ABOUT THE DISTRICT

Mission Statement

The mission of the Woodinville Water District is to provide safe and reliable service at the lowest responsible rates.

The Woodinville Water District is a progressive organization that includes an elected five member Board of Commissioners, supported by a General Manager and staff. 

 In pursuing this mission, the District’s goals are: 

(1)    Provide potable drinking water at flows and pressures, as required by law, to all customers of the District. 

(2)    Provide sanitary sewer service to all customers requesting service of the District who are located within the Urban Growth Area (UGA) as established by King County. 

(3)    To recognize that the District’s function is not to plan land uses within its boundary, but to respond to land uses planned for the community by the proper authority. 

(4)    Educate customers in the efficient use of water and safe disposal of wastewater.

District Organization

The Board of Commissioners is the legislative body that establishes District policies by passing resolutions and motions. The Board also adopts the District’s annual budget, establishes rates and charges, approves appropriations, contracts for services and issues debt to fund capital expenditures. Annually, the Board elects a President, Vice-President and Secretary. The President presides over the Commission meetings. Each of the Commissioners represents the District at various intergovernmental meetings.

The General Manager is appointed by the Board to act as the chief executive officer of the District. The role of the General Manager is to direct departments, operations, and activities in accordance with the policies set by the Board. The General Manager administers staff, finances, and programs, including the Capital Improvement Plan, which covers all District owned assets and facilities. 

The Public Information Coordinator reports to the General Manager and provides information to the public on District related issues. In addition, this person serves as the water education liaison providing education support to local school districts.

Customer Service, headed by the IT & Customer Service Manager is responsible for the administrative support of the District and customer services.

The Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Department, headed by the Operations & Maintenance Manager assisted by both the Water Utility Supervisor and the Sewer Utility Supervisor, are responsible for ensuring that the District provides quality service and uninterrupted water and sewer service to our customers. The O&M Department is charged with the maintenance and repair of 253 miles of water main, 60 miles of sewer main, 2,690 fire hydrants, 19,000 valves, 12,500 water meters and eight water reservoirs. In addition, the O&M Department tests the water system to ensure that the quality of water served meets or exceeds the strictest regulatory standards.

The Finance Department, headed by the Finance Manager, is responsible for overseeing the finances of the District and carrying out the fiscal policies set by the Board of Commissioners. Services and responsibilities of the Finance Department include data processing, accounting, and budget development.

The Engineering Department is responsible for long range planning such as the development of the District’s Comprehensive Plan and the development and administration of the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan. The District Engineer provides the public with information about District construction standards and related costs, and other engineering related information. This department manages all of the engineering design and construction related activities of the District and overseeing District safety programs.

District History

The Woodinville Water District, formerly King County Water District No. 104, is a municipal corporation of King County, Washington. King County Water District No. 104 was established in 1959 and we officially became known as the Woodinville Water District in 1985. 

The District engineer prepared the first comprehensive plan for water development in August of 1960.  Construction of the first part of the system was completed and the District was able to commence serving water to its customers in January of 1963. 

The District purchases all its water supply from the City of Seattle for distribution to its customers. The majority of our water comes from the Tolt River Reservoir but occasionally we receive water from the Cedar River Reservoir.  From 1963 to the present, the District has grown to an area of approximately 30 square miles. In 1969, the District started providing sewer service to a small portion of customers and thus became a water and sewer district, but has chosen to keep our name as Woodinville Water District. 

In the first year of operation the District served 14 million gallons of water.  In 1973 annual consumption was 243 million gallons.  In 2004 we purchased over 1.5 billion gallons of water. The Woodinville Water District presently is the fifth largest district in King County, serving approximately 13,300 water customers and 2,500 sewer customers. Future growth anticipates a combined customer base of 25,000 sewer and water connections by the year 2020.

Currently the District maintains over 260 miles of water main ranging in size from 4 to 18 inches, six steel reservoirs, 48 pressure reducing stations, four water and two sewer pump stations, and other related facilities. The District expects to continue expanding its facilities to meet the needs of its customers.

The organization of the District includes an elected five member Board of Commissioners, which is supported by a General Manager and staff of thirty-one employees.