Update on Water Service Connections: Moratorium Lifted for Most Areas, Extended for Mixed-Use RAIDs

On May 21, 2026, the Juniper Beach Water District (JBWD) Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 2026/5-2, which amends our previous temporary freeze on new water service connections.

What You Need to Know:

• Moratorium Lifted for Non-RAID Areas: We are pleased to announce that our district-wide administrative audit of water service connections is now sufficiently complete. The temporary freeze has been lifted for homes outside the Mixed-Use RAIDs, and the District is actively resuming the processing of standard residential applications in these areas.

• Moratorium Extended for Mixed-Use RAIDs: The pause on accepting new Applications for Water Service Connections, Water Availability Certificates, and Water Service Availability Inquiries remains in effect for properties located within defined Mixed-Use RAIDs (Rural Center, Rural Village, and Camano Gateway Village).

• Why is the RAID Moratorium Continuing? This targeted extension aligns the District's water availability policies with Island County’s current land-use restrictions. The County recently passed Ordinance C-17-26, which extends an emergency moratorium on building applications in these specific RAID zones until October 14, 2026, to allow time for updates to the Comprehensive Plan.

• Duration: This restricted moratorium will remain in effect until October 14, 2026, to match the County's timeline, or until the JBWD Board formally adopts new administrative protocols for assigning our remaining limited connections.

• Exceptions: This extension does not impact existing, valid Committed Connections (Ready-to-Serve, Shut Off, Isolated, or Unconnected) where the connection fee has already been paid. Additionally, it does not void any applications that were properly on file prior to the passage of our original November 2025 moratorium.

For further questions about your specific property or application status, please contact the District office.

The full text of Resolution 2026/5-2 is found below.

RESOLUTION 2026/5-2

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE JUNIPER BEACH WATER DISTRICT, ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON, AMENDING RESOLUTION 2025/11-3 TO APPLY THE MORATORIUM ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW WATER SERVICE CONNECTION APPLICATIONS EXCLUSIVELY TO MIXED-USE RAIDs WHILE LIFTING THE FREEZE FOR OTHER RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

WHEREAS, the Juniper Beach Water District (“District” or “JBWD”) previously adopted Resolution 2025/11-3, which established a temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new water service connections due to discrepancies in internal tracking data and a severely limited remaining capacity out of the District's fixed 185 approved connections; and

WHEREAS, Island County recently passed Ordinance C-17-26, which extended an emergency moratorium on the acceptance, processing, review, or issuance of any land-use or building applications for construction in Mixed-Use RAIDs (Rural Center, Rural Village, and Camano Gateway Village) until October 14, 2026; and

WHEREAS, under Washington’s Municipal Water Law, water purveyors have a "Duty to Serve" new connections within their retail service area provided the request is consistent with local land-use plans and development regulations; and

WHEREAS, the County's ongoing pause on development in Mixed-Use RAIDs provides JBWD a highly defensible legal foundation to maintain a targeted water connection moratorium in those specific areas; and

WHEREAS, coordinating the District's infrastructure planning with the County's delayed Comprehensive Plan update is necessary for the RAIDs; and

WHEREAS, the district-wide administrative audit of water service connections is now sufficiently complete to safely resume processing applications outside of the RAIDs;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of the Juniper Beach Water District, Island County, Washington, as follows:

SECTION 1. AMENDMENT OF RESOLUTION 2025/11-3 AND BOUNDARIES. Resolution 2025/11-3 is hereby amended. The moratorium on the acceptance of new Applications for Water Service Connections, Water Availability Certificates, and Water Service Availability Inquiries is now restricted to apply only to properties located within the defined boundaries of the Mixed-Use RAIDs (matching the Island County map for Rural Center, Rural Village, and Camano Gateway Village zones). By doing so, the District is aligning its water availability policies with the County’s current land-use restrictions.

SECTION 2. LIFTING OF MORATORIUM FOR NON-RAID AREAS. The temporary freeze on processing standard applications for homes outside the Mixed-Use RAIDs is hereby lifted. The District shall resume processing standard applications for residential areas where county development is currently permitted.

SECTION 3. EXCEPTIONS FOR EXISTING TRANSACTIONS. Consistent with the original moratorium, this targeted extension does not apply to transactions related to existing, valid Committed Connection types (Ready-to-Serve, Shut Off, Isolated, or Unconnected) where the connection fee has been paid, nor does it void applications that were properly on file prior to the passage of Resolution 2025/11-3.

SECTION 4. DURATION. This amended moratorium established in this Resolution shall take effect immediately upon passage of this Resolution, and the moratorium shall remain in full force and effect until October 14, 2026, or until such earlier date as the JBWD Board of Commissioners formally adopts new policies and administrative protocols detailing how the remaining limited connections will be prioritized and assigned.

SECTION 5. DISSEMINATION. The District will provide notice of this Resolution and moratorium to the public via the District’s official website and to any prospective applicant inquiring about water service.  In addition, this Resolution  shall be published on the District’s website at www.juniperbeachwaterdistrict.net.

PASSED and ADOPTED this 21st day of May, 2026 and signed in authentication of its passage by the Board of Commissioners of Juniper Beach Water District, Island County, Washington, at a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.