Our Water

Water Quality Awards

The Washington State Department of Health has recognized the Eastsound Water Users Association for “outstanding performance and treatment plant optimization.” We are one of only five water systems in Washington to receive this performance award. The award was for continuous compliance to water quality goals that are significantly more stringent than required by law. Eastsound Water won this award for three consecutive years (2007–2009).

In presenting the award, Denise Clifford, Director of DOH’s Office of Drinking Water said, “achieving consistent high drinking water quality like this is a mark of a highly dedicated and skilled water system staff.”

In 2005 and 2007, we also won Evergreen Rural Water of Washington’s “Best Tasting Water In Washington” contests.

Water Conservation

The Eastsound Water Board would like to congratulate both its staff and its membership on recent gains in water conservation. Washington State’s new Municipal Water Law has established specific efficiency goals that are designed to ensure that water systems are using the public’s water resources in an efficient manner. The “Muni Law,” as it is called, sets an efficiency goal of 90%. This means a water system should have no more than 10% unaccounted for water.

Unaccounted for water is any water that has not been put to beneficial use. Every water system has a certain number of leaks and inefficiencies in its distribution system. As recently as the year 2000 Eastsound Water had up to 30% unaccounted for water. By 2009, we lowered our unaccounted for water to below the 10% goal. And by 2016, our unaccounted for water was less than 3% – among the lowest in the state.

Between 2000 and 2018, the Eastsound Water membership base grew by more than 50%. Over that same period of time, Eastsound Water was able to lower total annual production by more than 30%. Thanks to a commitment to water use efficiency, today Eastsound Water is serving 50% more connections with 30% less water!