HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1019

                  As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to aquifer protection areas.

Brief Description:  Allowing fees for efforts to prevent aquifer depletion.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Brough, Haugen, Mitchell and Ferguson).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, February 13, 1991, DPS;

Passed House, March 6, 1991, 96-0;

Amended by Senate.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1019 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Ferguson, Ranking Minority Member; Mitchell, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bray; Edmondson; Franklin; Horn; Nealey; Nelson; Rayburn; Roland; Wood; Wynne; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Aquifer protection areas are financing mechanisms that voters can authorize to finance water quality activities and water quality improvements.

Voters in aquifer protection areas can authorize the imposition of fees on the removal of water and fees for on-site sewage disposal within the aquifer protection area, that are expressed in terms of a dollar amount per household.  The fees are used to finance water quality activities and facilities, including: (1) preparation of a comprehensive plan to protect and rehabilitate subterranean water; (2) construction of various facilities, including sanitary sewage facilities and stormwater sewer facilities; (3) the reduction of special assessments used to finance such facilities; and (4) monitoring and inspecting on-site sewage disposal systems.

Summary of Bill:  Aquifer protection area laws are altered to include a statement that the depletion of subterranean water is of great concern and poses a threat to the safety and welfare of the citizens of this state.

Aquifer protection area fees may be used to finance the construction of water systems and the costs of monitoring the quality and quantity of subterranean water, to implement the comprehensive plan that is developed to protect subterranean water, to enforce compliance with standards and rules relating to the quality and quantity of subterranean waters, and for public eduction relating to the protection and enhancement of subterranean waters.  It is clarified that use of the fees to prepare a comprehensive plan to protect and rehabilitate subterranean waters includes a ground water management program adopted under chapter 90.44 RCW.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): The words used to describe one of the new cases of aquifer protection fees are altered from "implementing" the comprehensive plan developed to protect and rehabilitate subterranean water to "ongoing implementation of" this comprehensive plan.  This change does not seem to have any effect.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Voters authorize the fees.  This is a good program to save and rehabilitate groundwater.  Island areas are in particular need of this.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Hedia Adelsman, Ecology Water Resources; Linda Hoffman, Thurston County Office of Water Quality; Gary Lowe, Washington State Association of Counties; Dan Chasan, Vashon Groundwater Advisory Committee; and Tom Watts, Clark County Intergovernmental Resource Center.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Yeas 96; Excused 2

Excused:  Representatives Locke, Nelson