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BILL ANALYSIS

HB 1264

TITLE OF THE BILL: Making corrections regarding combining water and sewer districts.

WHAT THIS BILL DOES: Makes numerous changes related to consolidating water district and sewer district laws.

SPONSORS:  Representatives Schmidt and Scott.

HEARING DATE:  Thursday, February 4, 1999.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

ANALYSIS PREPARED BY:  Caroleen Dineen (786-7156).

BACKGROUND:

Water districts are units of local government initially authorized in 1913 to provide potable water facilities, sanitary sewers, drainage facilities, and street lighting.  Sewer districts are units of local government initially authorized in 1941 to provide sanitary sewers, drainage facilities, and potable water facilities.  Sewer district laws are almost identical with water district laws.

Legislation enacted in 1996 and effective July 1, 1997 consolidated water district laws with sewer district laws and made a number of technical changes to these laws.  Among other changes, the term Asewer system,@ which had been defined to include both sanitary sewers and drainage systems, was altered to apply only to sanitary sewer systems, and separate provisions were added for drainage systems.

SUMMARY:

A variety of changes are made relating to the consolidation of water district laws with sewer district laws.  The distinction between sanitary sewer systems and drainage systems initiated in the 1996 legislation consolidating sewer district and water district statutes is continued.  Various laws are amended to make this distinction.

Provisions relating to the use of the small works roster process for work ordered with a cost from $5,000 to less than $50,000 are clarified.

The provision subjecting financial records of associations of water-sewer district commissions to audit by the state auditor is eliminated.

References to either Awater districts@ or Asewer districts@ are altered to Awater-sewer districts@ and numerous technical changes are made to a variety of statutes related to water-sewer districts.