BILL REQ. #:  H-1909.1 

Read first time 02/22/2005.   Referred to Committee on Housing.

     AN ACT Relating to separate billing of tenants for water and wastewater services; and adding a new section to chapter 59.18 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 59.18 RCW to read as follows:
     A landlord shall not bill a tenant separately for water or wastewater services, or engage or authorize a third party billing agent to bill a tenant separately for water or wastewater services, unless the water or wastewater service is measured by an individual meter for that tenant's dwelling unit. If a dwelling unit does not have an individual meter for measuring the water and wastewater usage in the dwelling unit, the landlord must include the charge for water and wastewater services for the dwelling unit as part of the rent due under the rental agreement for that dwelling unit.