This article originally appeared on the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber on October 30, 2024 (external link).
The sale completes three years of work by the former owners and community.
By Alex Bruell
“After three years, it’s official: the Burton Water Company has been sold to the Burton Water Co-operative at a price of $1.2 million, putting the control of their own water into the hands of Burton residents.
The Water Company serves a total of 414 connections (including residential and commercial customers) in the Burton peninsula and surrounding area. It’s one of several water companies that service Vashon and Maury islands.
Selling the company to a locally-grown co-op has been a goal for both the community and the Water Company’s former owners since 2021, when talks began. The co-op closed on the sale on Friday, Oct. 25 and recorded documents on Monday, Oct. 28.
A board of directors and community volunteers will guide the transition and operate the co-op, which will also maintain current staff members Nick Simmons and Morgan Berry in their roles as System Operator and Assistant Operator, respectively. They bring with them crucial institutional memory of the water system, co-op Board President William Shadbolt said in an interview.”
