The Kennewick Irrigation District...
keeping the water moving!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Irrigation

Who owns the KID? Who does it answer to?
The Kennewick Irrigation District is a special-purpose district organized under Washington state law in 1917. As a quasi-government, it's owned by ratepayers in the same sense that a city is "owned" by residents/voters. Because it's organized under state law (see Title 87 of the RCW), the KID answers to Washington state; because it has a mortgage with the U S Bureau of Reclamation, the KID answers to the U S government; and because it is governed by an elected Board of Directors, the KID answers to local ratepayers/voters.
How is the Board of Directors elected?
Through annual elections. Directors serve three-year terms, so two out of three years, two positions are up for election. In the third year, only one is is up for election. To find out more about how the board works and who current board members are, click here.
What does the KID do?
Irrigation districts supply irrigation water to landowners. They are allowed to provide other services too. The Kennewick Irrigation District owns two potable-water systems that supply a small number of people with drinking water. The Chandler pump station has a hydro-power plant in its building, but that's owned by the U S Bureau of Reclamation.
Is the KID part of the City of Kennewick?
No. They co-exist, the same way that cities are within counties but operate separately. The KID runs through parts of Kennewick, Richland and West Richland, and rural Benton County.

There are currently proposals for the city of Kennewick and the Kennewick Irrigation District to work together on "linear park" projects in the future. To find out more, click here.

WATER

What should I do if my property gets flooded?
Dial 586-9111. Customer service will help you to handle the situation. If it's after hours and/or you get a recording, stay on the line. You'll be told how to get emergency service.
What is my water allotment?
If your property is classified as irrigable, you are allotted 3.5 acre-feet each watering season. Delivery is not guaranteed. Droughts, equipment or facility failures or events beyond our control may reduce that amount in a given season.
How do I get more water?
The short answer is, "you don't." The allotment is established by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, not the KID. If you aren't sure that you receive the proper amount, click here to learn how to measure it.
Does the KID ration water?
Only in drought years. With that said, in recent years, the district has started to emphasize cooperation and water sharing among neighbors, particularly in Local Improvement Districts (LIDs).

With explosive growth driving a change from agricultural to residential land use, the KID asks ratepayers to water for only four hours at a time, and on alternate days. This provides plenty of water for lawns and gardens.
What's the purpose of the Water Coordinator position?
As engineers design irrigation systems, they assume that there will never be 100% demand by 100% of users all at once. Thus, they don't build the systems to handle that kind of demand. If they did, systems would be far larger and prohibitively expensive.

If everyone on every lot in an LID watered at the same time, no one would have enough pressure. That has happened several times. In response to demands that "something" be done, the KID hired a coordinator to help facilitate water-sharing.
Is "every other day for four hours" required or voluntary?
It's voluntary, unless ratepayers in an area cannot work together. In that case, the KID does have enforcement authority... but voluntary is better. For a list of established schedules in effect at this time, click here. If there isn't a set schedule in your LID, simply pick a day and water every other day for no more than four hours a day.
What if my neighbors are still watering more than they are supposed to?
If a mandatory schedule is in place, call the KID and ask for the Water Coordinator. If there isn't, but the over-watering is causing a flood, call the KID and ask for Customer Service. They'll send someone out.

MONEY

How much do I owe? When do I pay? How do I read my assessment?
For the current KID rate schedule, click here; to see how to interpret your assessment, click here. Statements go out on or before the first of April; the first half payment is due by April 30th; the balance is due by October 31st.
Why are the rates up so dramatically in recent years?
For decades, the Kennewick Irrigation District was a small, rural district. In recent years, a dramatic shift has occurred in the way the land is used. Much once-rural land has been developed into subdivisions. That has radically increased the complexity of the district's facilities. In the last couple of years, the KID has had to catch up with the growth and change the way it does business to be more accountable. Changing systems is time-consuming and expensive, but necessary.
What if my payment is late?
If a payment is late, it is deposited and interest owed from the lateness of the payment is paid first. The rest goes against the payment owed.
What if I don't pay?
Per RCWs 87.03.270 and 87.06.020, unpaid assessments accrue interest at 1% per month, 12% per year, and are foreclosed upon after three years.
Why would my mortgage company have paid my assessment?
Mortgage companies typically want to be first in line for a lien. Irrigation assessments by law are put ahead of mortgage companies, so payment of the irrigation assessment keeps the irrigation district from being granted a lien ahead of theirs.
Will I be charged if the KID comes out to check out my line?
Not individually. You will see it in your annual assessment or included in the LID's O&M expense if you are in a Local Improvement District.
Do I get reimbursed for days that water isn't available?
No. The KID is not allowed to compensate ratepayers when the system is down or a drought requires water rationing. Your assessment pays for the creation and maintenance of the facilities, not the water.
If I am paying but not getting water, can I stop?
No, but you can apply to transfer your water allotment to another land- owner. There are some hoops to jump through and no guarantee that your application will be accepted. For more information, click here.

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

What can I do about problems with low water pressure?
Check to make sure your valve is completely open. Clean your filter. Try watering at a different time of day. If none of those fix the problem, call us (586-9111) and we'll send someone out to help troubleshoot the problem.
How can I keep the weeds, clams and junk out of my system?
The water comes from the Yakima River. It's filled with silt, bugs, weeds and clams. The best anyone can do is to keep the filter in their systems as clean as possible with regular maintenance.
Can I put a small pump on my local system?
Only if you are NOT within a pressurized LID. Individual pumps are only allowed in gravity flow systems or gravity flow private lines areas.
Can the KID help me if I'm in a private lines area?
Not much. The KID is responsible only to the "highest point" delivery point. Past that point we can turn the water on or off, but that's about all. For more information, click here.

LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS

What are LIDs?
Local Improvement Districts (as they relate to irrigation) are formed under state law to spread the cost and liability of development and operation of a distribution system to carry water from the KID delivery point to homes.
Why does the KID keep adding LIDs?
The USBR allows the KID to provide three and a half acre-feet of water to each of 20,201 acres within the 55,000 acre district, no matter how many ways the water is divided up. The same amount of water is provided to a home on an acre as to eight homes, each on an eighth of an acre.
What is the LID O&M? Why doesn't it go away if I pay off the LID note?
O&M stands for "Operations and Maintenance." That is separate from the capital cost associated with the LID note. Every year the LID is operated and maintained, so that cost remains even after the note is paid off.
How do I find out more about my LID?
A good place to start is to click here.