BOARD OF EQUALIZATION

If you meet the requirements as outlined in the Board of Equalization policy and want to have your property evaluated, please submit a letter of request to BMID Board of Equalization. This letter may be sent at anytime during the year but must be in the BMID office by November 15th. The Board of Equalization meets once a year at 1pm on the first Wednesday in December.

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION POLICY

Any requests for Adjustment of Irrigable Acreages will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• No adjustment will be made on areas of less than ¼ acre.

• Adjustment based upon slope requires a slope greater than 45%.

• Adjustment based upon land type e.g. too rocky will be evaluated with respect to the land being unsuitable for grazing or for any crop.

• Any land previously equalized out of the District, which is later irrigated without advance permission from the District, will be subject to retroactive assessments to the time of equalization and all applicable penalties.

Noted as part of the minutes of the regular board meeting held on February 7, 2001.

 

IRRIGATION POLICIES

A Resolution of the Board of Directors of Badger Mountain Irrigation District establishing the Residential Irrigation Water Distribution Regulations.

• Watering is encouraged between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. to minimize evaporative losses.
• Over-watering due to prolonged irrigation, blown sprinkler heads and or leaks should be avoided. Some examples of over-watering are: ponding of water or run-off onto the street. The District recommends that irrigation customers adhere to local best management practices for turf watering. BMID customers are encouraged to seek advice from local soil conservation Districts, WSU Extension Service and local sod companies. If over-watering continues to occur after written notification by BMID, the District reserves the right to terminate the situation by shutting off the service outlet. A $60.00 disconnect/reconnect fee will be charged before service is restored.
• Every lot must have a distribution box and valve accessible by the District. Valves and equipment within distribution boxes are the property of the District. Irrigation customers are to supply their own emergency shut-off valve somewhere downstream of the District-owned distribution outlet. No person or persons other than District personnel shall operate equipment within the distribution boxes. No changes or alterations are allowed within BMID valve boxes.

The following is a summary of the District’s billing and notice procedures:

January 15 
On or before January 15, the District Secretary-Manager determines the assessment roll or the respective segregation. (RCW87.03.270 1st paragraph)

February 15 
Assessments due and payable (RCW 87.03.270, 1st paragraph)

March 15 – April 15 
Water Service begins. No service if prior year is unpaid.

April 1 
By April 1, the Treasurer of the District shall send a statement of assessments due. (RCW 87.03.270, 4th paragraph)

April 30th 
Last day for receipt of first half irrigation assessments (Irrigated and Non-Irrigated) to be received before assessments become delinquent. Payment for the first half must be received at the BMID District office by this date or they will be considered delinquent. Or if mailed in, payment must be postmarked by April 30. If the first half assessment is not paid by April 30, the entire assessment is delinquent and then becomes due and payable. However, if the first half payment is received by this date, the second half of the assessment will not be due and payable until October 31. First half assessments are only applicable to assessments of ten dollars ($10.00) or more. Payment for the second half of the assessment must be received at the BMID office by no later than October 31. Payments received after this date are considered delinquent. Or if mailed in, mail-in payments must be postmarked by October 31 to avoid being delinquent. (RCW 87.03.270, 2nd paragraph and RCW 1.12.070)

May 1 
First half assessments if not paid by April 30 are delinquent on the first day of May and the entire assessment shall bear interest at the rate of twelve (12%/annum) computed on a monthly basis and without compounding, from the date of the delinquency until paid. (RCW 87.03.270, 2nd.paragraph)

May 15 – 30 
Water is terminated between May 15 and May 30 if the first half or the full
assessment is not paid. A $60.00 disconnect/reconnect fee will be charged
in addition to the assessment due along with accrued interest. Full
payment is required prior to the restoration of irrigation service.

September 15 – 30th 
A notice will be mailed to all lots/parcels that have the second half balance
due.

October 31st 
Assessments for the second half are due and payable for all irrigated and
non-irrigated parcels. (RCW 87.03.270, 2nd paragraph)

November 1st 
Second half assessments shall become delinquent on the first day of
November and shall bear interest at the rate of twelve (12%) per annum
computed on a monthly basis and without compounding, from the date of
the delinquency (November 1) until paid. (RCW 87.03.270, 2nd paragraph)

WHEREAS, the District has an obligation to actively seek collection for irrigation assessments in the same budget year the costs have been incurred.
WHEREAS, the District has a policy to discontinue irrigation service to residential parcels during the same irrigation season for non-payment of assessments and,
WHEREAS, residential parcels are typically less than 10 acres and,
WHEREAS, the annual delivery of irrigation water (Irrigation Season) generally may begin as early as March 15th and ends no later than October 31st of each year.
ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the Badger Mountain Irrigation District, Benton County Washington at a regular open meeting, on the 5TH day of August 2009.

