What Kennewick Irrigation District does

Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) is a Special Purpose District formed under Washington State law (RCW Title 87) in 1917 that delivers irrigation water to over 20,200 acres within a 55,000-acre boundary in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, serving 23,000+ unmetered customer accounts. KID's infrastructure consists of 64 miles of open channel canal, over 400 miles of pressurized piping, 100 pump stations, 20 reservoirs, and the 12 MW Chandler Power Plant & Pumping Station, which diverts water from the Yakima River at Prosser Dam and pumps it under the river and up the Horse Heaven Hills to the main canal system. KID is one of six irrigation districts served by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Yakima Project, with title to its facilities transferred from USBR to KID in 2021.

KID's revenue model is built on annual parcel-based assessments across an 11-tier rate schedule differentiated by acreage and pressurized vs. non-pressurized systems, ranging from $30 (Tier 1, ≤0.075 acres) to $1,320+ (Tier 11, >8 acres pressurized). Customers are predominantly residential property owners (as agricultural land converts to urban development), with secondary segments in agricultural operations (row crops, cherries, grapes, hay, cattle) and real estate developers. Additional revenue streams include a 2026 Capital Upgrade & Improvement Charge of $78.60 per parcel, Excess Water Charges for usage above the 3.5 acre-feet/acre allotment, Local Improvement District assessments, and developer fees and permits. The district supports customers through an online Water Order Portal, payment portal, Title Company Portal, an ArcGIS-based Water Status Map, and Water Master coordination services, while operating as a quasi-governmental entity governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors with 51-100 employees.

Name

Kennewick Irrigation District

Legal name

Kennewick Irrigation District

Website

https://kid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kennewick Irrigation District is a Washington State Special Purpose District that delivers irrigation water to over 23,000 customer accounts across 20,200+ acres in the Tri-Cities area via a system of 64 miles of canals, 400+ miles of pressurized pipeline, and 100 pump stations fed by the Yakima River.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Irrigation Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Pipes, Tubing & Conveyance Infrastructure (Mainlines, Laterals, Hoses) (AFAAACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pump Systems & Pumping Stations (Surface, Submersible, Booster) (AFAAACAC), Irrigation Design, Installation & Maintenance Services (Engineering, Retrofit, Repair) (AFAAACAL), Monitoring, Metering & Flow Measurement (Meters, Pressure/Flow Gauges, Telemetry) (AFAAACAK), Irrigation Scheduling & Advisory Services (ET/Soil-Moisture Based) (AFACAFAC), Irrigation Pipe, Tubing & Conveyance (PVC/HDPE Pipe, Layflat Hose, Manifolds) (AFABAHAF)

Keywords

• Irrigation water delivery
• Irrigation district services
• Water rights management
• Canal water distribution
• Pressurized irrigation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennewick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Irrigation Assessment Fees: Annual irrigation assessments charged to all parcels within the district based on tiered rate schedules. The assessment funds fixed costs of running and maintaining the irrigation system including operations, maintenance, power, and capital improvements. Water is not metered individually - bills are not tied to volume received.
2. Tiered Parcel-Based Rates: Rates based on parcel size and whether served by pressurized or non-pressurized systems. Eleven tiers ranging from parcels ≤0.075 acres to parcels >8 acres. Pressurized systems have higher rates due to additional infrastructure costs.
3. Excess Water Charges: Additional charges for water usage exceeding the annual 3.5 acre-feet per acre allotment. Non-pressurized systems: $38.82/acre-foot for first excess acre-foot, $45.29/acre-foot thereafter. Pressurized systems: $48.61 and $56.71/acre-foot respectively.
4. Capital Upgrade & Improvement Charges: 2026 Capital Upgrade & Improvement Charge of $78.60 per parcel. Funds canal lining, automated gates, and infrastructure rehabilitation.
5. Local Improvement District (LID) Assessments: Special assessments for parcels benefiting from specific infrastructure projects such as Red Mountain Service Area, Division IV Transmission, Jamesville Benefit Area, and various other benefit areas. These are multi-year charges.
6. Development and Permit Fees: Fees for subdivision reviews, plat inspections, service applications, and encroachment permits for developers and property owners making improvements within district easements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kennewick Irrigation District delivers irrigation water from the Yakima River via the Prosser Diversion Dam and Chandler Pumping Plant to over 20,200 acres within a 55,000-acre boundary in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. The district operates a gravity-fed and pumped irrigation system comprising 64 miles of open channel canal, 400+ miles of pressurized piping, 100 pump stations, and 20 reservoirs, supplying over 23,000 unmetered customer accounts through annual parcel-based assessments and tiered rates. KID also provides supporting services including online water ordering, bill payment portals, title company access, real-time water status mapping, and a Helping Hands financial assistance program for ratepayers.

