By Stan Matthews
County Communications Program Manager
Last year the state cut funding for local programs which provide testing and technical assistance to “Group B” water systems. In San Juan County Group “B” systems, each serving 3 to 15 households, provide drinking water to 11 percent of the County’s population. That’s five times the state average.
In order to continue supporting these water systems, the Health and Community Services Department (HCS) has proposed an annual operating fee of $100 for each of the 251 Group B Water Systems in the County. The fee would fund water quality monitoring and information, help in developing preventive maintenance and operation programs, a survey of each system every 3 to 5 years, and staffing for technical support and site visits.
HCS has scheduled workshops on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands to give the public an opportunity to discuss the proposed fee and the services the small systems need.
Schedule – All Workshops will run from Noon until 2pm:
January 19 – Lopez Island at the Lopez Library
January 20 – Orcas Island –Eastsound Senior Center
January 21 – San Juan Island – Legislative Building, Friday Harbor – Front Meeting Room.
For more information contact Mark Tompkins or Vicki Heater at Health and Community Services: 378-4474, markt@sanjuanco.com, vickih@sanjuanco.com.
