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Pullman, Moscow and Palouse get municipal drinking water from wells tapping the lower aquifer system beneath the Palouse Basin, which spans parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. The water is held in basalt and sediment formations—not in underground lakes or rivers. Many domestic wells draw from the basin’s upper aquifer.
Where does Palouse Basin water come from?
The Palouse Groundwater Basin crosses the Washington–Idaho state line, including parts of Whitman and Latah counties. The Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee (PBAC) says the groundwater system supplies more than 80,000 people, including residents of Pullman, Moscow and Palouse, as well as Washington State University and the University of Idaho. PBAC’s basin overview
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The basin has two major aquifer systems, commonly called the upper and lower aquifers. PBAC says municipal wells in Pullman, Moscow and Palouse currently draw from the lower aquifer; most domestic wells typically tap the upper aquifer. Moscow uses the names Wanapum for the shallower system and Grande Ronde for the deeper one. The water levels in the two systems generally differ by more than 100 feet, and PBAC describes their connection as minor. PBAC’s basin overview City of Moscow water FAQ
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Water held in rock and sediment
An aquifer is not an open underground lake or flowing river. In the Palouse Basin, groundwater occupies cracks, pores and fissures in basalt and sediment layers, as the City of Moscow explains. The U.S. Geological Survey’s 1975 account describes productive groundwater zones in Columbia River basalt and sands between basalt layers in the Latah Formation in the Moscow Basin; that account is historical geology, not a current inventory of municipal wells. City of Moscow water FAQ USGS, 1975
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How much water is being pumped—and why does it matter?
PBAC reports that Pullman, Moscow, Palouse, Washington State University and the University of Idaho pumped 2.3 billion gallons in 2024. That total excludes private residential well use, so it is not a count of all water withdrawn across the basin. PBAC’s current page, accessed in 2026, reports average aquifer-level declines of about 0.7 feet per year, compared with declines exceeding one foot per year in the 1990s. PBAC water-use and aquifer-level information
PBAC also reports that, over roughly the last 30 years, per-capita water use fell 30% in Pullman/WSU and 43% in Moscow/UI. The committee credits conservation with slowing the rate of decline, but says withdrawals still exceed recharge. PBAC water-use and aquifer-level information
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Who monitors and manages the basin?
PBAC is a cross-state coordinating committee involving cities, counties, universities and state water agencies. Its work includes tracking groundwater levels and annual use, supporting research, educating the public and implementing the Groundwater Management Plan enacted in 1992. Conservation is part of the response; PBAC says a supplemental source is also needed to stabilize water levels and support growing communities. PBAC water-use and aquifer-level information PBAC management information
Is another water source already supplying the basin?
The sources describing supplemental supply present it as a planning matter, not as a project already delivering water. A 2022 alternatives report examines four preliminary options, including surface-water diversions and combinations of direct delivery and aquifer recharge. 2022 alternatives report
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Potential diversion and aquifer storage
PBAC describes a possible approach involving a Clearwater River diversion: treat surface water, inject it into the aquifer during high-flow periods, then recover it later through aquifer storage and recovery. The approach raises questions about treatment, feasibility, environmental and cultural effects, and the implications of placing treated surface water into an aquifer that naturally filters water. It is a potential pathway, not evidence that the project has been selected, completed or put into operation. PBAC Clearwater River information
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How is Palouse Basin drinking water treated?
There is no single treatment description that applies to every city and campus system in the available sources. Treatment and water-quality details depend on the utility. The City of Palouse says its annual Consumer Confidence Report covers source water, sampling, treatment and water-quality findings, and its website lists recent reports. For specific treatment steps, contaminants or compliance results, consult the current report for the utility that serves the address in question. City of Palouse water-quality reports
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