Guest Opinion | Four long-term EWUA employees have left in six months

||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON |||

EWUA Turnover: 13 Staff and 6 Board Members gone since 2021

13 staff members have left Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA)

• 7 resigned
• 5 terminated
• 1 retired

6 board members have left the EWUA Board of Directors prior to the end of their term

• 1 removed
• 2 resigned
• 3 recalled by voters

Of the staff and board members who were part of EWUA in 2021, only three individuals remain today:

• 1 staff member (now part-time/retired)
• 1 board member
• the General Manager

In practical terms, this means almost the entire institutional knowledge base of EWUA has turned over in just four years.

In March 2026, another experienced operator resigned from EWUA, bringing the total to four long-term employees who have left the organization in the past six months.

As of this writing, EWUA is advertising four water and wastewater operator positions on Indeed.

EWUA has also reportedly reached out to employees at neighboring utilities in an effort to recruit operators.

For a small community water utility, experienced operators are essential to maintaining safe and reliable service.

For a member-owned association, a strong and stable board is equally important to maintain oversight, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable growth.

Staff turnover can occur in any organization, particularly in a small utility where recruiting qualified operators can be challenging.

However, the scale and concentration of departures over the past several years raises serious questions about leadership, organizational stability, and the long-term direction of EWUA.

Ultimately, responsibility for the direction and oversight of EWUA rests with its Board of Directors, who are elected by and accountable to the membership.

As a community, we need to begin discussing what rebuilding could look like. Possible paths forward include:

• Relying on the current board and General Manager to stabilize and rebuild the organization.
• Replacing board leadership and management through member action and elections.
• Exploring a merger with Eastsound Sewer & Water District (ESWD), allowing the system to transition into a public utility structure with state-guided governance.

Regardless of the path chosen, the goal should be the same: restoring stability, accountability, and long-term reliability to Eastsound’s water system.

The questions for members and the broader community are:

• What path forward makes the most sense for Eastsound’s water system?
• How should EWUA rebuild stability and restore public confidence?