Burton Water Company was established to provide water for Burton College in the early part of the 20th century. William McKinstry sold the company to Gerry Garrison, who ran the company until 2007, when he sold it to Jim Garrison and Evan Simmons, the current owners.
Source of Water
The Burton Water aquifer is 125 acres of fine sand bounded by a clay layer above and glacial till below. Our well field is located at 11611 SW 232nd. It consists of (2) 3.5 foot diameter concrete tile wells, (1) 12 inch diameter steel well, (17) 1 1/2 inch pipe wells (well points) and one drilled well, all varying in depth between 18 and 30 feet. We are in the process of changing our point of withdrawal to all drilled wells; we have completed one well and others will be developed in the coming years.
Source water assessment
We routinely have our water tested at Edge Analytical in Bellingham for coliform bacteria. We submit two samples from various locations monthly. Coliform bacteria is an indicator of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and other small organisms) that should not be present.