The Uplands by Tarragon is a housing development in South Hill Puyallup. Cindy Beckett-Kempf, an EPA Watershed Manager, has inquired to the County Executive, about the water availability letter provided for the project to move forward, noting it was factually incorrect.

This kind of argument is often invisible to the general population of the county. There are various active citizens, skilled in elements of the environment, infrastructure, and construction, that lend their expertise to the conversation regarding the projects brought to county planning for development.

Here is her take on the project:

Rainier water [Washington Water Service] has stated that they will be able to provide water to this development – this is not true!  Please be advised that as an EPA (Federal) Watershed Manager, regrettably, I will be forced to file complaints if your planning dept. does not review this development approval again. This time, including in their file, the name of the planner who confirmed water availability for all this housing.  All water to these houses will draw from the SSA [sole source aquifer]. Whether the water co. delivering water (Rainier) assures water to this development or not, it remains that it will affect the people’s SSA, which is already failing due to lack of rainfall and development permitted across its recharge area.  The Brookdale Golf Course highest density development is a classic example of recharge loss and large draw from the people’s, not the county’s, aquifer, along with all the other development on top of the recharge area which renders all that land impervious.  The aquifer is now failing, therefore all the water co’s out there will lose water availability too.  

This overdraw is not allowed as this aquifer is the only one ever posted on the Federal Register and therefore is protected by Federal law, which I am obligated to report.  Where will the water come from for all those houses then?  Is there an arrangement with Tacoma water?  I’m sure you know that the (old numbers, now higher) average household ( this includes house, apartment, condo etc,)  is/was 300 GPD. eg 50,000 households will use up 150,000 gallons EVERY DAY.  Has your planning dept included that fact in their approvals?  Have you instructed them to?

If all this highest density possible on every acre development continues, I assure you the UGA will run out of water.  I question the legality of allowing a Federally protected aquifer to run out of water without advising the purchasers of these new homes that this is a possibility, and without advising all homeowners currently out there drawing water from this aquifer that this is a very real possibility.  They have a right to know this.   Water may not be drawn from the Puyallup river as it is also losing volume, and due to the cost of laying piping from the river to the UGA, it is not feasible. Who would pay for that? The county? I have spoken with the city of Puyallup about this too, they will not extend their lines either.

To continue approving highest possible density development on every acre of land in the UGA is becoming a great concern, and this must be addressed.  There is no law that demands this.  It is merely inferred by the GMA, but it is not law.  We have lost a great deal of the snowpack that used to feed the Puyallup river, which is serious as that is the only source of water for our area aside from our rapidly diminishing groundwater resources.  I have been to the reservoir – it looks big but it also provides to Sumner and all the other smaller cities and Tacoma as well. 

A team of scientists that I work with sent me the photos from the glacier at Rainier when they flew up there – they stated that the snowpack is at its lowest level in 150 years!  Most of the rivers are also declining in flow now.

I encourage you to have your planning dept provide you with the credentials of staff who approved this new development action, including proof of contacting the water co (I assume it’s Rainier, who also draws from the SSA area) who must guarantee in writing that water will always be available for all current and future households. 

We are all relying on your knowledge of these issues to address this growing and most concerning issue.

Thanks so much for your attention to this pressing concern. 

Cindy Beckett-Kempf
EPA Watershed Manager