GENERAL INFORMATION

Where Our Irrigation Water Comes From

The source of our irrigation water is the McNary Pool which is a little over two miles north of Rancho Reata. The District owns, operates, and maintains a large pump station at the Yakima River Delta. There are a total of six vertical shaft turbine pumps comprising a total of 8,000 HP. These pumps push the water a distance of about 2.5 miles with a vertical lift of 560’ through a 4-foot diameter steel pipe to an open reservoir and nearby booster station. This main booster station pressurizes the water for all irrigated agricultural and residential properties south of Badger Mountain.
Due to the irrigation water being directly affected by the quality  of the source water coming from the Yakima River we could see worse or better water conditions from year to year. In the case of a bad year, it is very difficult to keep up the the amount of flushing our crew of 5 has to deal with. BMID has hundreds of flush points throughout the district and checks on and cleans the BMID filters on a daily basis. As BMID pre-filters the water to the extent possible, but it is essential that all irrigation customers filter their water at the point of delivery to their property (for more information about filters, see details below). Early in the irrigation season you may have to clean your filter several times, sometimes daily. As the season progresses you may be cleaning your filter less and less. If you have checked your filter and are still having issues pleas call the BMID office and we will do our best to flush in your area as soon as possible.   

Potable Water System

BMID is also your potable water purveyor. We own, operate, and maintain the drinking (potable) water system. Currently, the District serves over 850 homes (approximately 1,800 people) in the greater Rancho Reata area. The source of our drinking water is from two deep wells (905’ & 645’) that are located in the immediate area.The original water system was installed at the same time as the original irrigation system in 1976. BMID purchased this system from the El Rancho Water Company in May 1995. At that time, there were approximately 425 homes in the District service area.District personnel monitor the system daily for proper operation. Routine bacteriological tests are taken twice monthly and residual chlorine samples are taken randomly 5 days per week. In addition, numerous other water quality tests are taken as described in the annual Consumer Confidence Report.Our domestic water system also provides the necessary fire protection water to the homes in the area.