It should supply an additional 1,000 gallons per minute, eliminating the need to buy water from Richland. Over the years, West Richland also has struggled with contaminants such as sand and sulfur in its system. Rhodes said the additional water from well No. 7 and the new rights should help eliminate those problems. In September 1994, the city passed a rule that requires developers to supply their own water to new homes. The city's decision Tuesday lifts that rule.
Developers now have the choice to connect to the city's system.
A handful of developers who attended Tuesday's meeting had mixed feelings about the new fee. Most were relieved. With the Department of Ecology not granting new water rights, finding an adequate independent water source is a challenge, they said. It's basically bottled up. So I was very pleased the city had the foresight to look ahead and say we need this.