Washington Administrative Code

(1) A purveyor shall disinfect a Group B system before providing service to any consumer.(2) The water system disinfection procedures must conform to the following standards:(a) AWWA C651-05 or APWA/WSDOT (2010 revision), for water main disinfection;(b) AWWA C652-02, for reservoi…

(1) A purveyor of a Group B system shall notify all the system's consumers in writing before transferring ownership. The notification must include a time schedule for transferring responsibilities, identification of the new owner, and under what type of authority the new ownershi…

(1) A purveyor of a Group B system shall apply for and obtain design approval under WAC 246-291-120, or approval under subsection (3) of this section before the system:(a) Expands to serve a new service connection needing potable water; or(b) Provides potable water for a new use …

(1) A purveyor of a Group B system shall provide potable water to the system's consumers.(2) The department or health officer may require a purveyor to collect water quality samples, have the samples analyzed by a certified lab, and report results as required under WAC 246-291-36…

(1) A purveyor of a Group B system shall notify the department, health officer, and all system consumers in writing within twenty-four hours when the purveyor:(a) Obtains a water quality sample analysis from a certified lab indicating the presence of E. coli;(b) Obtains a water q…

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected.[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. WSR 94-14-002, § 24…

The purpose of this chapter is to protect public health by setting minimum requirements and standards for:(1) Public water systems required to have a certified operator in responsible charge;(2) Certified operators of public water systems;(3) Certified operators that develop and …

The definitions, abbreviations, and acronyms in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.(1) "Air gap" means a physical separation measured vertically between the lowest point of a free-flowing discharge end of a potable water supp…

(1) A purveyor shall designate at least one certified operator in responsible charge to meet the requirements of WAC 246-292-032 and as required in WAC 246-292-050 (1), (2), and (4), as applicable.(2) A purveyor may designate additional certified operators in responsible charge i…

(1) A certified operator shall:(a) Operate the public water system with due care and diligence to protect public health and comply with this chapter and applicable state and federal drinking water laws and regulations.(b) Perform only the duties consistent with the operator's exp…

(1) A certified operator designated by the purveyor to be in responsible charge as required in WAC 246-292-020 shall perform or manage the public water system's daily operational and maintenance activities in this chapter, chapter 246-290 WAC, and according to acceptable public h…

(1) A CCS designated by a purveyor as required in WAC 246-292-050(4) shall develop, implement, and maintain a cross-connection control program that meets the requirements in WAC 246-290-490.(2) A CCS shall perform the following duties:(a) Assess the degree of hazard posed by the …

(1) A BAT shall inspect, field test, maintain, and repair backflow prevention assemblies, backflow prevention devices, and air gaps that protect the public water system and report the results as required in WAC 246-290-490(7).(2) A BAT must be equipped with and capable of using a…

(1) A BAT shall complete a backflow preventer inspection and field test report as required in WAC 246-292-034 (3)(c).(2) The completed backflow preventer inspection and field test report must contain facility and hazard information including:(a) Facility name;(b) Service address;…

The department shall classify water treatment plants and distribution systems.(1) Water treatment plants.(a) Water treatment plants are classified according to the point system in the ABC "Purification Plant Criteria" publication (October 2007) and are in Table 1.Table 1Water Tre…

(1) A purveyor of a public water system shall designate at least one certified operator in responsible charge of a water treatment plant according to the minimum operator certification levels in Table 3.Table 3Water Treatment Plant Classification for the Minimum Level of Certifie…

(1) A contract operator must:(a) Be certified, at a minimum, as a CCS and a WDM 1;(b) Be certified at a level determined by the highest classification of the water treatment plant or distribution system operated as required in WAC 246-292-050 in Tables 3 and 4;(c) For each public…

(1) Minimum education and operating experience requirements for a water treatment plant operator are in Table 5.Table 5WTPO Minimum Education and Experience RequirementsCertification LevelMinimum Education Requirement (see Table 7 for equivalents)Minimum Experience RequirementWTP…

(1) To become certified as a CCS, WDS, WDM, or WTPO, an applicant shall:(a) Submit to the department a completed application on a form provided by the department, and include:(i) An application fee, as specified in WAC 246-292-995;(ii) A completed "Waterworks Operator Information…

(1) The department may issue a certification for a WDS, WDM, or WTPO without examination to an applicant who has a valid, unrestricted certificate from another state or province if:(a) The education, operating experience, and professional growth requirements from the other state …

(1) The department may issue a nonrenewable temporary certification to an individual to fill a vacated position for a certified operator in responsible charge, or for a position reclassified in WAC 246-292-086, for a public water system that is required to have a certified operat…

(1) A certified operator who received a legacy certification prior to January 1, 2001, remains subject to the following:(a) A legacy operator certification is valid only for the designated public water system and is not transferable to another operator or public water system;(b) …

(1) The department shall:(a) Reclassify a certified BTO that has twelve months or more of operating experience in a water treatment plant to a WTPO 1. To document operating experience in a water treatment plant, a BTO shall submit the following to the department for review and ap…

(1) Certificates are valid until December 31st each year, except that an initial certificate issued after October 1st will be valid through the following calendar year.(2) To renew a certificate, a certified operator shall submit to the department:(a) The annual renewal fee as sp…

