Permit-Exempt Wells in Washington State: What Spokane-Area Property Owners Should Know
Most single-family wells in Spokane County never need a formal water right permit, but the rules are not identical everywhere in the county. This page covers the 5,000 gallon rule, the watershed streamflow fee, and the well report lookup.
What Counts as a Permit-Exempt Well
Under RCW 90.44.050, Washington exempts certain groundwater withdrawals from needing a formal water right permit: stockwatering, lawn or noncommercial garden irrigation not exceeding half an acre, single or group domestic use not exceeding 5,000 gallons a day, and industrial use not exceeding 5,000 gallons a day. That exemption is why most single-family domestic wells in Spokane County never need a separate water right application. It is the baseline rule most rural Washington homeowners operate under. It does not exempt the well construction process itself, covered next, or use beyond the stated limits.
The Streamflow Restoration Act and Spokane County's Watersheds
Spokane County spans six Water Resource Inventory Areas, or WRIAs, listed in the table below. Washington's Streamflow Restoration Act, RCW 90.94, does not treat all six the same way, and this is the single most important regulatory distinction on this page.
RCW 90.94 names WRIA 55 as the only Spokane County watershed it actually covers. There, a new permit-exempt domestic well tied to a new building permit either pays a one-time 500 dollar fee and accepts a maximum annual-average domestic-use limit of 3,000 gallons per day per connection, recorded on the property title, or obtains a streamflow mitigation certificate instead, which waives the fee. The governing instream flow rule for WRIA 55 is WAC 173-555.
WRIA 57, which includes the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, is governed separately under WAC 173-557 and is not part of RCW 90.94 at all. A new permit-exempt well drawing from that basin instead participates in Ecology's water bank rather than paying the WRIA 55 fee. WRIA 34, 43, 54, and 56 have no adopted streamflow rule and keep the full, unmodified 5,000 gallon-per-day exemption, with no added fee and no reduced limit.
| WRIA | Watershed | Streamflow Rule |
|---|---|---|
| WRIA 34 | Palouse | No adopted rule; full 5,000 gpd exemption |
| WRIA 43 | Upper Crab Creek | No adopted rule; full 5,000 gpd exemption |
| WRIA 54 | Lower Spokane River | No adopted rule; full 5,000 gpd exemption |
| WRIA 55 | Little Spokane River | RCW 90.94 / WAC 173-555: $500 fee or mitigation certificate; 3,000 gpd limit |
| WRIA 56 | Hangman Creek (Latah) | No adopted rule; full 5,000 gpd exemption |
| WRIA 57 | Middle Spokane River (incl. SVRP Aquifer) | WAC 173-557 water bank; not under RCW 90.94; no fee |
Confirm a specific parcel's WRIA with Ecology's Watershed Look-up tool or Spokane County's SCOUT map before relying on a fee as certain.
The Notice of Intent and Well Construction Fees
Every well construction or decommissioning project requires a Notice of Intent under WAC 173-160-151, filed with Washington Ecology at least 72 hours before work begins. The notice covers the well's location, quarter-quarter section, township and range, proposed use, timing, and the contractor's registration and license information. Current state well construction fees run 200 dollars per well with a top casing diameter under 12 inches, 300 dollars per well at 12 inches or greater, 40 dollars for up to four ground source heat pump borings per project with 10 dollars for each additional boring, and 50 dollars to decommission a well.
Can You Drill Your Own Well in Washington
Under RCW 18.104.180, Washington exempts an individual drilling on their own land for a farm or home from needing the well operator's license a paid contractor must hold. That exemption is narrower than it sounds: the owner still must meet every other requirement, including construction standards, the well construction fee, and the same Notice of Intent. In practice, most property owners hire a licensed contractor instead.
What a Well Report (Well Log) Can Tell You
A well report, also called a well log, is the construction record a licensed driller files with Washington Ecology after finishing a well. Ecology's free public Well Report Viewer lets anyone search by address, owner name, or parcel, returning depth, the rock and soil layers the driller passed through, and the well's tested water yield. The coverage caveat matters: the database only holds reports for wells with a submitted report, and the older a well is, the smaller the chance Ecology has one on file.
The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer
The EPA designated the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer a Sole Source Aquifer on February 9, 1978, only the second aquifer in the nation to receive that designation, recognizing it as the primary drinking water source for most of the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene region. Its direct legal force is narrower than the name suggests: it mainly governs federally funded projects that could contaminate the aquifer, not privately funded wells or septic systems. Over time, though, it has driven stricter local rules around septic systems and groundwater protection across the Spokane Valley.
Start with your property's WRIA
Send your property details and a licensed local contractor can help confirm your watershed rule.
Permit and Regulation Questions, Answered Straight
What is a permit-exempt well in Washington state?
Washington law allows a groundwater withdrawal of up to 5,000 gallons a day for a single home, or a group of homes sharing a well, without needing a formal water right permit from Ecology. This exemption, set in RCW 90.44.050, is why most single-family domestic wells in Spokane County do not require a full water right application.
Does the streamflow restoration fee apply to my property in Spokane County?
It depends on which watershed, or WRIA, your property sits in. RCW 90.94 covers only WRIA 55, the Little Spokane River watershed: a new permit-exempt well there tied to a building permit pays a 500 dollar fee, or gets a streamflow mitigation certificate instead, and accepts a reduced daily use limit. Other Spokane County WRIAs work differently.
WRIA 57, the Middle Spokane River watershed and the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, is governed separately under WAC 173-557 and is not part of RCW 90.94 at all; a new permit-exempt well there instead draws from Ecology's water bank rather than paying the WRIA 55 fee. WRIA 34, 43, 54, and 56 have no adopted streamflow rule and keep the standard 5,000 gallon-per-day exemption with no added fee.
What is a WRIA and which one is my property in?
A Water Resource Inventory Area, or WRIA, is a Washington-defined watershed boundary used to manage groundwater rules. Spokane County spans six WRIAs, including the Little Spokane River, Middle Spokane River, Lower Spokane River, and Hangman Creek watersheds. Spokane County's own mapping tool can confirm which WRIA a specific parcel falls in.
What is a well report, and how do I find the one for my property?
A well report, also called a well log, is the construction record a licensed driller files with Washington Ecology after completing a well, showing depth, rock layers encountered, and water yield. Ecology's free online Well Report Viewer lets anyone search by address, owner name, or parcel to find an existing well's history.
What happens if a permit-exempt well is used beyond the exemption limit?
Using more than the 5,000 gallon daily exemption, or irrigating more than half an acre of lawn and garden, generally requires an actual water right permit from Ecology rather than relying on the exemption. Group domestic systems and larger irrigation needs should be evaluated with a licensed driller before drilling begins.
What is the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, and does it affect my well?
It is the sole source aquifer supplying drinking water to most of the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene region, a federal designation dating to 1978. For most individually funded private wells it does not add direct federal permitting, but it has driven stricter local rules around septic systems and groundwater protection in the valley.
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