Group B public water systems

AN ACT Relating to reducing satellite management agency 1
requirements for simple group B public water systems; and amending 2
RCW 70A.125.060. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 70A.125.060 and 2020 c 20 s 1356 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) To assure safe and reliable public drinking water and to 7
protect the public health: 8
(a) Public water systems shall comply with all applicable 9
federal, state, and local rules; and 10
(b) Group A public water systems shall: 11
(i) Protect the water sources used for drinking water;12
(ii) Provide treatment adequate to assure that the public health 13
is protected; 14
(iii) Provide and effectively operate and maintain public water 15
system facilities; 16
(iv) Plan for future growth and assure the availability of safe 17
and reliable drinking water; 18
(v) Provide the department with the current names, addresses, and 19
telephone numbers of the owners, operators, and emergency contact 20
persons for the system, including any changes to this information, 21
H-0767.1
HOUSE BILL 1947
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Engell, Springer, Ley, Schmick, Abell, and Couture
Read first time 02/11/25. Referred to Committee on Environment &
Energy.
p. 1 HB 1947
and provide to users the name and twenty-four hour telephone number 1
of an emergency contact person; and 2
(vi) Take whatever investigative or corrective action is 3
necessary to assure that a safe and reliable drinking water supply is 4
continuously available to users. 5
(2) No new group A public water system may be approved or created 6
unless: (a) It is owned or operated by a satellite system management 7
agency established under RCW 70A.100.130 and the satellite system 8
management system complies with financial viability requirements of 9
the department; or (b) a satellite management system is not available 10
and it is determined that the new system has sufficient management 11
and financial resources to provide safe and reliable service. The 12
approval of any new system that is not owned by a satellite system 13
management agency shall be conditioned upon future management or 14
ownership by a satellite system management agency, if such management 15
or ownership can be made with reasonable economy and efficiency, or 16
upon periodic review of the system's operational history to determine 17
its ability to meet the department's financial viability and other 18
operating requirements. The department and local health jurisdictions 19
shall enforce this requirement under authority provided under this 20
chapter, chapter 70A.100, or 70.05 RCW, or other authority governing 21
the approval of new water systems by the department or a local 22
jurisdiction. 23
(3)(a) No new group B public water systems that are described by 24
any of the criteria in (a)(i) through (iv) of this subsection may be 25
approved or created unless it is owned or operated by a satellite 26
system management agency consistent with the requirements applicable 27
to group A public water systems:28
(i) The group B public water system is required to provide 29
treatment to meet water quality standards;30
(ii) The group B public water system provides fire flow;31
(iii) The group B public water system has atmospheric storage; or32
(iv) The group B public water system serves 10 or more service 33
connections.34
(b) The local board of health may adopt, under RCW 70.05.060 or 35
70.46.060, more stringent satellite management system requirements 36
than the requirements of (a) of this subsection.37
(c) For group B water systems, the department and local health 38
jurisdictions shall enforce the requirements of this subsection under 39
authority provided under this chapter, chapter 70A.100 RCW, or 40
p. 2 HB 1947
chapter 70.05 RCW, or other authority governing the approval of new 1
water systems by the department or a local jurisdiction.2
(4) The department and local health jurisdictions shall carry out 3
the rules and regulations of the state board of health adopted 4
pursuant to RCW 43.20.050(2) (a) and (b) and other rules adopted by 5
the department relating to public water systems. 6
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p. 3 HB 1947