Editor’s Note: This story is the second in a two-part series focusing on water use at the island’s athletic fields. Last week, The Beachcomber looked at the VES Fields; this week the focus is on the school district’s fields.

The Vashon Island School District is the largest water user in Water District 19, and while some are urging the district’s schools to increase their conservation measures, others say the district is doing all it can to be water wise while maintaining its athletic fields.

The issue of water use arose at last month’s school board candidate forum, when Water District 19 commissioner Jenny Bell told those gathered that the water district as a whole decreased its usage over the last 10 years by 16 percent, while school district usage went up by 11 percent in that time. Additionally, water district records show that in recent years during peak summer months, the school’s water consumption has sometimes reached nearly one-quarter of the entire water district’s usage.

“So there is a lot of fire and water,” Bell told those vying for a seat on the board, “and I want to know specifically where you stand on this issue.”

In response, most candidates spoke about education and furthering reduction efforts, but current school board member Laura Wishik focused on the necessity of irrigation, saying the majority of the water the school district uses is to water the fields, which are used extensively by both the community and the schools.

“If you beat the heck out of them without watering them, guess what, you don’t have grass,” she said. “So I think we have to figure that out. I do not think it is a simple answer.”

Documents from Water District 19 show that between 2005 and 2014, the school district typically used between 6 and 8 million gallons of water annually, the bulk of that in July and August. This year the school district used 4.8 million gallons during that two-month window, 15 percent of total water district usage.  In fact, Water District 19 General Manager Jeff Lakin said that in the summer the school district greatly exceeds the limits of its seven water shares. The school district is supposed to use no more than 5,600 gallons per day, or 341,600 gallons per two-month billing period, he noted, far less than the nearly 5 million gallons it used this July and August.

The school district’s water bills reflect that high volume of usage; as of Oct. 1, the school district had paid more than $51,000 for water so far this year, records show, with nearly $30,000 of that stemming from July and August irrigation.

Over the years, water district staff and board members have tried to work with the school district to reduce its use, Lakin said, noting that in September, he and the board sent a letter to school board members, informing them of school district water usage and suggesting that they consider water conservation as they plan for the upcoming bond.

Reached last week, school district Superintendent Michael Soltman addressed water use concerns, zeroing in on reducing irrigation needs.

“As we replace fields, we certainly should be using artificial turf, particularly in this location and with this aquifer,” he said.

He added he believes the school district is in a “Catch 22 zone” because it must protect the fields as a community asset and therefore is unable to conserve water on a large scale.

“That is why an artificial turf field is so attractive to us because that is something we can do,” he said.

Dave Wilke, the school district’s facilities director, concurred. “Absolutely, that is the way we should go,” he said.

In recent years, the school district has taken several water-saving steps, Wilke said, such as installing water-saving devices in its toilets and faucets and relying on a rainwater system to flush toilets at the new high school. But the five athletic fields, which span 11 acres, are another story. Turf grasses are high-consumptive plants, Wilke said, and there are no drought-tolerant varieties.  Furthermore, to withstand heavy use, the grass needs a deep root system — developed through fertilizing and watering in the prime growing season.

“If we are going to have usable fields from the end of August all the way through June, almost full-tilt, then the only way that works is to establish strong, healthy plants,” Wilke said.

He added that he is in favor of minimizing consumption whenever possible, but that a larger perspective is important.

“(Irrigation) is an investment in a sustainable asset for the island,” he said. “If you care for the grass well, it lives a long life. If you do not give it the care it needs, it will fall apart and stop being an asset, or you will have to spend a lot of money to bring it back to healthy.”

Regardless, Wilke said, the district takes water conservation measures into account when irrigating by watering at night and early morning and using sensors that measure rainfall and calibrate irrigation amounts accordingly.

Water district’s Lakin said he has talked with Wilke about turf maintenance and believes the district is doing a good job with the fields overall. However, the school district’s summer use of water is a  large concern for Water District 19, in part because peak use limits the district’s ability to provide water units to others. Additionally, Lakin said, the water district  is under constant pressure by both the board and state regulators to drive conservation further. To that end, Lakin warned that the water district is considering raising the rates for the school district and other users who exceed their water unit limits.

“Just know we are developing policies to establish rates for customers using more water than they signed up for,” Lakin said. “If there is a consensus among the three (board members), that is one of the common goals. They see it as an equity issue.”

Water District 19 is the largest water purveyor on the island, with 1,448 accounts. Since 1996, it has had a moratorium on new connections and has a long waiting list of people who would like to purchase water units. This spring, the board approved its report capacity analysis, which indicates it has the capability of producing nearly 200,000 gallons more than needed on a peak-use day and could consider lifting that moratorium. In fact, it released 20 water units earlier this year, including 18 that Mike Masi purchased last week to develop affordable housing near town.

The question about what the district would do with water that the school district might conserve was evident at the forum, with Bell advocating conservation and noting that island creeks had run lower and warmer last summer than they had in the previous 15 years.

Wishik challenged her conservation position: “I think this is not as straightforward an issue as it might first appear,” she said, adding. “What would make my heart feel better is if we were leaving (the water) in the ground or the streams, and I do not think that is what is going to happen. So, we need to figure it out.”

Conversations with water district officials after the forum  revealed that “figuring it out” will be a complex process and will include wide-ranging concerns, including potential climate change effects, housing issues, the implications of more people needing more water to grow food, along with how to deal with customers using more than their allocation — all issues that go far beyond the boundaries of sports fields.

“It is a convoluted subject,” Lakin said, reflecting on the whole picture. “It is a tough nut to crack.”