THE KID'S CUSTOMERS
One way to categorize an irrigation district is by the type of customers they have; what they do with the water once they get it. Considered that way, the KID's customers fall into one of two categories: residential and agricultural (homes and farms).
Another way to categorize customers is by the method used to get water from the canal to the point of use. There are people who:
- don't use it at all; just let it flow by...
- do it themselves; many farmers dig ditches or run pipes from a weir box to their property...
- organize with neighbors informally to build and operate private line systems...
- organize with neighbors formally by voting to create a Local Improvement District to build and operate a system...
With continuing development around the Tri-Cities, the district is losing farms and adding residences at a startling rate. What was once a 60-acre farm can support several hundred homes. Often the property is worth far more money as a sub-division than a farm.
The change from rural (farms) to suburban (homes) creates major challenges for district planners and engineering staff. A homeowner uses water very differently than a farmer. The timing, amount and cost of water use are different. And the KID has had to scramble to keep up with the change.
Some years into a Tri-Cities' growth spurt the Kennewick Irrigation District is changing: expanding field and support staff to meet the increased demand for service, finding ways to move water allotments where they're needed and developing new ways to provide and track services and costs.
The Kennewick Irrigation District... keeping the water moving!