Members push for answers as Eastsound Water Users Association works to keep water flowing and concerns addressed
Published 1:30 am Sunday, June 28, 2026
Concerns over governance, staffing and fire protection coordination at the Eastsound Water Users Association came to a head at a June 16 board meeting, where roughly 50 members pressed the board for answers — even as General Manager Dan Burke and Board President Teri Nigretto pushed back on what they called an unfair characterization of the utility’s operations.
Burke, who attended the meeting remotely due to an emergency, told the Islands’ Sounder in a separate interview that he believes the characterization of EWUA as being in a state of dysfunction is overstated. “We are not in a crisis and we are delivering clean and safe drinking water every day,” Burke said, adding that staffing turnover affecting EWUA is part of “a national phenomenon” across the water industry. He said the organization is in a growth period, implementing system upgrades and strengthening operations through union negotiations, with promising new hires on the horizon.
The sharpest warning at the June 16 meeting came from Brian Ehrmantraut, who prefaced his comments to the board, “I’m speaking for myself only but informed with the benefit of my experience with both organizations.” Ehrmantraut, who served on the EWUA board for more than a decade, including as its president, and now chairs Orcas Island Fire & Rescue’s Board of Fire Commissioners, told the board that the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau, which sets the fire protection ratings insurers use to price homeowners’ coverage, already lowered the island’s score in its most recent review. Roughly 35% of that rating depends on water supply, hydrant flow capacity, hydrant location, testing, maintenance and recordkeeping — functions controlled entirely by EWUA. “It is critical that Eastsound Water engage and collaborate with Orcas Fire on this for the 2027 WSRB evaluation,” Ehrmantraut said, asking the board to designate a liaison and confirm that hydrant maps and maintenance records are current.
Burke disputed the framing of the water component in the ratings. “To characterize the insurance rating as the fault of East Sound Water is pretty different from what the report says and what the impact was driven from — the fire component had the biggest fall [in points]. We did play a part, absolutely, and we went above and beyond to work on this, which is why we already have a state-approved capital project in place to resolve our part of the deficiency.” He said that project — a new reservoir tank slated for 2034-35 at an estimated cost of $1M — is specifically designed to address fire service deficiencies in both volume and pressure.
On the question of partnership with Orcas Island Fire & Rescue, Burke said the relationship is active and collaborative. He said he has visited the new fire chief twice since his appointment, has started several joint programs and personally called the chief within minutes of a recent main water line break, keeping him informed throughout. “Of course we want to partner with the fire department — we see them as the other half of us,” Burke said. “It doesn’t need to be a formal request. Come on over, let’s talk.”
Randall Gaylord, a retired San Juan County prosecuting attorney with 28 years of experience in government and employment matters across the county and a fire commissioner with Orcas Island Fire & Rescue, told the Islands’ Sounder that EWUA, though it functions as a quasi-public utility, is a private nonprofit not subject to state auditor review or the open-records and ethics rules that bind public agencies.
On the question of fire risk specifically, Gaylord said the fire department relies entirely on EWUA to deliver water to hydrants at adequate pressure, and that any lapse “would be detrimental to the service that we can provide” and could affect future ratings.
The Sounder reported on May 22 that the EWUA board had agreed to a third-party investigation during its last community meeting, held May 19. Nigretto reiterated that agreement at the June 16 meeting but said the board would not authorize an outside investigation into workplace and financial complaints until a pending union contract is ratified, telling the room a forensic financial review alone could cost $30,000 to $50,000, and a workplace investigation could approach $100,000 — costs she did not want layered onto ongoing labor talks. Burke echoed that position, saying hundreds of hours of internal investigation with attorney oversight have already taken place, and that addressing remaining concerns responsibly means finishing the bargaining agreement first. “Our job right now is getting through this bargaining agreement and keeping the water safe and reliable,” he said.
On transparency, Burke said EWUA has answered member calls for more information with 14 member emails in five and a half months, a twice-monthly newsletter and a 10-article technical series on a current infrastructure project. He added that the board is moving to quarterly financial reporting and is preparing to publish its Q1 2025 financials in a new, detailed format. “We are transparent by nature because our interests are aligned with the members,” he said.
Multiple speakers at the June 16 meeting called for the board to resign, with several also raising the possibility of a formal recall. Burke acknowledged the tension but said the board members are unpaid volunteers who deserve more respect than they have been shown. “What we’ve been seeing is a group of detractors showing up, leveling accusations, using inflammatory language, making personal attacks on board and staff members,” he said, “and then after the public comment period, turning around and leaving rather than listening to what’s actually happening in the meetings.”
