The Vashon Island School District has been gradually increasing its water consumption over the last 20 years, according to Water District 19’s Bob Powell, leading the water district to consider raising the school district’s rate.

“The school district has become more careful with (field) maintenance, which means more water,” Powell said last week.

With discussion about whether Vashon High School’s main field — currently a soil-based grass field — should be replaced with a natural grass, sand-based field or synthetic turf, the conversation during last Thursday’s public presentation on the issue turned to water use. According to Water District 19 documents, the school district uses between 6 and 8 million gallons of water annually — more than $50,000 worth of water every year at current rates. At Thursday’s presentation, school district superintendent Michael Soltman said the high school’s main field currently guzzles 1 million of those gallons.

“If we add sand-based fields, that will at least double or more,” he said. “I’m really concerned about that.”

Soltman’s statement was in response to a statement and question from Powell about the district’s water use and how, last summer, it used 15 percent of the water district’s total capacity.

“There are two significant aspects to this issue: the demand on the system and the limiting of the ability to serve new customers, as well as making sure water is paid for and used appropriately,” Powell said. “The present rate structure doesn’t accurately represent the school district using so much of Water District 19’s capacity.”

He said the district’s board has been discussing raising the school district’s rate for at least seven years, but “the correct answer just hasn’t come up yet.”

“The general consensus is the school district is not paying the actual cost of the water it’s using, but there’s no consensus on the right answer,” Powell said.

He said Vashon Island School District’s (VISD) water bill could double from the current rate if the water district decides to move forward.

This comes as VISD is discussing a second bond attempt that would fund the renovation and repair of some athletic facilities, including the high school field. The pros and cons of natural grass and synthetic turf are being weighed, and last Thursday’s presentation was the second on the subject of turf. A third public presentation is expected to be scheduled next month.

While installation and replacement costs of natural grass are cheaper than synthetic turf, the issue of water use and money spent on water is the downside. Natural grass fields are also more fragile and need to rest during wet months and in the summer.

On the other hand, artificial turf nearly guarantees the field will be playable year-round and have little to no irrigation costs. However, it is expensive to install and replace and carries with it concerns about safety and potential health risks about infill. The most commonly used, and hotly debated, crumb rubber infill is only one of many potential materials, including ground tennis shoe rubber, cork and coconut husk that can be used.

While no decisions about the field have been made by the school board, at Thursday’s meeting, Superintendent Soltman said it is unlikely the school board would ever choose crumb rubber infill.

“Knowing the board members and what their beliefs are, I think it’s highly unlikely,” he said.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 13, for a regular board meeting at the district conference center at Chautauqua Elementary School. Board members will discuss the bond and last Thursday’s turf presentation.