A map of the three phases of the water system (phase 1 is in blue, phase 2 is in green, phase 3 is in black.)

A Brief HWOA History

Many of the properties currently served by Hilltop Water Association were plotted into three separate but adjacent developments about fifty years ago by the Gramac Construction Company (GCC), owned and operated by Earl Granger and Ray McFarland.

Gramac well one included the lots on Granger Way south of Legoe Bay Place, and has its own well and water distribution system. Gramac well two included thirteen lots on Legoe Bay Place and further north on Granger Way. And the Hales Passage Addition included a number of larger parcels along Granger Way between Gramac II and Nugent Road. In addition, Gramac had also contracted to provide water to numerous other nearby properties; by 1990 it was providing drinking water to about fifty properties.

In 1990 the Growth Management Act imposed demanding new requirements for storage, treatment, and distribution for drinking water throughout Washington State. The conglomerate Gramac system was declared Inadequate and no new building permits would be approved by the State Department of Health until the lots were served by an Approved System.

In addition, in 2000 Federal Law reduced the permissible concentration of Arsenic (As), which naturally occurs in many wells on Lummi Island, from 50 ppb to 10 ppb. That meant that much of the Granger well water would require significant and expensive treatment to meet the Federal Arsenic standard. By 2003, facing major capital expenses to achieve the rigorous new standards, and unable to obtain building permits for undeveloped lots, over fifty affected property owners on Lummi Island pooled resources and formed our present member- owned nonprofit corporation called Hilltop Water Owners Association.

In 2008, after several years of engineering planning, and with the help of low-interest State financing, the Association ended a 16-year ban on building permits by completing construction of the required new reservoir, transmission lines, and treatment facilities, at a cost of about $500,000. Since 2008 service has been extended to a number of additional properties, up to 59 by 2016, including the Fire Department, Islander Store, Grange, and the Beach School.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • In the event of an emergency please immediately contact HWOA Operator, Nick Kluge: (360) 389-7800. If it is not an emergency, please contact hilltopwater@gmail.com or a board member.

  • Denise Edgar (206) 679-0140

    Molly Harmoney (360) 758-2642

    Lindy Early-Rosen (360) 758-7452

    Robin Cohen (360) 201-8541

    Charlie Warzel charliewarzel@gmail.com

  • All of the assets of HWOA are collectively owned by the Member Properties, and Membership runs with the land.

  • Every member property is billed annually at a rate of $800. In addition there is a small usage charge ($2.50 per 1,000 gallons). About half of member dues goes toward repaying our Construction Loan, and half to paying annual operations and maintenance costs. Our loan balance will be paid in full in 2025.

  • The Annual General Meeting (AGM), usually held in late January each year, is the one time each year that all Association members are asked to come together to review annual operations and finances and to vote on matters important to the operation of the Association, including new Board members. You will receive an announcement about the 2025 AGM in the next annual Newsletter in late December.