SEQUIM — The city of Sequim and the Highland Irrigation District have reached an uneasy truce over supplying irrigation water to new subdivisions — the district will continue to do so, although city officials aren’t happy about it.
At issue is irrigation water, which is drawn from the Dungeness River and distributed across the valley for the benefit of thirsty crops and lawns.
It is a clash of old vs. new, as Sequim’s city limit and fresh subdivisions overlap with the Highland’s district’s territory, originally established to funnel water to large farms.
“Now we have a competing situation, where 30 years ago we didn’t,” said Ben Smith, a director of the Highland Irrigation District.
Highland officials adopted a requirement that all new subdivisions built within its boundaries have a “substantially complete” irrigation system — that is, pipes installed to deliver water to each lot.
The district insists the systems are necessary to serve customers, since the district is charged by state law with delivering irrigation water to all properties within its boundaries.
City leaders have said the systems drive up development costs, and question the reliability of the systems as a water source as well as whether they’re needed at all.
Issue settled for now
The district’s requirements trump city rules, however, and for now the issue is settled.
The city could lobby the state Legislature to change the law, but City Manager Bill Elliott said that course of action wasn’t being considered.
“I don’t think the city’s going to challenge it any further,” he said.
“What the district requires is what we have to do. We argued about whether it was necessary or not, but the district didn’t give.”
Said Smith: “It’s our charge to make water available. It still seems like the right thing to do — they’re in our district.”
Even so, Smith acknowledged some of the city’s concerns.
One is cross-connections — irrigation water isn’t sanitary enough for drinking, cooking or bathing, and he said it’s “legitimate” to be worried about contamination.
That’s why the requirement stipulates a separate system of pipes.
