Determine permit-exempt well withdrawal limits in Washington State
domain: ecology.wa.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Confirm the well qualifies under an RCW 90.44.050 exempt use category (single/group domestic supply, stock watering, non-commercial lawn/garden irrigation, etc.)
Check the general statutory single-domestic exempt cap against any tighter basin-specific rule
Verify whether the well falls within a Water Resource Inventory Area that imposes its own reduced allocation for new permit-exempt wells (some WRIAs limit new domestic wells well below the general statewide figure)
Document the applicable gallons-per-day limit before construction begins
Advise the owner that withdrawals exceeding the applicable exempt threshold require a water right permit
Known gotchas
The commonly cited statutory ceiling is a general figure, not a guarantee; many WRIAs impose materially lower limits or metering/seasonal conditions for new wells, especially following post-2018 Streamflow Restoration Act rule changes
Limits often differ for new versus pre-existing wells in the same basin, so a neighboring older well's usage is not a valid precedent
Exceeding the applicable exempt threshold without a water right is a legal violation, not merely an administrative issue
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