City of Port Angeles v. Our Water-Our Choice!

¶ 1 Public drinking water quality is highly regulated by the United States and Washington State governments. Extensive regulations dictate what may and may not appear in the water. But public drinking water is also, intrinsically, a matter of local concern and in this state is largely provided at the local level by municipalities and local water districts.

*5¶2 The city of Port Angeles operates a municipal water system. In 2003, the Port Angeles City Council voted to fluoridate its city’s water supply. In 2006, the petitioners before us sought to repeal that decision through two initiatives. The…