Water Availability Standard

Local watershed planning stakeholders have identified water supply for rural development as a significant regional water management issue and have obtained a grant from the state of Washington to review the current standards for determining water availability for proposed development (subdivisions, building permits) and determine if there are technically feasible and cost effective methods that could be utilized to evaluate not only the availability but the sustainability of the water supply for a proposed development.

A work group of local stakeholders including local government, home builders, developers, hydrogeologists, realtors, and environmental groups is meeting to develop recommendations for consideration by local decision makers.

Final Report

  1. Attachment A - Advisory Group Membership (PDF)
  2. Attachment B - Comment Letters (PDF)
  3. Attachment C - Overview of Available Hydrogeologic Data (PDF)
  4. Attachment D - Potential Tools to Address Water Availability (PDF)
  5. Attachment E - Water Supply and Land Use Steps (PDF)
  6. Attachment F - Background on Water Availability Standards (PDF)
  7. Attachment G - Water Availability Standard Presentation (PDF)
  8. Attachment H - Instream Flow Presentation (PDF)
  9. Attachment I - Water Availability Standards from Other Jurisdictions (PDF)
  10. Attachment K - Spokane County Hydrogeo Presentation April 26, 2012 (PDF)
  11. Attachment L - Real Estate Disclosure Forms (PDF)
  12. Attachment M - Best Available Science Regulations (PDF)
  13. Attachment N - Plats Outside Water Service Areas Since 2003 (PDF)
  14. Attachment O - Subdivision Options Flow Chart (PDF)
  15. Water Availability Advisory Group Final Report (PDF)

Meeting Summaries

  1. Meeting 1 Summary (PDF)
  2. Meeting 2 Summary (PDF)
  3. Meeting 3 Summary (PDF)
  4. Meeting 4 Summary (PDF)
  5. Meeting 5 Summary (PDF)
  6. Meeting 6 Summary (PDF)
  7. Meeting 7 Summary (PDF)
  8. Meeting 8 Summary (PDF)

Meeting Handouts

  1. Background Information-Meeting 1 (PDF)
  2. Issue Paper - Building Permits-Meeting 5 (PDF)
  3. Issue Paper - Land Division-Meeting 5 (PDF)
  4. Issue Paper - Regional Studies-Meeting 5 (PDF)
  5. Potential Tools to Address Water Availability-Meeting 2 (PDF)
  6. Spokane Regional Health District Water Availability Policy-Meeting 5 (PDF)
  7. Water Supply and Land Use Decisions-Meeting 2 (PDF)

Meeting Presentations

  1. Example Well Problems Map-Meeting 1 Presentation (PDF)
  2. Instream Flow and Water Availability-Meeting 2 Presentation (PDF)
  3. Other Jurisdiction Water Availability Standards-Meeting 2 Presentation (PDF)
  4. Problem Definition-Meeting 1 Presentation (PDF)
  5. Spokane County Hydrogeologic Data-Meeting 3 Presentation (PDF)
  6. Water Availability Tools and Criteria-Meeting 2 Presentation (PDF)