POULSBO — Despite drought warnings, Kitsap County will not likely see the same water restrictions as other jurisdictions this summer.

But officials say there are still things locals could do to ensure that’s the case for many more years to come.

Governor Christine Gregoire declared a statewide drought emergency earlier this month — likening this year’s dry conditions to a situation that devastated the state 27 years ago. Even with the heavy rains expected in the coming months, monitors say conditions are not expected to improve due to extremely low snowpack and reservoir levels.

Areas as close as Tacoma and as far away as Yakima are already making plans to meet the crisis with stern regulations for their citizens. Kitsap, on the other hand, does not have the same concerns. Citizens are supplied not through surface water reservoirs like snowpack and stream flows but through groundwater reservoirs called aquifers. The only exception is Bremerton, which uses a mixture of the two. Aquifers are recharged by surface water slowly percolating through the ground and can store water for a longer range.

“We have a buffer,” Kitsap Public Utilities District hydrologist Martin Sebren explained. “We already have water stored for years and years and that’s what’s going to carry us through this with pretty good results.”

While surface water jurisdictions in Washington are seeing 20 percent and higher deficits of water going into this summer, Sebren said water levels in Kitsap aquifers are within the same range they have been the past 10-20 years. But hydrologists also know that aquifers don’t last forever. The PUD constantly monitors local reservoirs for pumping capacity trying to determine the life span of Kitsap’s sources.

“But the ultimate answer for how much is there and how many people we can sustain still eludes us,” Sebren said.

In light of that, Poulsbo Public Works Director Jeff Lincoln said this summer will be less of a crisis and more of an opportunity for Kitsap County. Heightened public interest of the drought means officials can offer citizens education about Kitsap’s unique water system and its limitations.

“We’re concerned primarily about water conservation in general because water in the Kitsap Peninsula is not an indefinite resource,” he commented.

“The major purveyors will all be encouraging people to be conscientious and conservative with their water use,” Sebren added.

For jurisdictions like Poulsbo, water capacity is measured by draw capacity (how much water the wells can draw) and by water rights (how much water the jurisdiction is allowed to draw). Lincoln estimates Poulsbo has enough draw to serve 10,000-11,000 residents, which he believes will take the current wells to somewhere between 2013-2019. A new well can be brought on relatively quickly as long as there is money available, as seen with the new Westside Well. But when it comes to acquiring more water rights, that process can take years and does not always end in success.

“What we need to do in Poulsbo is start stretching our per capita use so we can put off when we have to take that step,” Lincoln said.

Besides asking citizens to do their part, jurisdictions are also starting to plan for the longer-term life of their reservoirs. Lincoln said increased impervious surface from new construction hinders stormwater’s ability to recharge aquifers, which is one reason Poulsbo is looking into low impact development. All Kitsap cities also take part in the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) #15, a representative group that meets to discuss water issues in common and plan for water needs on a more regional basis.

“That is one of the ways of involving all of us in this process and working together toward more exploration of conservation and more concern over fresh water,” Lincoln said.

Conservation or not, one place this summer’s drought may be felt in Kitsap is in areas where people draw water from shallow wells. The City of Poulsbo and KPUD use a combination of wells that range from a couple hundred feet deep to several hundred feet deep. In comparison, private residential wells may be less than 100 feet deep. As the summer wears on toward the peak use times and less rain is recharging aquifers, the reservoir levels may lower. Sebren said when that happens, those with shallow wells may notice pumping problems, which will likely subside once the levels rise with more rain.

“But these things will be very site specific,” he commented.

* Next issue: Water wise tips for your home, car and garden.