Reducing outdoor water use, especially during peak summer months, can make a meaningful difference. Even modest reductions in peak demand help improve reliability and support future planning for the South Bainbridge Water System.
South Bainbridge Water System FAQs
Public ownership allows KPUD to be transparent, plan for the long term, and coordinate regionally. These challenges would be more difficult to manage under private ownership, where data sharing, planning, and public accountability are more limited.
KPUD will re-evaluate water availability after summer production and customer usage data for 2026 are reviewed. An updated report will be presented to the KPUD Board in the first quarter of 2027.
Yes. KPUD is actively exploring future water supply options, including regional partnerships, interties, and coordination with the City of Bainbridge Island. These efforts are focused on long-term reliability while protecting current service.
Existing properties within the South Bainbridge service area that are not currently connected may be considered on a case-by-case basis if they cannot meet basic indoor water needs or if their existing water source does not meet water quality standards. Any approved connection under this exemption would be limited to indoor use only at this time.
- KPUD will limit the sale of new water connections on the South Bainbridge Water System.
- KPUD is instituting an Odd/Even Outdoor Watering Schedule for South Bainbridge water customers from May 1 through September 30, 2026, to support community-wide water conservation.
- KPUD will increase education and outreach focused on reducing peak summer water use.
No. The odd/even schedule applies only to outdoor watering.
Most of the increase comes from outdoor irrigation. Lawn and landscape watering can more than triple a household’s average daily water use during summer months. This spike in water use places significant short-term demand on system infrastructure.
The issue is not the amount of groundwater available underground. Instead, it relates to how water systems are regulated and how peak demand affects system capacity calculations.
Washington State Department of Health regulations require water systems to determine how many customers they can serve based on maximum (peak) day demand (use), which reflects the highest water use days of the year. When peak use is unusually high, those calculations limit how many homes the system can serve.
Conservation is also a proactive step focused on stewardship and long-term planning. You may recall Summer 2021 when a trifecta of incidents (record setting heat wave, house fire in Fort Ward area, and a Department of Ecology-declared drought emergency) resulted in high water use that led to dangerously low storage levels. Your partnership in conservation supports this effort.
The South Bainbridge Water System operates as intended and continues to meet customer needs. This update reflects improved data and long-term planning, not a failure of the system.
Although the system continues to reliably serve customers today, the system could be at risk if outdoor water use is not reduced in the summer. The outdoor watering conservation measure outlined in this letter is a proactive step designed to manage peak summer demand and maintain long-term system reliability. During peak summer days, extremely high outdoor watering can temporarily increase demand on wells, pumps, and storage. Managing peak demand helps ensure the system maintains strong water pressure, adequate fire-flow storage, and reliable service for all customers.