Require Independent Baseline Test Before Spokane County Approves Large Load Data Centers
The Issue
I stood before the Spokane County Commissioners and asked a simple question: before approving a large load data center project, will this county require a real groundwater and private well baseline?
That means measuring groundwater levels, well yield and flow, iron, manganese, nitrate and nitrite, conductivity, and total dissolved solids. Qualified independent professionals should design and conduct the assessment, with water samples analyzed by accredited laboratories. Existing West Plains groundwater studies can provide useful context, but the county needs to demonstrate that the information is sufficient to evaluate this specific site and the wells that could be affected.
Once clearing, grading, or construction begins, it becomes much harder for families to establish what changed and when. If a private well’s water level drops, water quality shifts, or contamination is detected, residents should have credible records showing conditions before development began. Families should not have to build that evidence after a problem appears.
I am asking the Spokane County Board of Commissioners to adopt enforceable requirements for independent groundwater and private well baseline testing within at least a 2 mile radius of the proposed project’s property boundaries. This assessment must be completed before approving any large load data center project in the West Plains, and before any clearing, grading, or construction begins. The study area should extend farther wherever groundwater conditions indicate potential impacts beyond that distance.
Developers should fund the assessment, with independent oversight and no testing costs passed to participating well owners. Testing should account for seasonal changes and local groundwater conditions, include private wells within the study area with owners’ permission, and establish ongoing monitoring so changes can be identified. Results should be publicly available while protecting residents’ personal information.
Protecting people starts with measuring conditions before anything changes. If you believe private well owners and groundwater users deserve real protection before major development moves forward, please sign and share this petition. Tell the Spokane County Commissioners to make independent baseline testing a requirement.
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The Issue
I stood before the Spokane County Commissioners and asked a simple question: before approving a large load data center project, will this county require a real groundwater and private well baseline?
That means measuring groundwater levels, well yield and flow, iron, manganese, nitrate and nitrite, conductivity, and total dissolved solids. Qualified independent professionals should design and conduct the assessment, with water samples analyzed by accredited laboratories. Existing West Plains groundwater studies can provide useful context, but the county needs to demonstrate that the information is sufficient to evaluate this specific site and the wells that could be affected.
Once clearing, grading, or construction begins, it becomes much harder for families to establish what changed and when. If a private well’s water level drops, water quality shifts, or contamination is detected, residents should have credible records showing conditions before development began. Families should not have to build that evidence after a problem appears.
I am asking the Spokane County Board of Commissioners to adopt enforceable requirements for independent groundwater and private well baseline testing within at least a 2 mile radius of the proposed project’s property boundaries. This assessment must be completed before approving any large load data center project in the West Plains, and before any clearing, grading, or construction begins. The study area should extend farther wherever groundwater conditions indicate potential impacts beyond that distance.
Developers should fund the assessment, with independent oversight and no testing costs passed to participating well owners. Testing should account for seasonal changes and local groundwater conditions, include private wells within the study area with owners’ permission, and establish ongoing monitoring so changes can be identified. Results should be publicly available while protecting residents’ personal information.
Protecting people starts with measuring conditions before anything changes. If you believe private well owners and groundwater users deserve real protection before major development moves forward, please sign and share this petition. Tell the Spokane County Commissioners to make independent baseline testing a requirement.
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Petition created on October 5, 2026