S-1813.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5762

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State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Energy & Utilities (originally sponsored by Senators Hayner, Cantu and Thorsness).

Read first time March 1, 1991.Financing water company safety improvements.

     AN ACT Relating to the financing of safety improvements by regulated water companies; and amending RCW 80.28.022.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 80.28.022 and 1990 c 132 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

     In determining the rates to be charged by each water company subject to its jurisdiction, the commission may provide for the funding of a reserve account exclusively for the purpose of making capital improvements approved by the department of health as a part of a long-range plan, or required by the department to assure compliance with federal or state drinking water regulations, or to perform construction or maintenance required by the department of ecology to  secure safety to life and property under RCW 43.21A.064(2).  Expenditures from the fund shall be subject to prior approval by the commission, and shall be treated for rate-making purposes as customer contributions.