Aquifer Protection Area Fee Included on Property Tax Bill
Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager, Public Works, No Phone Number Available
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 2:39 p.m.
As approved by voters, City of Spokane property owners this year will see an extra line item on their property tax bills to protect the region’s sole source of drinking water, the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.
Residential properties will pay a $15 annual fee, while multi-family, non-residential, and commercial properties will be assessed a fee based on their water meter size. The line item is a fee to fund specific activities allowed by state law; it is not a tax.
Voters within the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Protection Area (APA) approved the 20-year measure with a 74 percent “yes” vote in August 2025. The entire City is part of the area, and City voters were included in the vote.
“Protection of our sole source aquifer is critical to the City of Spokane because we operate the largest drinking water utility in the region,” says Mayor Lisa Brown. “I appreciate the community's support in rejoining the APA because it is important as we face new threats to the health of our sole-source aquifer by things like PFAS and other contaminants, climate change, and increased urban activities over the aquifer."
About the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie and Aquifer Protection Area
Spanning north Idaho and Eastern Washington, and directly below the ground surface of the metropolitan area of Spokane County is the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. Designated in 1978, the sole-source aquifer serves more than 500,000 people in our community today.
- Aquifer Protection Areas are authorized by state law (RCW 36.36), which allows for a dollar amount fee for withdrawal of water and/or on-site sewage disposal.
- Spokane County has had an APA since 1985.
- Multi-family and commercial properties pay a fee based on water meter size.
- APA fees for both residential and commercial properties are assessed and collected through annual Spokane County property tax bills. The fees will remain constant for the duration of the 20 years.
- The cities of Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley are also part of the County APA.
- APA funding can be used to invest in infrastructure to address pollutants of concern such as PFAS, control stormwater, deliver projects that would mitigate the impacts of climate change on the aquifer, and provide public education related to the aquifer and best management practices to protect it.
Timeline
- 1985 – Washington State Legislature approved a bill giving counties the authority to create an Aquifer Protection Area. The Spokane County Commissioners passed a resolution creating the Spokane-Rathdrum Aquifer Protection Area, allowing for the collection of fees for water withdrawal and on-site sewage disposal. In September, voters who resided within the designated area approved the measure and authorized the collection of aquifer fees for a 20-year period, from 1986 through 2005.
- 2004 – A ballot measure to renew Aquifer Protection Area fees for 20 more years was approved again by voters asked to consider the measure. The City of Spokane didn’t choose to participate at that time for various reasons such as pollutants were focused on nitrates and the City had invested in infrastructure that was treating the pollutants that were being detected at the time.
- 2025 – Spokane County asked voters to renew Aquifer Protection Area fees later this year for another 20 years. Spokane City Council adopted a resolution agreeing to join the 2026-2045 Aquifer Protection Area. Spokane County registered voters who own property in the designated Aquifer Protection Area voted to approve the annual fee by 74 percent.
- 2026-2045 – Annual fees collected from properties in the Aquifer Protection Area will be allocated to support the health of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer through infrastructure projects, monitoring, and education.
More About...
