Water Resources > Measuring Water Use
Measuring Water Use
Source Water Measuring
The measurement of ground water withdrawals or surface water diversions, commonly referred to as source metering, involves the installation of gauges or other measurement devices where
water is withdrawn from the ground or diverted from surface water to
determine how much water is being used.
Purpose
Measuring water at the source of a surface water diversion or ground
water withdrawal before the water is put to beneficial use is essential to effectively
manage water supplies. Successful water supply management requires
knowing how much water is actually being used and whether there is any
more water in specific areas
available for new uses.
Technical Requirements for Measuring Devices
The following two "Technical Requirements" documents are
intended to assist users in understanding the most important
portions of the rule and do not include all the requirements
from the rule. For additional detail and information on
requirements, see "Requirements
for Measuring and Reporting Water Use," WAC 173-173.
Types of measuring devices
SCADA is the acronym for Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition systems. SCADA is electronic and capable of
automation from the basic level to a very high level of
sophistication. SCADA systems can be used on both pressurized
systems and open channel (canal) systems.
Meter Vendors and Installers
The following list of meter vendors and installers includes those
who have received training on the Water Metering Program of the
Washington State Department of Ecology. This training included
the technical requirements for assessing a system and selecting a
meter of the type and style for accurately measuring water. The
meter distributors and representatives, Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) distributors and representatives are also
listed.
Reporting Forms and Instructions
System Information Form
Water Use recording and reporting Form
Submittal of Water Use
Measurement Data 
You can use the following links to an online form for data
submittal:
Yakima River Basin Metering and Reporting
Applying for Cost-Sharing for Water Measuring Devices
Money was appropriated by the Legislature to Ecology for
cost-sharing the purchase and installation of measuring devices.
Ecology has entered into agreements with Conservation Districts
in some areas to accept applications and distribute the money
through cost-share contracts.
To find out if the
Conservation District in your area participates, this link
Washington State
Conservation Commission has the websites, e-mail addresses,
and phone numbers of all Conservation Districts in the State of
Washington. Locate the Conservation District in your area
on the link and ask the District if they are participating in
the cost-share program.
FAQ - Grants for Cost-Sharing for Water
Measuring Devices
The only requirement is that an applicant must
have a valid water right claim, permit, certificate, or adjudicated
certificate for the point of diversion or withdrawal. In the Yakima Basin
Adjudication, water users must have a valid water right recognized in the
Conditional Final Order for the sub-basin where the diversion is located.
Application Form and Instructions
Benefits of Measuring Water Use
Measuring water use benefits the public in many ways, such as:
- Informing water users how much water they are using, which allows them to better manage their water use.
- Providing a tool for ensuring compliance with water rights and increasing fairness among users who measure and those who don’t.
- Supplying information for water resource planning and management.
- Ensuring the individual users stay within the water right held by the user
Does the benefit of this rule outweigh the costs?
RCW 34.05.328(1)(c) requires that, prior to the adoption of certain
rules, a determination be made that "...the probable benefits of the
rule are greater than its probable costs..." A cost-benefit
analysis of this rule was performed and is available in the following
document: "Evaluation of Probable
Benefits and Costs (83 KB PDF)
The State Water Code, Chapter 90.03 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW)
The water measuring law is found at
RCW 90.03.360, Controlling works and measuring devices -- Metering of
diversions -- Impact on fish stock. In 1993, the legislature
added metering to the water code and now requires measuring of all surface
water diversions. The Department of Ecology (Ecology)
must require measuring as a condition for all new surface water right
permits and for existing water rights that meet at least one of the following
criteria:
- Surface water diversions greater than one cubic feet of water per second, or
- Diversions and withdrawals
from surface and ground water sources that support fish stocks classified
as critical or depressed by the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife.
Since the addition of metering to the water code, Ecology has been
requiring measuring devices and recording and reporting requirements on
all surface water withdrawals larger than one cubic foot per second. Since
1999, Ecology has also been requiring measuring devices on all new water
rights for surface and ground water withdrawals, as well as on changes,
transfers and enforcement actions.
If approved by the Yakima Superior Court, all remaining surface
water diverters not already required to measure and report to the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be required by court order to
measure and report water use to the Department of Ecology. The order
will apply to all diversions that divert greater than one cubic foot
per second, to include diverters with individual water rights from a
diversion in common with other water right holders.
The Rule Chapter 173-173 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC)
Requirements for Measuring
and Reporting Water Use, Chapter 173-173 WAC became effective on
January 21, 2002. The new rule replaced 1969 rule
(Chapter 508-64 WAC). The rule specifies:
- Who must measure and when it is required.
- Specific data collection and reporting requirements.
- The frequency of recording measurements based on the size of
the diversion or withdrawal.
- Technical requirements for both open channel and pipe
diversions that establish standards of acceptability for measuring
devices and methods.
- Requirements for using indirect measurement methods instead of
using direct measuring devices.
What is the purpose of this rule?
Ecology's purpose for this rule is to establish requirements for measuring and reporting water use:
- This rule establishes standards of acceptability for measuring devices
and methods, as well as requirements for recording and reporting water use
data.
- All measuring devices or measuring methods required to be installed
under this rule must conform to requirements for measuring devices
and methods described in this rule or other methods approved by
Ecology.
What is the statutory authority for this rule?
What are the goals of this rule?
-
To ensure the reliable, accurate measurement of state water that is
diverted, withdrawn, stored and used so that sound decisions may be
made in administering state water laws and regulations.
- The following are specific goals for the enforcement of water
measurement and the reporting of measurement data:
- determining whether water is available for appropriation
- assessing and enforcing water rights compliance
- understanding the hydrology of surface and ground waters
- protecting instream resources
- managing and planning the state's watersheds
- informing water users about how much and when water is used
Compliance Plan
Background and history of the metering law and rule
In March 1999, American Rivers, the Center for
Environmental Law and Policy, Washington Environmental Council, Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, and the Institute for
Fisheries Resources filed suit (565
KB PDF) against Ecology for not complying with the 1993 water
measuring law.
A summary judgment (307 KB PDF) was filed in March
2000. A summary judgment is a procedural tool that is used to settle
a controversy without a trial.
In December 2000, the Thurston County
Superior Court issued a final ruling (661 KB PDF) in
this case. The court ordered Ecology to submit a Compliance
Plan (77 KB PDF), which was done on March 30, 2001. It describes how Ecology will bring
its water compliance program into line with the state water measuring law
by December 31, 2002. The Compliance Plan is discussed below.
- Measuring Lawsuit
American Rivers, et al. vs. Dept. of Ecology March 1999
(565 KB PDF)
- Summary Judgment
American Rivers, et al. vs. Dept. of Ecology March 2000 (307 KB PDF)
- Measuring Ruling
American Rivers, et al. vs. Dept. of Ecology December 2000
(661 KB PDF)
How the new rule was implemented
The
March 2001Compliance Plan
(77 KB PDF) calls for the water users comprising the top 80
percent of total water use in 16 fish critical
watersheds (288 KB PDF) to conform their
measuring and reporting practices with the requirements of the new water
measuring rule. It only affected a small percentage of water-right holders statewide
(approximately 1000).
The majority of those water users already measured their water, such as
public utilities and large agricultural operations.
Orders were mailed to all those water-right holders identified as
using 80% of the water in the fish critical watersheds.
Additionally, under Chapter 173-173 WAC, Ecology
now requires water right holders
requesting changes or extensions to existing rights to measure and report
in some circumstances.
Links
Contacts
