Abbreviations:

"IOU" - Investor owned utility;

"SMA" - Satellite management agency;

"UTC" - Utilities and transportation commission; and

"WSP" - Water system plan.

"Certified operator" means a person certified in accordance with chapter 246-292 WAC.

"Contract" means a written agreement between a SMA and a public water system identifying the responsibilities of system operation and management.

"Department" means the Washington state department of health.

"Investor owned utility" means a corporation, company, association, joint stock association, partnership and person, their lessees, trustees or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any public water system for hire.

"Public water system" means any system, excluding a system serving only one single-family residence and a system with four or fewer connections all of which serve residences on the same farm, providing piped water for human consumption, including any:

Collection, treatment, storage, or distribution facilities under control of the purveyor and used primarily in connection with such system; and

Collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under control of the purveyor primarily used in connection with such system.

"Purveyor" means an agency, subdivision of the state, municipal corporation, firm, company, mutual or cooperative association, institution, partnership, or person or other entity owning or operating a public water system. Purveyor also means the authorized agents of such entities.

"Satellite management agency (SMA)" means an individual, purveyor, or entity that is approved by the secretary to own or operate more than one public water system on a regional or county-wide basis, without the necessity for a physical connection between such systems.

"Satellite management and operation services" means all day-to-day responsibilities of a water system. Management responsibilities shall include planning and policy decision making. Operational responsibilities shall include normal day-to-day operations, preventative maintenance, water quality monitoring, troubleshooting, emergency response, response to complaints, public/press contact, and recordkeeping.

"Secretary" means the secretary of the department of health or their designee.

"Service area" means a specific area for which satellite management and operation services may be provided by a SMA.

"Service area policies" means pertinent policies that impact the provision of water and water system growth.