The Office of Drinking Water has released the May 2026 ODW Now newsletter: Alternative Drinking Water Program for Group B Systems, Drinking Water Week Award Winners, Drought 2026, Recognition for Next Generation of Water Professionals and much more. Check it … Continue reading ODW Now—May Newsletter
Published by WaterWorks Daily, The $2-trillion problem facing U.S. water infrastructure (Bridget Cunningham April 15, 2026) A new AWWA report shows what 2050 could look like if local ratepayers foot the whole bill for projected drinking water infrastructure needs. Published … Continue reading The $2-trillion problem
Last month, there were some developments with the Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP) update project at Island County. The county website added a dedicated page for the CWSP Update status and the Board of County Commissioners passed a formal resolution … Continue reading Coordinated Water System Plan: Study Report
South Whidbey Record; Published 1:30 am Friday, March 20, 2026 By Allyson Ballard A North Whidbey home is being added to the Navy’s waterline as the result of harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in a private drinking water … Continue reading Home connecting to Navy waterline after PFAS detected in well
The Office of Drinking Water has released the March 2026 ODW Now newsletter: World Water Day, Free Zoom Online Cybersecurity Assessments Webinar, a Guide to Construction Loan Funding, a Backflow Incident, the latest on Lead & Copper rules, and much … Continue reading ODW NOW—March 2026 Newsletter
Posted by Seattle-Red 770AM (March 9, 2026): The study analyzed the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to track how often community water systems violated safety standards. Washington averaged 1,991 violations per 100,000 residents. While that might sound … Continue reading Washington ranks 37th for tap water quality in new national study
In 2025 the county commissioned a third-party consultant to conduct a review of the Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP). In January, Dr. Chris Kelly, the county’s hydrogeologist, presented a summary of the recommendations and action items at the work session … Continue reading Coordinated Water System Plan Update
SHARP dashboard tracks contaminated sites: Ecology started using the Site Hazard Assessment and Ranking Process (SHARP) to assess contaminated sites in January 2024. There is now a real-time dashboard to track the status of about 6,500 contaminated sites in Washington … Continue reading SHARP Dashboard Tracks Contaminated Sites
State Representative Clyde Shavers is co-sponsoring HB 1906 – 2025-26 (Increasing transparency and consumer protection in water system rates); a bill introduced last year that has passed the House and in the Senate at this time. Read additional comments from … Continue reading HB 1906 – 2025-26 (Increasing transparency and consumer protection in water system rates)
The Office of Drinking Water has released the November ODW Now newsletter: Drinking Water Week Awards 2026, Water Rights, New Waterworks Operator Job Postings Webpage and much more. Check it out here… Continue reading ODW Now Newsletter
Oct. 21, 2025 at 6:00 am Updated Oct. 21, 2025 at 6:00 am By Conrad Swanson, Seattle Times climate reporter In a severe drought year, like this one, some farmers and ranchers in the Yakima River Basin come to expect a letter … Continue reading WA cities face unprecedented water cuts amid drought
By Conrad Swanson, Seattle Times climate reporter Oct. 2, 2025 Drought conditions east of the Cascade crest are so dire that state officials plan to cut off water for farmers, ranchers and more, something they’ve never done before. Reservoirs in the Yakima … Continue reading Unprecedented water rationing to begin in WA’s Yakima Basin
Collecting and properly disposing of “forever chemicals” Ecology is partnering with fire departments across the state to help protect firefighters from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – or PFAS – in firefighting foams. Read more… Continue reading State launches disposal program for toxic firefighting foams
The new timeline could slow cleanup in some communities by nearly a decade. The chemicals, widely used in the military, are linked to cancers and other health risks. By Hiroko Tabuchi (The New York Times) Sept. 23, 2025 The Department of … Continue reading Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide
Groundwater is declining across Eastern Washington’s complex, interconnected aquifer system, as people draw on it for irrigation, drinking and other uses at a pace that threatens its sustainability, according to a new study by a Washington State University researcher. Read … Continue reading WSU study offers detailed look at declining groundwater in regional aquifer system