King County - File #: 2001-0292

• File #: 2001-0292
• Version: 4
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• File created: 5/21/2001
• In control: Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee
• On agenda: 9/24/2001
• Final action: 9/24/2001
• Enactment date: 10/5/2001
• Enactment #: 14214
• Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to groundwater protection and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 9.
• Sponsors: Larry Phillips, Greg Nickels, Louise Miller
• Indexes: Committees, Groundwater
• Code sections: 9 -
• Related files: 2022-0441

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/24/2001	3	Metropolitan King County Council	Passed as Amended	Pass
9/17/2001	3	Metropolitan King County Council	Deferred
9/10/2001	2	Metropolitan King County Council	Hearing Held
9/10/2001	3	Metropolitan King County Council	Deferred
8/23/2001	2	Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee	Passed Out of Committee Without a Recommendation	Pass
6/28/2001	1	Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee	Deferred
5/24/2001	1	Natural Resources, Parks and Open Space Committee	Deferred
5/21/2001	1	Metropolitan King County Council	Introduced and Referred

Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to groundwater protection and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 9.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. Nearly thirty percent of the people in King County rely on groundwater as its source for drinking water. Almost all of the one thousand eight hundred water systems and twelve thousand private wells in King County use groundwater as all or part of their water supply. Under state and federal regulations, many groundwater supplied utilities have conducted groundwater protection investigations and developed and implemented approved wellhead protection programs to protect groundwater resources.
2. Under the state Growth Management Act, in RCW 36.70A.070(1), protection of the quality and quantity of groundwater used for public water supplies must be addressed as a mandatory element within the county Comprehensive Plan. In accordance with RCW 36.70A.060, King County must also protect critical areas and surface and groundwater resources.
3. The adopted Countywide Planning Policies for King County require all jurisdictions to adopt policies to protect the quality and quantity of groundwater where appropriate (Policy CA-5). The adopted policies require development of best management practices, mapping of groundwater resources, establishment of wellhead protection programs and protection of critical groundwater areas. Local governments have also approved other countywide planning policies to protect regional groundwater, specifically CA-6 (land use regulations), LU-8 (conservation of natural resource lands), LU-15 (retention of undisturbed soils), LU-16 (rural development standards) and LU-17 (recharge and storage of groundwater to preserve base flows in rivers).
4. King County Code provisions support the protection of groundwater in numerous key program areas, including protection of critical aquifer recharge areas (K.C.C. chapter 20.70), surface water management (K.C.C. 9.12.025A.1), zoning (K.C.C. chapter 21A.08 for land use, K....