(1)(a) Subject to the conditions in this section, the tax levied by RCW
82.08.020 does not apply to sales of bottled water to persons whose primary source of drinking water is unsafe.
(b) For purposes of this subsection and RCW
82.12.99941, a person's primary source of drinking water is unsafe if:
(i) The public water system providing the drinking water has issued a public notification that the drinking water may pose a health risk, and the notification is still in effect on the date that the bottled water was purchased;
(ii) Test results on the person's drinking water, which are no more than twelve months old, from a laboratory certified to perform drinking water testing show that the person's drinking water does not meet safe drinking water standards applicable to public water systems; or
(iii) The person otherwise establishes, to the department's satisfaction, that the person's drinking water does not meet safe drinking water standards applicable to public water systems.
(2) Except for sales of bottled water delivered to the buyer in a reusable container that is not sold with the water, sellers must collect tax on sales subject to this exemption. Any buyer that has paid at least twenty-five dollars in state and local sales taxes on purchases of bottled water subject to this exemption may apply for a refund of the taxes directly from the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The department must deny any refund application if the amount of the refund requested is less than twenty-five dollars. No refund may be made for taxes paid more than four years after the end of the calendar year in which the tax was paid to the seller.
(3)(a) With respect to sales of bottled water delivered to the buyer in a reusable container that is not sold with the water, buyers claiming the exemption provided in this section must provide the seller with an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The seller must retain a copy of the certificate for the seller's files.
(b) The department may waive the requirement for an exemption certificate in the event of disaster or similar circumstance.