Serve 50 Connections or

Less

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General Public

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CWSP Approval Process WUCC will develop the draft update

CWSP reviewed by WCPDS for local consistency

Draft will be shared with the WRIA 1 Planning Unit for comment

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CWSP Approval Process(cont.)

WUCC will modify as needed based on comments and vote on the update

WUCC will sponsor at least one public meeting prior to submittal to County Council

WUCC will modify as needed based on comments and forward to County Council recommending adoption

County Council will hold at least one public hearing and consider adoption

If adopted, Council forwards CWSP to WDOH recommending approval

(RCW 70.116.050(8) and 060 and WAC 243-293-290-300). 26

Data Sharing RH2 will host documents for

review including: http://wucc.rh2.com/index.php

Meeting Agendas Meeting Summaries and

Presentations Vote Documentation Chapters for Review using Track

Changes Approved Preliminary Chapters

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WUCC Meetings Third Wednesday of each month

(6-8 p.m.) Evening meetings Next meeting

January 21 in the Garden Room and then monthly beyond that.

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Questions?

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