DOMESTIC BILLING POLICY

Original bills: Customer has up to 24 days to pay from date billed.

Second notice: If origional bill remains unpaid after 24 days from the date billed, a second is issued.  Customers has up to 14 days (2 weeks) to pay their account in full.

If the second notice remains unpaid after 14 days from date of second notice, customer accounts are then charged with a disconnect notice charge (orange door hanger) and have up to 9 days to pay, or BMID reserves the right to shut-off water service to those customers.

Badger Mountain Irrigation District has the authority to terminate water service to any account that has an outstanding balance at the end of the billing cycle.

Adopted by the Board of Directors on February 5, 2003.

ENCROACHMENT POLICY

1.0  Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the protection of District-owned underground infrastructure.  Specifically, this policy is intended to protect the underground BMID-owned pipe valves, fittings and appurtenances but also the private property through which these easements run by establishing standard dimensions of easements and bury depths (depth of cover) over the pipe distribution systems. (RCW 58.17.310)

2.0  Definitions:

Encroachment is defined as any placement or construction of a permanent structure or excessive excavation or filling on the existing grade within a BMID pipe easement: A permanent structure is defined as a house, garage, shop, tennis court, underground swimming pool, keystone block or structural concrete blocks or walls, underground fish pond/waterfall feature, wood decks, or large structural pergolas requiring embedded treated wood columns. The planting and placement of large trees, shrubs or hedges will also not be allowed within BMID easements without prior approval from the District. Exempt structures or items are defined as City or County Roads, private driveways generally perpendicular to the easement, decorative curbing crossing the easement, corrals and fences and other buried utilities crossing under or over the District’s easement and pipeline.

Easements are defined as narrow strips of land designed and recorded on all lots, blocks or parcels of land that provide for the routing and placement of underground utilities.

All BMID underground pipe, valves, fittings and appurtenances shall be protected on all sides by an easement. Specifically, underground pipe, valves and appurtenances shall be situated horizontally and vertically within either a 10-foot or 20-foot wide easement depending on the size and type of pipe. (See 5.0 below)  An easement allows for the unencumbered ingress and egress of District personnel for the purpose of the operation, maintenance, modification, inspection and repair of these various District-owned assets.

Depth of cover means that distance from the finish grade to the top of pipe. Horizontal dimensions of pipe cover vary according to the diameter and type of pipe. (See Fig. 1).The minimum and maximum depth of cover is defined in Sections 4.0- 5.0.

3.0  Procedure: These standards shall become part of the BMID Standard Construction

Standards for both the Irrigation and Domestic pipe distribution systems.

4.0  Standard Dimensions: Easements / Depth of Cover

All BMID easements are either 10-feet wide or 20-feet wide.

Ten foot wide easements are reserved for sub-main, water distribution piping typically along residential lot lines or within public street right of ways.. Typical pipe sizes within these easements shall be from 1-inch to 12 inch diameter. There are some exceptions were larger diameter pipe is allowed.

Twenty-foot easements are intended for large diameter, high-pressure distribution/transmission mains (typically irrigation).

These distribution mains are high pressure, larger bore pipe ranging in size from 6-inch to 48-inch diameter. Pipe material is welded steel.

Depth of Cover:

The minimum depth of cover over a BMID domestic water line is 4.0 feet. (48 inches)

The minimum depth of cover over a BMID irrigation pipe is 2.5 feet. (30 inches)

The maximum depth of cover for any pipe is 5.0 feet. (60 inches).

The minimum lateral distances (protective pipe envelope) of backfill for each pipe is shown in Figure 1.  These distances are measured from the point of tangency from the outside of the pipe wall.

Note:  Minimum depth of cover underneath street varies according to jurisdiction. (City of Richland or Benton County Public Works)

 

5.0  Pipe Classifications:

High Pressure Distribution Main (100-250 psi)

Material:  Welded Steel, 6”- 48” diameter

Service: Irrigation

Standard Easement Width: 20-feet

Reduced Pressure Sub-Mains (60 – 110 psi)

Material: PVC, 2” – 14” diameter

Service: Irrigation and Domestic

Standard Easement Width: Either 10-foot or 20-foot depending on pipe size and

location.

Transmission / Distribution Mains

Material: PVC / Asbestos-Cement, 6” – 12” diameter

Service: Domestic

Standard Easement Width: 10-feet

Service Lines

Material: PVC, Copper or HDPE Poly 1” – 1.5” diameter

Service: Domestic

Standard Easement Width: 10-feet

6.0  Figure 1 (Attached)

Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Badger mountain Irrigation District, Benton County Washington at a regular open meeting on the 7^th. Day of August 2013.