Last week’s drought declaration by Gov. Christine Gregoire could lead to Clallam County Public Utility District customers paying more to water their lawns.
Clallam PUD staff also is reviewing the district’s water response plan adopted in September 2001 to see how it might apply.
General Manager Dennis Bickford said staff is working on potential responses to the drought declaration that include “conservation-based rates” for its water systems.
Conservation-based rates charge a higher rate beyond a certain monthly amount of water in the hopes of encouraging people to use less.
Nine water systems
Clallam PUD operates nine water systems serving about 3,800 customers: Fairview, Gales, Mount Angeles, Monroe, Carlsborg, Clallam, Panoramic, Evergreen and Island View.
The district gets its water from Morse Creek and various wells as well as via a wholesale water contract with the city of Port Angeles that provides up to 40 percent of the water for the Fairview and Gales systems.
Clallam PUD Water Superintendent Mike Kitz said people respond to emergency appeals for water conservation but conservation-based rates are the only incentive to save on a longer basis.
PUD Treasurer Shelley Burgett said the district calculated an average water usage of 600 cubic feet per month during the winter, then looked at two possibilities.
One would set the maximum usage at 600 cubic feet per month, then charge a 10 percent higher rate for additional water, Burgett said.
Another would set the maximum usage at 800 cubic feet per month, then charge a 20 percent higher rate for water beyond that mount, she said.
Bickford said under the proposal, people still could water their lawns but they would pay a premium.
