‘The Source’ raises questions | Column

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026

By Cory Harrington

Orcas Island

Eastsound Water recently introduced a new member newsletter, The Source, presented as a step toward improved transparency and communication.

Clear communication is welcome — but it is not the same as accountability.

In recent months, members and employees have raised concerns about governance, financial oversight, staffing stability and workplace conditions, including questions about the Clark Well project and the loss of experienced staff. Many of those questions remain unanswered.

Instead, leadership has shifted toward curated messaging — first through The New Clark Well & Treatment Plant series, and now through The Source. These updates highlight progress but do not address the underlying concerns.

In its inaugural issue, The Source emphasizes recent hires and describes a team of 10 employees. However, staff indicate the system is operating with fewer certified operators than in the past, with remaining staff covering multiple systems.

As one staff member described it, the current workforce is “a skeleton crew … not a team in the way it’s being presented.”

New hires are a positive step, but they represent long-term investment rather than immediate relief. As another staff member noted, developing the experience needed to independently operate treatment systems “takes years,” while current operators carry both operational and training responsibilities.

Staffing concerns are further complicated by recent public statements. At a board meeting, the general manager stated that staffing had returned to “fully staffed.” However, according to information shared with members, one of those newly hired employees was no longer with the organization the following day.

The newsletter also reports “excellent progress” in union negotiations. Staff familiar with those discussions describe a different reality, with recent proposals viewed as “deeply inadequate” and key issues unresolved.

A representative from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77, which represents EWUA operators, provided the following statement:

“I am surprised to hear about recent updates from management that staffing is where it needs to be when we have had 3 Operators leave employment with EWUA in the last year. The remaining set of staff that remains is still expected to maintain coverage of operations 24/7, 365. [I]t was a lift before, but now this schedule is deeply affecting the Operators personal lives. I know EWUA has ads out to hire, but a dragging Union negotiation is not the way to get more people in the door. I met with EWUA 2x in April to begin discussing economics, and our first set of proposals from the company [is] less than ideal, and was an initial package offer to staff that is less than what the employees were making before they voted to unionize. EWUA has said they want to hurry to a deal, but we will not be close to a signed agreement anytime soon unless we receive serious offers from EWUA. The current set of staff has gone years with receiving raises that have not kept up with inflation, that needs to change if EWUA wants to attract new Operators on the island, or to the island!

“The last time we met was 4/24. I have yet to hear anything from EWUA or their lawyer. We have asked for the next negotiating date and are still awaiting response.”

Workplace conditions also appear more complex than presented. Staff describe “a breaking point” and limited communication around internal concerns. Even new management has been described as functioning “without the authority or support needed to succeed.”

None of this diminishes the work of current operators, who continue to maintain service under difficult conditions. But members deserve a full and accurate picture. Transparency requires direct answers, access to records and acknowledgment of challenges — not just updates.

Until then, members are left with messaging — but not answers.