Benton County Rural Water Supply Program
HISTORY
Click here to download the Benton County Rural Water Supply Program map.
The Department of Ecology has determined that the Lower
Yakima watershed is over appropriated and has required Counties within the
watershed to mitigate for groundwater wells being placed within the Lower
Yakima watershed. Kittitas and Yakima Counties have already established water
programs to mitigate and meter residential wells in the unincorporated areas of
their counties.
In 2017, the Department of Ecology notified Benton County
that the County’s rural water supply is at risk of impairment to senior water
right holders and encouraged the County to take steps to develop a rural water
supply program similar to those developed by Kittitas County and Yakima County.
Recent studies conducted by State and Federal agencies have shown that
groundwater wells in the Lower Yakima Watershed are in direct hydraulic
continuity with the Yakima River.
In 2018, FutureWise appealed the County’s 2017 update to the
Comprehensive Plan on the basis of a lack of water availability. As a result of
the appeal, the County and FutureWise entered into a settlement agreement and
the County agreed to develop a water supply program in order to mitigate for
impacts on the Yakima River from residential exempt wells that have hydraulic
continuity with the Yakima River.
The Benton County Rural Water Supply Program was established
to provide mitigation for any new residential use within the Mitigation Area (a
portion of the Lower Yakima Watershed known as WRIA 37, as shown on the
official Benton County Mitigation Area Map) in the form of acquiring
senior water rights in order to offset groundwater use and managing the
metering of wells.
To date the County has acquired 425 acre-feet of senior
water rights for the
Benton County Water Bank.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Benton County Rural Water Supply Program became effective on February 1, 2020.
Customers wishing to apply for a new subdivision,
short plat, or residential building permit for a dwelling unit within the
Mitigation Area are required to participate in the Program.
What to expect during the Rural Water Supply Process for New Construction
What to expect during the Rural Water Supply Process for Short Plats/Subdivision
New Ownership Information Sheet (for notifying our office when selling the property)
Mitigation Certificate Recording Information
EyeOnWater Account Information
(setup your account once the meter installation is approved)
Customers who are required to purchase mitigation certificates as part of a subdivision/short plat application will be required to purchase a mitigation certificate for each proposed lot of the subdivision/short plat before the plat will be approved.
Customers who are required to purchase a mitigation certificate as a condition of a building permit shall be required to purchase a mitigation certificate and a meter for their residential well. They will also be required to agree to participate in the metering component of the Water Supply Program which will include monitoring of water use.
Please see the above hand outs for what to expect during this process.
For more information about the Benton County Rural Water Supply Program, please contact the Rural Water Supply Coordinator, Benton County Planning Division at (509) 786-5612 or email [email protected].
RURAL WATER SUPPLY PROGRAM MITIGATION PACKAGE OPTIONS |
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Water Mitigation Package A
Available only to those parcels with access to outdoor irrigation. Package A allows an average of two hundred (200) gallons of water use per day for indoor domestic use only.
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Water Mitigation Package B
Parcels without access to irrigation water may choose Package B which allows an average of three hundred (300) gallons of water use per day for indoor domestic use and outdoor irrigation of an area up to 1500 square feet.
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Water Mitigation Package C
Parcels without access to irrigation water may choose Package C which allows an average of four hundred (400) gallons of water use per day for indoor domestic use and outdoor irrigation of an area up to 3000 square feet.
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Owners of a parcel for which only a Package B Mitigation Certificate has been issued and recorded may apply for a Supplemental Mitigation Certificate that shall authorize the use of an annual average of an additional 100 gallons per day of water usage
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| $663.00 (one time fee) |
$1,410.00 (one time fee) |
$2,157.00 (one time fee) |
$747.00 (one time fee) |
Annual Program Fee (for all packages): $180 per year, billed in January of each year.
(The first year's fee [paid at time of meter purchase] is reduced to $90 if the meter is purchased after June 30)
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Overview of approximate initial program costs:
Mitigation Certificate fee (one time fee as above)
First year Annual Program Fee (either full or half year)
Benton County Auditor recording fees (approximately $600 per document)
Water Meter purchase cost (varies based on meter chosen)
Professional Installation costs (varies based on installer and materials used)
Notary fees (some notaries charge, some don't, please research your options)
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| Mitigation Certificate documents that are required to be notarized and submitted via the online portal (will be listed here once the online permitting portal is available) |
RWSP MITIGATION CERTIFICATE APPLICATION PACKETS |
New Construction Application Packet
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New Construction FILLABLE Application packet
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| Subdivision and Short Plat Application packet |
| Short Subdivision and Short Plat FILLABLE Application Packet |