(1) A BTO, CCS, WDS, WDM, or WTPO shall demonstrate professional growth during each professional growth reporting period of at least three years, and complete the requirements by December 31st, as follows:(a) Accumulate a minimum of three CEU or college credits meeting the defini…

(1) The department may suspend an operator's certificate for up to one year or revoke an operator's certificate for up to five years if the operator:(a) Obtains a certificate by fraud or deceit;(b) Performs an act of fraud, deceit, or gross negligence when:(i) Operating or mainta…

(1) The department may deny an application for certification if the applicant:(a) Fails to meet any of the requirements of this chapter or falsifies information;(b) At the time of application, and for any period of time during the prospective period of certification, the applican…

(1) When a public water system or operator fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter, the department may initiate appropriate enforcement actions as authorized in chapters 70A.120 and 70A.125 RCW.(2) The department's enforcement actions against a public water system o…

(1) Table 8 specifies certified operator fees:Table 8Certified Operator FeesOperator ClassificationApplication Fee By ExaminationApplication Fee By ReciprocityAnnual Renewal FeeLate Fee(Assessed for failure to submit the fee within the time period specified on the renewal form)WT…

This chapter is promulgated pursuant to the authority granted in the Public Water System Coordination Act of 1977, chapter 70A.100 RCW, for the purpose of implementing a program relating to public water system coordination within the state of Washington, for evaluation and determ…

(1) "Public water system" - Any system or water supply intended or used for human consumption or other domestic uses including, but not limited to, source, treatment, storage, transmission and distribution facilities where water is furnished to any community, number of individual…

In areas where public water systems are suspected of having problems related to inadequate water quality, unreliable service, or lack of coordinated planning, a preliminary assessment shall be undertaken to determine if the geographical area should be designated a critical water …

(1) The preliminary assessment shall be conducted under the authority of the county legislative authority(ies) and the department with assistance from affected state and local agencies and water purveyors.(2) Notice that a preliminary assessment is being undertaken shall be made …

(1) Based upon review of the preliminary assessment, if findings indicate that a geographical area does have problems related to inadequate water quality, unreliable service, or lack of coordinated planning, the county legislative authority(ies) or the department shall declare th…

(1) Within thirty days following the declaration of a critical water supply service area, a water utility coordinating committee composed of not less than three voting members shall be appointed by the declaring authority.(2) The water utility coordinating committee shall consist…

(1) The initial purpose of the water utility coordinating committee shall be to recommend external critical water supply service area boundaries to the county legislative authority(ies) within six months of appointment of the committee. (See WAC 248-56-600.)(2) Following establis…

(1) Proposed boundaries shall be documented by a written report which includes:(a) A map and narrative description of the recommended boundary.(b) A narrative statement outlining the reasons for the recommended boundary location, the criteria used and relative importance of each.…

(1) The water utility coordinating committee, in recommending, and county legislative authority(ies), in determining the location of external critical water supply service area boundaries shall consider factors including, but not limited to:(a) Existing land use,(b) Projected lan…

(1) No new public water system shall be approved within a critical water supply service area subsequent to establishment of external boundaries unless specifically authorized by the department. Authorization shall be based upon compliance with the following:(a) If unanticipated d…

(1) After establishment of external critical water supply service area boundaries, those boundaries may not be altered until the coordinated water system plan is completed.(2) Alteration of external critical water supply service area boundaries may be initiated by the department …

External critical water supply service area boundaries shall be reviewed by the water utility coordinating committee and the county legislative authority(ies) at least once every five years, as part of the update of the coordinated water system plan. (See WAC 248-56-760.)[Statuto…

(1) A coordinated water system plan shall be required for the entire area within the external critical water supply service area boundaries.(2) In critical water supply service areas where more than one water system exists, a coordinated water system plan shall consist of either:…

(1) Each purveyor within the external critical water supply service area boundaries shall be responsible for completion of a water system plan for the purveyor's future service area, including provisions of WAC 248-56-730, if such a plan has not already been approved, with the fo…

(1) All water purveyors within the external critical water supply service area boundaries (with the exception of the systems specifically exempted in WAC 248-56-710(1)) shall be notified and asked to participate in the development of the supplementary provisions.(2) The supplemen…

(1) The service area boundaries of public water systems within the critical water supply service area shall be determined by written agreement among the respective existing purveyors and approved by the appropriate legislative authority(ies).(2) Future service area agreements sha…

(1) Following establishment of external critical water supply service area boundaries, the water utility coordinating committee shall be responsible for the development of a coordinated water system plan.(2) No later than two months after establishment of the external critical wa…

(1) All purveyors constructing or proposing to construct public water system facilities within the area covered by the coordinated water system plan shall comply with the plan.(2) At any time after two years of establishment of the external critical water supply service area boun…

(1) The coordinated water system plan shall be reviewed and updated by the water utility coordinating committee at a minimum of every five years or sooner, if the water utility coordinating committee feels it is necessary, in accordance with both the provisions of WAC 248-54-580 …

(1) Prior to submission of a coordinated water system plan to the department for approval, the plan shall be reviewed by the county legislative authority(ies) in the county(ies) in which the critical water supply service area is located. County review of the coordinated water sys…

(1) A coordinated water system plan shall be submitted to the department for design approval within two years of the establishment of external critical water supply service area boundaries.(a) In its review of the coordinated water system plan, the department shall ensure that ev…