S-2085

AN ACT Relating to incorporating water supply and growth management planning; amending RCW 43.62.035; adding a new section to chapter 43.62 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that water supply availability is an important consideration in planning for future population growth, but that presently there is inadequate integration of the information relating to existing water resources and current and forecasted water use demands into the forecasts of population growth and growth management planning to accommodate the forecasted growth. The legislature further finds that public and private municipal water suppliers having a duty to serve new growth within their service areas should have a greater role in the regional growth management planning activities that will determine the location of new growth for which adequate water service will be expected.

Therefore, the legislature intends to better integrate water supply availability information and water service planning into growth management planning and related land use and infrastructure planning and programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.62 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of financial management shall consider water supply availability in determining growth management population planning projections under RCW 43.62.035.

(2) To assist the office in obtaining information necessary to consider water supply availability under this section, the department of ecology and the department of health shall use maximum effort to provide timely information regarding existing surface and ground water resources, watershed-level water resource assessments prepared under chapter 90.82 RCW, and other information relating to water resources and present and forecasted water use demands.

Sec. 3. RCW 43.62.035 and 1997 c 429 s 26 are each amended to read as follows:

The office of financial management shall determine the population of each county of the state annually as of April 1st of each year and on or before July 1st of each year shall file a certificate with the secretary of state showing its determination of the population for each county. The office of financial management also shall determine the percentage increase in population for each county over the preceding ten-year period, as of April 1st, and shall file a certificate with the secretary of state by July 1st showing its determination. At least once every five years or upon the availability of decennial census data, whichever is later, the office of financial management shall prepare twenty-year growth management planning population projections required by RCW 36.70A.110 for each county that adopts a comprehensive plan under RCW 36.70A.040 and shall review these projections with such counties and the cities in those counties before final adoption. Beginning with revised projections issued after July 1, 2001, the office shall incorporate consideration of water supply availability using the information compiled as authorized by section 2 of this act. The county and its cities may provide to the office such information as they deem relevant to the office's projection, and the office shall consider and comment on such information before adoption. Each projection shall be expressed as a reasonable range developed within the standard state high and low projection. The middle range shall represent the office's estimate of the most likely population projection for the county. If any city or county believes that a projection will not accurately reflect actual population growth in a county, it may petition the office to revise the projection accordingly. The office shall complete the first set of ranges for every county by December 31, 1995.

A comprehensive plan adopted or amended before December 31, 1995, shall not be considered to be in noncompliance with the twenty-year growth management planning population projection if the projection used in the comprehensive plan is in compliance with the range later adopted under this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:

In the development and amendment of comprehensive plans under this chapter and in the development of regional policies under RCW 36.70A.210, counties and cities shall ensure full consideration of water supply service plans, water resource availability information, and water use demand forecasts by the departments of ecology and health and by municipal water service providers with a service area within the geographic extent of the comprehensive plans and regional policies.