Edmonds extends moratorium on development in Deer Creek aquifer
Published 11:50 am Wednesday, August 19, 2026
EVERETT — The Edmonds City Council unanimously approved Tuesday extending a moratorium on development near Deer Creek for an additional six months.
The council first approved the moratorium in February following a change to its critical areas ordinance that prohibits stormwater wells in the Deer Creek Critical Aquifer Recharge Area. The change came after concerns from environmentalists that allowing stormwater wells could lead to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contaminating the area’s drinking water.
The six-month moratorium was intended to give the city time to study PFAS in the Deer Creek area. Known as “forever chemicals” because they take centuries to break down, PFAS can cause serious health effects, including certain cancers, liver damage, and reproductive and developmental issues.
In March, the city signed a $50,000 contract with an engineering consultant to conduct the study, which was anticipated to be completed within 12 weeks.
But on Tuesday, City Attorney Jeff Taraday said the study was behind schedule and recommended the council extend the moratorium for an additional six months. The city now expects the study to be completed in September, he said.
“We probably won’t need an additional six months of this to have the PFAS study come back,” Taraday said. “… As far as the regulatory actions after the PFAS study is a whole separate discussion that hasn’t really started yet, and so it’s unclear how long that part of it would take.”
The Deer Creek Critical Aquifer Recharge Area stretches over much of southern Edmonds, extending from Deer Creek in Woodway to the intersection of Highway 99 and Edmonds Way. The moratorium affects any development that requires stormwater management. At a February City Council meeting, city staff said the ban on stormwater wells effectively prohibits stormwater filtration, making it difficult to approve stormwater projects.
“I find it unfortunate that we’re in this place that we’re needing to discuss extending the moratorium, but that’s where we’re at from a realistic standpoint,” council member Chris Eck said Tuesday.
Prior to the vote, the city held a public hearing on the extension. John Brock, a Woodway Town Council member and Edmonds Environmental Council board member, suggested a materials management requirement specific to critical aquifer recharge areas that would be triggered by development. For example, if an applicant’s proposed materials are all certified as PFAS-free, they would be allowed to continue with their project.
“This approach could be cost-effective, defensible and timely, while providing a path to lift the CARA permit acceptance moratorium,” Brock said.
Joe Scordino, president of the Edmonds Environmental Council, agreed with Brock.
“There’s no reason to continue the moratorium,” Scordino said. “Let’s let people be creative. If they could come up with a way to avoid contaminating the aquifer and do their building, let them do it.”
Some council members said they supported looking into implementing that process in the future.
“I have heard our city attorney say exactly that might be a possible outcome of this PFAS study,” council member Vivian Olson said. “That might be exactly how we’re going to want to proceed in the Deer Creek CARA. So I am pleased to hear that someone who’s super involved in the environmental community is agreeing that this might be a good path forward.”
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
