To the editor:

It continues to amaze me how much expertise there is here on Bainbridge Island and that the government of COBI continues to spend money for consultants and studies. All one needs to do is read letters in Bainbridge Review and everything is covered. Well…not quite…at all.

There is a letter in the current edition of the paper taking the city council to task for the building moratorium recently enacted. The writer makes it sound as though this is a permanent thing, which at the moment it certainly is not. Wisely the council has taken pause to evaluate the impact that the epidemic of development on Bainbridge Island is having. One of those impacts is water supply.

In the letter it is noted that much of the water on Bainbridge Island comes from the Olympic Peninsula via aquifers that are under “the Sound.” An interesting thought, but not likely. Definitely not under Puget Sound. That would be quite an accomplishment. The writer further states that we do not have a water emergency and that well-monitoring studies show our wells are in “good shape.” He references “municipal wells” but conveniently passes over the many private wells, of which I am a shared owner of one. Fortunately we do not at this time have a water emergency. But if we ever achieve that distinction it will not matter how much value was in a home. There will then be none. Who wants a house with no water supply?

And in the study to which the writer I believe was referring it was noted that the water supply was deemed good (as far as they could tell and based on development then taking place) until 2035. The magnitude of development since then I suspect would bring that exhaust date much closer to today if a study was done again. And there is only conjecture about Olympic Peninsula water in Bainbridge aquifers, not absolute certainty.

I commend the Bainbridge council for their courage and foresight in putting a hold (note that I did not say termination) on development. Ignorance is not always bliss and our water resource is worthy of their considered oversight.

NORMAN MARTEN

Bainbridge Island