Product overview

KID operates as a Special Purpose District providing irrigation water delivery services through a unified system comprising over 60 miles of canals, 300 miles of pipelines, 100 pump stations, and 20 reservoirs. The core product is irrigation water delivery sourced from the Yakima River via the Prosser Diversion Dam and Chandler Pumping Plant. This core service is supported by multiple digital portals including the Agricultural Water Orders Portal for scheduling deliveries, Title Company Portal for parcel information, and an Online Payment System for assessment payments. Additional offerings include the Water Status Map for real-time service monitoring, Water Master coordination services, the Helping Hands assistance program, and infrastructure programs like Canal Lining for water conservation. The tiered rate schedule structures pricing based on parcel size and system type, with various surcharges for specialized service areas like Red Mountain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irrigation Water Delivery Service Core service delivering irrigation water from the Yakima River through a system of canals, pipelines, pump stations, and reservoirs to over 20,200 acres within the 55,000-acre district boundary. Serves over 23,000 unmetered customer accounts including residential property owners, agricultural operations, and developers.
• Agricultural Water Orders Service Service enabling customers to submit water orders for agricultural delivery through online portal or phone, with specific scheduling requirements and turnaround timeframes.
• Title Company Portal Service 24/7 online portal for title companies to access parcel payoff information and summary statements for properties within KID boundaries.
• Online Assessment Payment Service Web-based payment platform enabling customers to pay irrigation assessments online via check, credit card, or phone payments.
• Helping Hands Assistance Program Financial assistance program funded by delinquency fees and donations to help ratepayers in danger of losing their property due to inability to pay irrigation assessments.
• Water Master Coordination Service Service providing water delivery coordination through water masters who manage weir boxes, water orders, and water availability for designated turnout areas.
• Canal & Water Safety Education Program Educational program providing canal safety presentations for elementary children, coloring books, and printable safety handouts to prevent drowning hazards associated with canals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ miles of canal lined since 2010, with 5.6 miles targeted under current WaterSMART grant program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bureau of Reclamation owns and operates the Chandler Pumping Plant facility that KID depends on for water delivery. KID is one of six irrigation districts served by the USBR's Yakima Project, which stores water in five upstream reservoirs (Keechelus, Kachess, Cle Elum, Bumping Lake, Rimrock). The Yakima Project extends 175 miles on each side of the Yakima River and irrigates about 464,000 acres. KID testified before Congress regarding Title Transfer of federal facilities.
• Tapteal GreenwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKID partnered with Tapteal Greenway on the PSA 120 Willowbrook & Clearwater Creek Pump Station project to improve the trail area around the facility.
• Lower Columbia Basin Audubon SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with KID on PSA 120 Willowbrook & Clearwater Creek Pump Station project for trail area improvements.
• Washington Department of Fish & WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with KID on PSA 120 Willowbrook & Clearwater Creek Pump Station project for trail area improvements.
• City of RichlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with KID on PSA 120 Willowbrook & Clearwater Creek Pump Station project for trail area improvements around the facility.
• Benton Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKID refers customers to Benton Conservation District's Xeriscaping program and Heritage Garden Program for water-wise landscaping assistance. The district provides free site visits and resources for native and drought-tolerant plants.
• Tri-Cities Safe Kids CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKID is a member of the Tri-Cities Safe Kids Coalition working with community organizations to teach families about water safety and drowning prevention, particularly regarding canal safety.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District: Another Yakima Project district delivering irrigation water to a large irrigated footprint in the lower Yakima Valley. Comparable in scale, water rights seniority, and infrastructure intensity, making it a direct operational peer.
• Roza Irrigation District: Also a Yakima Project irrigation district serving agricultural land in the Yakima Valley, diverting from the same Yakima River system and subject to identical USBR oversight and drought curtailment framework. One of the most direct structural peers to KID.
• Kittitas Reclamation District: Yakima Basin irrigation district in upper Kittitas County with a similar canal system, water rights structure, and senior-priority status. Direct comparable in same Yakima Project.
• Wapato Irrigation Project: Federally operated irrigation project within the Yakima Basin serving the Wapato area with similar canal-and-pump infrastructure. Direct operational peer sharing the same water source and curtailment regime.

Regional players

• Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District: Yakima Basin irrigation district diverting from Tieton Reservoir. Comparable governance structure and canal-based delivery, but smaller and primarily agricultural.
• Ellensburg Water Company: Yakima Basin water purveyor providing irrigation water with similarly senior water rights. Smaller scale but directly comparable in terms of regulatory framework and Yakima River adjudication.
• North Columbia Basin Irrigation District: Columbia Basin Project district serving northern irrigators in the Odessa Subarea. Similar canal-and-pump infrastructure and water rights framework, but located in a different subregion.
• Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District: Mid-Columbia irrigation district serving large-scale irrigated agriculture under the Columbia Basin Project. Comparable in canal-and-pump architecture and water-rights-driven governance, but operates in a different basin.
• South Columbia Basin Irrigation District: Columbia Basin Project district serving large irrigated acreage in the southern portion of the basin. Comparable infrastructure, water rights, and customer mix, though geography differs.
• East Columbia Basin Irrigation District: Columbia Basin Project district delivering irrigation water to agricultural lands in eastern Washington. Highly comparable operating model and infrastructure profile, but in a different geographic basin.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KennewickIrrigationDistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kennewick-irrigation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kennewick Irrigation District