TRI-CITIES — Kennewick Irrigation District customers already got the word: full deliveries ended Oct. 12, with shutoff starting the next day, as NBC Right Now reported. But a lot of Tri-Cities homeowners aren't KID customers at all. They're served by Columbia Irrigation District, Badger Mountain Irrigation District, or by Pasco, Richland or West Richland city crews, and each of those runs its own calendar, with its own phone number to call when the water stops.
That matters this week. Overnight lows are dropping into the low-to-mid 40s, with rain moving in Wednesday night and Thursday. Anyone whose irrigation water hasn't been shut off yet has a narrow window to get a blowout scheduled once their provider actually flips the valve, not before.
Figuring out who supplies your water
Most homeowners never think about which entity runs their sprinkler water until it stops. A few ways to check: look at your utility bill for a district name, ask a longtime neighbor, or call the number for the irrigation district that maps your address. Here's the rundown.
Columbia Irrigation District (CID): Based at 10 E. Kennewick Ave., CID serves most of West Richland's irrigation customers. Reach the district at (509) 586-6118 or cid@columbiairrigation.com. CID has historically wrapped up its season in mid-October, Oct. 13 in 2023 and Oct. 15 in 2024, according to Washington State Water Resources Association records and Job's Nursery's shutoff roundup. No 2026 date has been published yet, so call the district directly to confirm this year's cutoff before you schedule a blowout.
West Richland: Most of the city's irrigation customers are CID customers, but a small portion falls under Kennewick Irrigation District instead, reachable at (509) 586-9111, according to the city's utilities page. West Richland also runs its own in-town irrigation systems in three neighborhoods, Brotherhood, Luanne Estates and Flat Top, with turn-off dates posted separately on the city website, per its FAQ page. Residents in those three areas should check the city's site for this year's exact date rather than guess. One important note: West Richland does not offer sprinkler blowout service, so homeowners there need to hire it out or do it themselves.
City of Richland: Richland operates and maintains four of its own irrigation systems: Central Richland/Columbia Point, North Richland/Horn Rapids, North Richland/Smart Park, and the Heights of Meadow Springs, according to the city's water utility page. Everyone else in the Richland area is served by a regional irrigation district, not the city. A 2020 HOA irrigation schedule for the Horn Rapids area shows Columbia Point, Horn Rapids and Smart Park historically shutting off on the third Monday in October, which falls on Oct. 19 this year, though homeowners should confirm with the city rather than assume the pattern holds.
City of Pasco: Pasco's Public Works Irrigation Division supplies city water to roughly 9,000 homes on a staggered schedule: even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; odd-numbered addresses water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, per the city's irrigation water page. The season typically runs April through October depending on weather. It turned on April 10 this year, according to the city's FAQ, but Pasco hasn't posted its 2026 shutoff date yet. Watch the city's irrigation page or call Public Works directly as the weather turns colder.
Badger Mountain Irrigation District: Badger Mountain has historically shut off in the Oct. 15-18 window in past years, per Job's Nursery's tracking. That window has effectively already arrived this year, so customers should check with the district now if they haven't already lost pressure.
Don't blow out your lines too early
A regional irrigation official cautioned against getting ahead of the actual shutoff. "You don't want to blow out your sprinklers too early because then if we haven't shut the water off to your area quite yet, that water is just going to right back into your pipes, which can cause some freeze damage over the winter," the official, identified as Berglund, told NBC Right Now. In other words, confirm your district has actually cut the water before you or a contractor runs compressed air through the lines.
Once water is confirmed off, Tri-Cities Sprinkler Quotes notes Nov. 1 as the deadline many local homeowners use for protecting above-ground backflow devices, with typical residential blowout costs running $55 to $140 depending on how many zones a system has. Homeowners who'd rather hire out the work can also contact Tri-Cities Blowouts, a local sprinkler winterization company serving the Tri-Cities area.
Quick checklist
- Identify your irrigation provider from your utility bill or by calling CID at (509) 586-6118 or KID at (509) 586-9111.
- Check your city or district's website this week for the confirmed 2026 shutoff date. Don't rely on last year's calendar.
- Wait for confirmation that water is actually off before scheduling a blowout.
- Budget $55-$140 for a professional blowout, or more for larger systems, per Tri-Cities Sprinkler Quotes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which irrigation district serves my house? Check your utility bill for a district name, or call the irrigation provider that covers your area: CID at (509) 586-6118, KID at (509) 586-9111, or your city's public works department if you're in Pasco, Richland or West Richland. Addresses within the same neighborhood can sometimes fall under different providers.
What happens if I blow out my lines before my district shuts off the water? Water can flow back into your pipes and cause freeze damage over the winter, according to the regional irrigation official quoted by NBC Right Now. Wait for confirmation that your provider has actually turned off the supply.
Does West Richland offer sprinkler blowout service? No. The city's FAQ page states it does not provide blowout service, even for the in-town systems it operates in Brotherhood, Luanne Estates and Flat Top. Homeowners there need to hire a contractor or do it themselves.
When will Pasco's city irrigation water shut off this year? Pasco hasn't posted an exact 2026 date. The city's irrigation page says the season generally runs April through October depending on weather, with watering on a staggered schedule by even or odd address. Check the city's website or call Public Works as temperatures drop.
