Our Story
Mission
The mission of the Saratoga Water District (SWD) is to provide safe, reliable drinking water for current and future customer needs.
SWD’s legal service area boundary currently includes 204 acres of land situated along the eastern shores of Whidbey Island. The district currently serves 225 single family residential connections within this boundary and is approved to serve 360 connections.
Infrastructure History
Saratoga Water District (SWD) was established in 1988 from the private Wallace system that served most of Bells Beach.
In order to upgrade the system to current standards, in 1991 Well No.3 and two 150,000-gallon concrete reservoirs were installed at the well site on Reservoir Road and became the district’s primary source of water supply.
In 1997-98 all water mains were replaced (a 20 year loan paid of a few years ago).
In order to provide additional supply/redundancy in 2013 Well No. 4 was drilled approximately 80 feet west of Well 3.
Both wells are approximately 360 feet deep and tap the same aquifer.
The reservoirs provide gravity storage to all but one small area of the District (Passage View Estates).
In 2008 a change in Federal and state laws required installation of an Oxidation/Filtration treatment system to remove arsenic to below 10 parts per billion-cost approximately $350,000 which was funded with a 20 year low interest loan.
Additional infrastructure consists of approximately 23,000 lineal feet water distribution pipes, pressure reducing valve, Passage View Estates Booster Pump Station, various valves and 33 hydrants.
Operations
King Water/Northwest Natural Water Services provides system operations and administration including: meter reading, billing, infrastructure maintenance.
An elected Board of Commissioners provides oversight, review/approves monthly warrants, system operations and administration.
Water Rates
Financial viability is the ability to obtain sufficient funds to operate, maintain, and manage a public water system on a continuing basis, in full compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.
A viable water system generates enough revenue to meet or exceed its expenses and its decision-makers manage the financial resources in a manner that accounts for future capital needs.
Water usage rates and new hook-up/connection fees were last adjusted in January 2019 to build system reserves and account for increased operations and maintenance costs.
DOH recommends having an adequate asset reserve account because loans of any type (government or private bank loans) are getting harder to obtain.
If the system pursues a loan, a long-lived asset reserve account can reduce the amount borrowed and help obtain quality loan terms. Reserve funds can also be used to meet any “matching funds” requirements or pay for project costs not covered by the loan.
Water Use Efficiency (WUE) Program
The purpose of a WUE is to help customers and the system use water most efficiently. Using water efficiently can help the water system meet future demand, operate successfully within financial, managerial, and technical constraints, and continue to deliver safe and reliable drinking water to customers.
A WUE program includes both supply side (water system) efficiencies and demand side (customer use) efficiencies. The intent is to minimize water withdrawals and water use by implementing water saving activities and adopting policies, resolutions, ordinances, or by-laws to support the efficiency program.
SWD last updated the WUE in 2019.