Brief Description: Charging manufactured housing communities for water and sewer connections.

Sponsors: Representatives Morris and Schindler.

Hearing Date: 2/1/05

Staff: Robyn Dupuis (786-7166).

Background:

Under the Municipal Water and Sewer Facilities Act, every system provider, be it a municipality, county, or the commissioners of any district which operates a water or sewer system, has full authority to manage, regulate and control the rates and charges for the service and facilities, and to levy charges for connection to the system.

In the case of manufactured housing communities, water and sewer system providers run specified water and sewer lines up to the community property line. At the property line, the system providers install one tap-in connection with a meter. This connection enables the community to access water and sewer services. The service provider charges a "connection charge" to the property owner based upon the size of the meter which is dependent upon the number of units within the community; for example, a single family residential meter may measure 3/4-1 inch, whereas an apartment complex or a manufactured housing community meter may measure 2 inches. The manufactured home community property owner provides and maintains the infrastructure necessary to connect individual lots to the main water and sewer line. Through periodic meter readings, the system provider monitors the water use of the entire community and bills the property owner, who is responsible for payment. Community property owners typically either approximate and build the cost of water and sewer into pad rental charges, or, at the time of invoice, divide the bill amongst the number of manufactured home owners and bill the units separately.

In at least one instance, a system provider has charged a manufactured home community property owner with multiple charges based upon the number of units within the community, instead of based upon the number of actual tap-in connections and meters which were provided and are maintained by the service provider.

Summary of Bill:

A service provider may not charge tap or connection charges for individual lots within a manufactured housing community if that service provider has not provided and does not maintain specified connections to those individual lots.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not Requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.