Kira Erickson reports from the Island County Commissioners work session of Wed., Feb. 12, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
With the comprehensive plan update and the need to plan for more growth, Island County officials are considering how best to serve a denser population in Freeland. But a lot of money has already been spent exploring ideas, including a sewer system, and there are no clear solutions in sight.
Earlier this month, the county commissioners discussed Freeland, the county’s only urban growth area, with Long Range Planning staff during a work session. Freeland is currently served by the Freeland Water and Sewer District, which in 2019 abandoned its plans to build a sewer after more than a dozen years of investigation.
The water district’s board of commissioners cited capital and operating costs that were too high for the community to bear along with a lack of a satisfactory economic solution to dispose of the treated water as reasons for not moving forward.
Now, the county’s Long Range Planning staff are reviewing these previous efforts – which cost over $1.8 million in funds from the state Department of Ecology – to determine if installing a sewer system in Freeland is possible.
They Said It
“My team has been looking at what’s it going to take to get a sewer so we can achieve the maximum densities and fully utilize this UGA as it was envisioned under the last zoning code changes that happened,” Assistant Director Emily Neff told the county commissioners.
“There could be water quality benefits to moving multiple smaller septic systems to a larger more sophisticated treatment system,” Long Range Planning’s memo stated. “Ecology funding is available for transitioning individual septic systems to a community system to improve water quality.”
Discharging into Holmes Harbor has been studied before and is not a feasible option because it lacks water quality that would support wastewater outfall, Neff told the commissioners.
“I don’t see all of Freeland and all of Freeland’s future density being served by this existing small [the Holmes Harbor Sewer District, which has an approved discharge permit] sure, but maybe it could be a partnership where they could serve some of the growth,” Neff said.
Public Health Director Shawn Morris said in an email that the goal is to identify innovative technologies and systems that can support affordable housing.
“This [comprehensive study to explore wastewater treatment solutions] aligns with the county’s efforts to promote sustainable development and improve wastewater infrastructure,” he said. “The comprehensive study will include case studies, extensive research, partner engagement and accompanying policy and regulatory recommendations.”
