About
Since 1936, Skagit PUD has been committed to providing safe and reliable utility services to meet the current and future needs of Skagit County.
Judy Reservoir, 1965
Skagit PUD operates the county’s most extensive water system, providing nine million gallons of piped water to approximately 80,000 people every day. The PUD maintains over 650 miles of pipelines and has over 31 million gallons of storage volume.
The cities of Mount Vernon, Burlington, and Sedro-Woolley receive the majority of our water. Due to public demand for quality water, the PUD also provides service to unincorporated and remote county areas. The PUD’s service area includes part of Fidalgo Island at the county’s west end and extends east to Marblemount. The PUD’s service area starts in Alger/Lake Samish and extends south to Conway.
Our water originates in the protected Cultus Mountain watershed area east of Clear Lake. Water from this area is piped to Judy Reservoir, where it covers 148 surface acres and stores approximately 1.5 billion gallons of water. The water is then treated and filtered to meet Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, using modern water treatment technologies.
Skagit PUD is a municipal corporation governed by three elected commissioners who serve six-year terms. The commissioners represent the same geographical districts as the Skagit County commissioners. The positions are non-partisan, and elections are staggered every two years.
Resource conservation and stewardship are increasing concerns of the PUD. Recognizing the value of water resources in Skagit County, the PUD is a member of the Skagit Watershed Council and participates in protecting in-stream flows.
Whether it’s utilizing cutting-edge technologies, practicing resource management, or encouraging conservation stewardship, Skagit PUD is committed to meeting our customers’ needs.
Early Days
In 1936, the cities of Anacortes and La Conner had owned their water systems for many years, while the water systems of Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, and Burlington were privately owned. The three systems had been installed just before and during World War I. The water systems were old and barely adequate to meet the quantity needs of the communities.
For many years the water systems were owned and operated by the Oregon-Washington Water Company, a Delaware corporation. They then became the property of the People’s Water and Gas Company.
The state of Washington created the Washington Public Utility District law through the Initiative process on November 4, 1930.
On November 3, 1936, Public Utility District No. 1 of Skagit County was formed by voters with approval of 6,173 to 4,971.
The same election named Charles Nelson, John Wylie, and Monte J. King commissioners from the first, second, and third districts. All three men were Grangers.
On approximately the third anniversary of Skagit PUD’s formation, November 4, 1939, the PUD formally went into the water business with 3,000 customers.