Brief Description: Regulating the business of installing, repairing, and maintaining domestic water pumping systems.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development (originally sponsored by Senators Rasmussen, Honeyford, Haugen, Morton, Hewitt, Rockefeller, Pflug, Parlette, Shin and Oke).

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development
House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: A person who works on domestic water system pumps is regulated under a number of statutes, and must be: (1) registered as a general contractor or the applicable specialty contractor(s) with the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I); (2) licensed as a journeyman or specialty plumber by L&I to install, alter, repair, or renovate a water system (not including water softening or water treatment equipment) or liquid waste systems, if the plumbing work is done within a building other than a pump house; (3) licensed as a specialty, journeyman or master journeyman electrician and, if applicable, must obtain an electrician administrator's certificate, to install or maintain electrical wires and equipment; and (4) licensed by the Department of Ecology (DOE) if the work involves drilling or constructing new wells, or the alteration of an existing well. DOE has additional responsibilities regarding the protection of groundwater from pollution. The Department of Health also regulates and certifies operators of water systems serving more than one residence.

Summary: A system is created within L&I to coordinate the registration of the plumbing and electrical aspects of a person who installs, maintains, and repairs the pressurization and filtration equipment that acquires, treats, stores, and moves water for domestic use, including irrigation, to one or more residences, or certain owner-operated farms.

To work on pressurization and filtration equipment, it must be located either: (1) outside of a building; (2) in a well house; or (3) within a designated interior space (i.e. garage, basement, crawl space) of a residential structure. A licensed plumber or electrician must work on equipment located within a residential structure. A licensed electrician must also install wiring to a designated disconnect switch for equipment located outside of a building.

The State Advisory Board of Plumbers exercises authority over a newly created specialty plumbing classification for domestic well water pump installation, and the Board is expanded to include a specialty plumber and a specialty plumbing contractor.

The Electrical Board retains authority over the electrical work performed by persons certified to perform domestic well water systems. Until July 1, 2007, instead of issuing citations, L&I will issue one written warning to each person who performs such work without a valid electrician certification which advises that the person must apply for certification within 30 days of the warning.

Electricians performing electrical work on domestic well water systems within the scope of work of their license, and plumbers performing plumbing work on domestic well water systems within the scope of work of their license are not required to possess the certification of competency created by this act.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      41   0
House      97   1   (House amended)
Senate      45   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006