On August 2, 2022, the North Bend City Council approved a resolution to give first priority for future water connections to residents and property owners living within North Bend city
limits.
Currently, the City of North Bend provides water to residents and businesses on, and near, the west side of the City, and the Sallal Water Association provides water to residents
and businesses on and near the east side of the City. (For a map of both water districts, view the Water Purveyor Area Map HERE.)
In June 2022, the Sallal Board of Directors imposed an emergency moratorium prohibiting all new water connections, including new connections to its customers within city limits.
In its announcement, Sallal stated that it may “make the moratorium permanent until additional water rights are obtained.” The process to obtain new water rights in Washington
state is both expensive and time consuming, often taking many years to complete.
For the past several years, well before Sallal imposed the moratorium prohibiting any new water connections, the City repeatedly offered to execute a Water Supply Agreement with
Sallal. A Water Supply Agreement would provide Sallal with additional water to serve its entire customer base, including properties located within city limits and outside of city limits,
and better ensure safe, sufficient water supply for our community. Sallal declined to enter into the proposed agreement.
To ensure that City residents and property owners can obtain future water connections during Sallal’s moratorium, the resolution authorizes prioritizing connections in the following
ways:
The first priority will be given to City residents and property owners with land located within City limits whether they are customers of City water or Sallal water.
The second priority will be given to residents and landowners with property located outside of city limits, but whose properties are served by City water.
As a municipal water system, the City is required to manage its water supply efficiently to guarantee sufficient water for its entire customer base now and well into the future. Sallal
has lacked adequate water to serve a portion of its customers for several years. This insufficiency includes many properties located within city limits. In such cases, the City has
stepped in to provide water service to the affected property owners.
Approved resolution AB22-097 makes clear that adoption of this resolution and any related subsequent City actions would be unnecessary if Sallal would sign the Water Supply
Agreement. View the resolution HERE.
Original source can be found here.
