S-2609.1          _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8411

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Senators Madsen and Barr.

 

Read first time April 24, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Water Resources.Ordering the joint select committee on water resource policy to study rates.


     WHEREAS, Many rural and suburban areas are not presently served by water systems which are capable of adding commercial customers or residential developments without additional facilities; and

     WHEREAS, County comprehensive water planning often prevents a developer or commercial customer from developing his or her own source or going to another water purveyor other than the one designated for a particular area; and

     WHEREAS, Many water companies regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission require residential developers and commercial customers to sign contracts to obtain water service; and

     WHEREAS, The charges in such contracts are often in dispute; and

     WHEREAS, The commission does not review such contracts unless they have been signed by the company and the customer; and

     WHEREAS, Water is an essential utility service and there is a need to provide such service expeditiously and without unnecessary delay;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Joint Select Committee on Water Resource Policy conduct a study to determine whether legislation is needed to establish procedures which will allow the commission to set rates for individual water connections quickly and fairly; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee study whether public and private water systems not regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission have similar problems; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislature at the regular session held in 1992.