Water System Name:
Resort and Marina Water System
DOH Water System ID: 364211
Max Depth: 161 ft.
Depth to First Interval: 149 ft.
System Owner: West Bay Water Company
(a subsidiary of John Wayne Enterprises)
John Wayne Enterprises (JWE)][a subsidiary of: John Wayne Enterprises (JWE)]
Water Manager:
Mike Thomas | mikethom55@gmail.com
Components:
- Sources: primary well (S02), a disconnected emergency well (S01), and 6 inactive wells.
- Two Pumphouses
- Resevoir
- Distribution System
Connections:
- 28 full-time residential connections
- 1 vacation rental
- 3 non-residential connections including the marina and RV Park.
Who Is Responsible for Our Water System?
Although our neighborhood is located within the City of Sequim, our drinking water is currently supplied by the privately owned Resort and Marina Water System, operated by West Bay Water Company—not by the City.
This distinction is important because city boundaries and water utility service boundaries are not necessarily the same.
Who Oversees What?
| Agency or Organization | Primary Responsibility |
|---|---|
| West Bay Water Company | Owns and operates the Resort and Marina drinking water system. |
| Washington Department of Health (DOH) | Oversees drinking water safety, sanitary surveys, system compliance, and enforcement of drinking water regulations. |
| Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) | Administers state water rights and water resource management. |
| City of Sequim | Oversees municipal planning and infrastructure within its authority, including potential future connections to the City's water system. |
| Clallam County | Has responsibilities under applicable county laws and programs, but is not the primary regulator of this Group A drinking water system. |
What Is WRIA 17?
Our neighborhood is within Water Resource Inventory Area 17 (WRIA 17), also known as the Quilcene-Snow watershed.
WRIAs are geographic areas used by Washington State to organize watershed and water-resource management. They do not replace city or county government boundaries.
Ecology administers state water-right requirements, while DOH regulates the safety of our public drinking water system.
Why Aren't We Connected to City Water?
The City's 2023 Water System Plan identifies a possible future connection, or intertie, with the Resort and Marina system.
The plan anticipates an intertie when City water mains reach the existing system's boundary.
However, planning for a connection is not the same as completing one. The timing, necessary agreements, infrastructure improvements, funding sources, and allocation of costs still require clarification.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding which agencies and organizations are responsible helps residents direct questions to the appropriate decision-makers and participate more effectively in discussions about our water system's future.
It is particularly important as our neighborhood seeks answers about when a connection to City water could occur, who would fund the required infrastructure, and how any costs would be allocated among affected parties.
Areas of Confusion and Unresolved Questions
1. Well Depth Discrepancy
Different measurements of Well S02 appear in historical records maintained by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the Department of Health (DOH).
- Ecology: 161 feet — total completed well depth reported in a historical drilling record believed to correspond to S02.
- DOH: 149 feet — depth to the first open interval listed in the Water Facilities Inventory.
These measurements describe different characteristics of a well and are not necessarily contradictory.
However, the different figures can make it more difficult to match historical drilling records, identify the correct well, and trace its associated water-right documentation.
Unresolved question: Have DOH and Ecology conclusively matched S02 (Well #2, tag AHM612) to its original drilling record and applicable water-right documents?
2. Well Location Discrepancy
The available records contain different legal land descriptions for what may be the same well.
| Record | Legal location |
|---|---|
| DOH Water Facilities Inventory | SE ¼ SW ¼, Section 27, T30N, R3W |
| Ecology Well Report #52684 | NE ¼ SW ¼, Section 27, T30N, R3W |
Both locations are in Section 27, Township 30 North, Range 3 West, but they identify different quarter-quarter sections.
Ecology Well Report #52684 appears to be a probable match for S02 based on its historical drilling information. However, that identification has not yet been conclusively verified.
Unresolved question: Which legal description accurately identifies S02's physical location, and can the agencies confirm that Ecology Well Report #52684 corresponds to DOH Source S02?
3. Well Identification and Nomenclature
DOH and Ecology use different identifiers in their records. DOH identifies water sources using source numbers such as S01 and S02, while historical well records also use designations such as Well #1 and Well #2.
The following table summarizes the available information.
| Information | Primary Well | Emergency Well |
|---|---|---|
| DOH Source Number | S02 | S01 |
| Ecology Well Tag | AHM612 | AHM611 |
| Historical Well Depth | 161 feet | 262 feet |
| Original Drilling Name | Sequim Bay Land Partnership* | Wayne Enterprises |
| Historical Drilling Date | 1977 | 1984 |
| Status in 2026 DOH Survey | Primary source | Physically disconnected |
The DOH historical sanitary survey records provide the following description:
“S02 well #2 was drilled Nov. 1977 under the name Sequim Bay Land Partnership, 8" casing, 161' deep, perforations 121' to 125', screens 151' to 161'.”
Source: DOH Historical Sanitary Survey Records — Resort and Marina (PDF)
Important clarification: Ecology Well Report #52684 is a probable match for S02 based on the historical drilling information, but this connection has not yet been conclusively verified.
Unresolved question: Can DOH and Ecology confirm the correspondence between the DOH source numbers, Ecology well tags, historical drilling records, and associated water-right documents?
Why These Discrepancies Matter
Accurately identifying the wells is important for tracing their construction histories, determining which water-right documents apply to them, and evaluating the water system's regulatory compliance.
These discrepancies do not, by themselves, establish a violation or prove that a well lacks a valid water right. They identify questions that warrant clarification from the responsible agencies.
Separately, the March 2026 DOH sanitary survey states that the system's primary source lacks primary water rights. That finding should be evaluated alongside the historical records and any subsequent agency clarification.
Read the evidence in context
Missing information is not proof of a particular conclusion. If you spot an error or have a source that adds context, please flag it.