Water is starting to flow through the area’s canals, and it could be pricier this year for irrigation districts or landowners. 

The state remains in a drought and for the Kennewick Irrigation District (KID), water supplies are particularly low as the reservoirs it depends on are far below capacity. The district recently announced that it will start the irrigation season on a voluntary watering schedule. 

Irrigation assessments for KID customers, as well as those in the city of Pasco, also are going up. Citing factors such as inflation, urbanization and minimal rate increases in recent years, KID announced that irrigators could see their rates go up between 8% to 18%. 

The city of Pasco also recently implemented its new irrigation rate structure after months of study and gathering public input. Its rates will increase 17% per year through 2027 with smaller 3% increases until 2030. That means that a single-family home with a $221.55 irrigation bill in 2024 would pay another $37.66 in 2025.  

One of the bigger changes Pasco is implementing is a one-time connection fee of $1,468 for any new users connecting to its irrigation system. That fee is intended to defray the costs of expanding and maintaining the irrigation system, which has seen its customer base grow by 25% since 2017.