When Ames Lake was discovered In the 1950s and 1960s, and the Eastside became more populated, people started living in vacation cabins for longer periods of time. And in the Ames Lake/Tolt Hill area, more new houses were being built.

The notion of having an area-wide water system sprang up in the mid-1960s. Some residents in the Ames Lake area wanted to form a local water district and petitioned the King County Board of Commissioners. Before then, early residents had to bring potable water from outside sources or have their own wells drilled. Some residents around the lake even ran pump lines to the lake to obtain non potable water. But drilling for water on Tolt Hill was always a “hit or miss” proposition, causing a number of “dry wells” over the years.

However, some residents were opposed to the formation of the water district. They believed the area’s population didn’t justify it and the feasibility of a system using wells was questionable. Those opposed were informed they could have their properties deleted from the proposed district.