SB 5024-S - DIGEST

(SUBSTITUTED FOR - SEE 2ND SUB)

Declares that a "municipal water supplier" means: (1) A purveyor, as defined in RCW 70.116.030, that: (a) Owns or operates a group A water system as defined in RCW 70.119.020 that is entitled or obligated to serve existing or additional customers and uses within one or more approved water service areas to the extent such customers and uses are allowed under an applicable land use plan; and (b) has an approved water system plan under chapter 43.20 or 70.116 RCW;

(2) An irrigation district organized under chapter 87.03 RCW;

(3) A county appointed as the receiver of a failing water system under RCW 43.70.195, approved as a satellite system management agency under RCW 70.116.134, or that holds rights for use in its own governmental or proprietary operations; or

(4) A city, town, or county that holds rights for use in its own governmental or proprietary operations.

Requires the department of health to, in cooperation with the water supply advisory committee created pursuant to RCW 70.119A.160, examine current and historical water conservation efforts and evaluate the overall effectiveness, including cost-effectiveness, of such efforts. The examination should review: (1) Different approaches taken to conserve water;

(2) Efforts taken throughout the state by large and small public water systems, as the term "public water system" is defined in RCW 70.116.030, that rely on either surface water, ground water, or both as sources of supply;

(3) Costs of conservation and the impact of such costs on rates; and

(4) Methods of recovering costs of conservation.

Requires the department of health to report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2003. The recommendations may include legislation or administrative rule changes that, if enacted or adopted, would encourage cost-effective water conservation.