The summer season sees a large increase in drinking water demand, most of which goes toward outdoor watering and much is lost to evaporation, overwatering and runoff.
As temperatures pick up and precipitation rates fall, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties present their communities with programs to conserve drinking water.
Washington recently entered its fourth statewide drought since 2015 due to a dismal snowpack, and the state Department of Ecology is discouraging excessive water usage. Skagit residents directly depend on snowmelt to feed the Skagit River, their main drinking source. Whatcom and San Juan residents’ water needs are primarily met by precipitation that fills Lake Whatcom and aquifers, respectively.
One program residents can opt into is the City of Bellingham’s annual voluntary summer watering schedule. The city assigns alternating watering days based on street addresses, to combat overwatering and water waste, until Sept. 30.
During the summer, Bellingham’s water demand increases from 8 million gallons per day up to 14 million gallons, according to Torhil Ramsay, the communications and outreach coordinator at the public works department. A majority of the demand increase is due to outdoor lawn or yard maintenance. For over 15 years, Bellingham has implemented the voluntary watering schedule. Linda Berg, a Bellingham homeowner of 10 years, has adhered to the watering schedule for her garden while letting her grass go dormant over the summer.
“We just let it go brown cause we discovered it turns green again when the rain starts,” Berg said.
Letting grass go dormant is the most efficient way to limit outdoor water usage during the summer, according to the city. However, any effort to conserve water while maintaining a landscape is encouraged.
“When residents complete our Outdoor Water Conservation Pledge, they can choose a free moisture meter, hose timer or water-efficient hose nozzle, as well as a rain gauge or hose repair kit,” Ramsay said. The items are mailed to households once the pledge is completed.
Bellingham is the only city in the area with a recurring voluntary watering schedule, but watering schedules are just one way municipalities and counties encourage individual households to conserve drinking water during the dry season.
“We supply water savers and timers as well as educational brochures,” Terry Nemeth, the water systems manager of the City of Anacortes, said.
Anacortes has used temporary summer watering schedules in the past, but measures like that are only taken once the Skagit River falls below a certain water level for more than two days, Nemeth said.
Ethan Schmidt, an environmental health specialist at San Juan County said people on the islands who rely on wells and aquifers are asked to limit stress on the wells by slowing their pumping rates. Overpumping can heighten the risk of pulling up mixed fresh and sea water into the water source.
“Another recommendation that we give people, and in some cases it’s a requirement, is to reduce or eliminate irrigation during the summer months,” Schmidt said. “There’s very few people out here that water their lawn, and that’s something that’s just kind of built into the way that people approach life out here.”
A large issue for the San Juan Islands’ water supply during the summer is increased tourism. The county has worked with vacation home owners to provide guests with a stewardship guide on the use of water and other conservation and environmental practices. Avoiding long showers and outdoor water use is key when visiting.
“Once an aquifer is tapped out, it’s gone until it potentially gets refilled during the next rainy season,” Schmidt said.
During a period of limited supply, being conscious of outdoor watering, washing cars, pipe leaks and staggering high water use activities like laundry and showering can have a positive impact on the drinking water supply. According to Ramsay, Bellingham has seen water consumption rates decreasing each year since the implementation of the watering schedule.
“The plants are healthy, and I actually think it helps me be more reasonable about when I water,” Berg said. “It’s nice to feel like we’re doing our part to conserve water.”
—By Atlanta Moss
Want to learn more about water? Salish Current will host “Sharing Our Water,” a festival of art, voices and community, Sept. 4 from noon to 8:30 p.m. at the Whatcom Museum, Old City Hall and The Lightcatcher in Bellingham. Come for the fun and stay for serious discussions about our responsibility to protect this valuable life source. Contact Jayne Freudenberger, freudbj7@comcast.net, for details.