Water wait won’t hurt

Lacey Mayor Graeme Sackrison said today, that a delay by the Department of Ecology on the city’s efforts  to obtain the old brewery’s water rights, won’t cause any harm to the city.

“We’ve already been through part of the process,” Sackrison said.  “The delay shouldn’t cause us any harm.”

Along with Olympia and Tumwater, Lacey has applied to obtain the water rights from the old Olympia Brewery.   The three cities have already paid more than $5 million for those rights which amount to 775 acre feet for Lacey.

The Department of Ecology had until Friday to make the determination but has asked for a 30 day extension.   The new deadline will be in October.

If the city’s water right application is approved, it will give Lacey enough water for 2400 more connections.

The city has six other water right applications before Ecology and expects at least two of them to be approved by year’s end.  One of them for the Betti well in Hawks Prairie will provide enough water to serve 5000 more connections.