About

Since 1936, Skagit PUD has been committed to providing safe and reliable utility services to meet current and future needs of Skagit County.


Judy Reservoir 1965

Skagit PUD operates the largest water system in the county, providing nine million gallons of piped water to approximately 65,000 people every day. The PUD maintains nearly 600 miles of pipelines and has over 31 million gallons of storage volume.

The cities of Mount Vernon, Burlington, and Sedro-Woolley receive the majority of our water. Due to public demand for quality water, the PUD also provides service to unincorporated and remote areas of the county. The District’s service area includes part of Fidalgo Island at the west end of the county and extends as far east as Marblemount. From north to south, the District’s service area starts in Conway and extends north to Alger/Lake Samish.

Our water originates in the protected Cultus Mountain watershed area east of Clear Lake. Water from this area is piped to Judy Reservoir, where it covers 148 surface acres and stores approximately 1.5 billion gallons of water. The water is then treated and filtered to meet Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, using modern water treatment technologies.

In 2007, Skagit PUD won accolades for its great tasting water, placing best in the Pacific Northwest and fourth in the nation at American Water Works Association taste test competitions.

Skagit PUD is a municipal corporation governed by three elected commissioners, who serve six-year terms. The commissioners represent the same geographical districts as the Skagit County commissioners. The positions are non-partisan and elections are staggered every two years.

Resource conservation and stewardship are increasing concerns of the District. Recognizing the value of water resources in Skagit County, the PUD is a member of the Skagit Watershed Council and is actively participating in efforts to protect in-stream flows.

Whether it’s utilizing cutting-edge technologies, practicing resource management, or encouraging conservation stewardship … Public Utility District No.1 of Skagit County is committed to meeting our customers’ needs.

Early Days

In 1936, the cities of Anacortes and LaConner had for many years owned their water systems, while the water systems of Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley and Burlington were privately owned. The three systems had been installed just before and during World War I. The systems were old and barely adequate to meet the quantity needs of the communities.

For many years the water systems were owned and operated by the Oregon-Washington Water Company, a Delaware corporation, and then had become the property of the People’s Water and Gas Company. 

The Washington Public Utility District law was created by the state of Washington through the Initiative process on November 4, 1930.

On November 3, 1936, Public Utility District No. 1 of Skagit County was formed by voters with an approval of 6,173 to 4,971.

The same election named Charles Nelson, John Wylie, and Monte J. King as the commissioners from the first, second and third districts. All three men were Grangers.

On approximately the third anniversary of the formation of Skagit PUD—November 4, 1939—the District formally went into the water business with 3,000 customers.