Washington Administrative Code

(1) These rules do not relieve any company from any of its duties and obligations under the laws of the state of Washington.(2) The commission retains the authority to impose additional or different requirements on any company in appropriate circumstances, consistent with the req…

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 80.04.160, 81.04.160 and 34.0…

(1) For purposes of determining commission jurisdiction over a water company as defined in RCW 80.04.010, "control" means the water system operator or manager has discretion over the property or finances or operations of a water company which is normally exercised by an owner. Fa…

"Applicant" means any person, partnership, firm, corporation, municipality, cooperative organization, governmental agency, etc., that has completed a water company's application for water service."Commission" means the Washington utilities and transportation commission."Contribut…

(1) The commission only regulates investor-owned water companies that:(a) Own, operate, control, or manage one or more water systems; except that control or management does not include management by a satellite management agency as defined in chapter 70.116 RCW if the satellite m…

Each water company shall maintain a current map of each of its water systems showing the current service area. The company must provide the current maps to the commission for review within five business days of a request. The maps must contain enough detail to answer questions re…

Authorized personnel of a water company have the right to enter a customer's property during reasonable hours to perform meter reading, maintenance, testing, installation or removal of the company's property. Customers may ask to see the identification of the water company person…

(1) A water company must notify its customers of its regular business hours, telephone number, mailing address and a twenty-four hour emergency telephone, pager, voice messaging, fax machine or mobile phone number, at least once a year.(2) A water company must advise its customer…

(1) When establishing initial service to a location the water company must obtain applications for service in writing, on company-supplied forms. The completed application form must:(a) Include both the company's and the applicant's name, address and telephone number;(b) Show the…

(1) Establishing credit - residential. A company may not collect a security deposit if an applicant for residential service can establish satisfactory credit by any one of the following:(a) The applicant had prior service with the company or another water company for twelve month…

(1) A water company must not refuse or discontinue service to an applicant or customer when there are unpaid bills from a prior customer at the same premises unless the company believes, based on objective evidence, that the applicant is acting on behalf of the prior customer wit…

(1) Service may be disconnected either by customer direction or by company action:(a) Customer-directed. Customers wanting to discontinue service must notify the water company. The company must disconnect the service as requested by the customer. If the customer fails to request …

(1) Customer responsibility - Customers must notify the water company in writing prior to making a change in equipment or usage that will materially affect the service being provided by the company. The customer must:(a) Provide the company adequate time to install necessary addi…

(1) Customer bills must:(a) Be issued at intervals not to exceed three months and identify if the water company is billing in arrears or advance;(b) Show a reference to the applicable rate schedule;(c) Identify and show each separate charge as a line item;(d) Show the total amoun…

(1) If a water company receives a complaint or dispute from a customer or an applicant for service it must:(a) Acknowledge the complaint;(b) Investigate promptly;(c) Report the results of the investigation to the complainant;(d) Take corrective action, if warranted, as soon as ap…

(1) Each water company may be required to refund water charges due to poor water quality only:(a) Upon commission order resulting from a formal proceeding before the commission; and(b) When there are violations of the Washington department of health water quality standards in WAC…

(1) When the water company receives a meter accuracy or water pressure complaint, it must perform a test and share the results with the customer. The test must be at no charge to the customer, except the water company may charge for any additional meter tests requested by the cus…

(1) Water company rights and responsibilities:(a) Each water company must:(i) Bear the cost of the meter and meter installation.(ii) Install water meters that are in working order and accurately measure water flow.(iii) Record meter serial numbers and identify location of install…

(1) Each water company must submit a draft customer notice to the commission for review at least one week before the company's planned printing date for distribution.(2) At a minimum, the water company must notify:(a) Customers and potential customers who may be affected by the w…

Tariffs filed by a water company must conform to the rules of this section and chapter 480-80 WAC Utilities general—Tariffs, unless the commission has authorized deviation from the rules in writing.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 80.04.160, 81.04.160 and 34.05.353. WSR 05-06…

A water company must file revisions to its filed tariff within thirty days of its acquisition of new service area, whether by acquisition of another regulated water company or by acquiring one or more previously unregulated water systems.(1) Adopted tariffs - When a regulated com…

(1) Each water company must file, as a part of its tariff, an extension rule that states the conditions required by the company before it will extend its transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide water service to an applicant.(2) Companies entering into any extensio…

A service connection is the pipes, valves, and fittings between the water company's distribution system and the customer's service line. The customer's service line is the water line from the customer's points of usage to the water company's service connection.(1) Service connect…

(1) Some water companies have insufficient funds to respond to emergencies, replace or upgrade failing infrastructure, or add plant to accommodate growth. Frequently, water companies cannot obtain financing through traditional capital markets. The purpose of a surcharge or a faci…

The definitions in this section apply to Part IV of this chapter."Affiliated interest" means a person or corporation as defined in RCW 80.16.010."Business day" means the same as defined in WAC 480-07-120 (Office hours)."Control" means the possession, direct or indirect, of the po…

(1) Filing. The commission records center will accept any filing under WAC 480-110-525 (Issuing securities) delivered in person, by mail, telefacsimile, or electronic mail message. The commission records center will accept all other reports required in Part IV in person, by mail,…

Part IV does not supersede any reporting requirement specified in a commission order or limit the commission's ability to request additional information.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 80.04.160, 81.04.160 and 34.05.353. WSR 05-06-051 (Docket No. A-021178 and TO-030288, Gene…

(1) The commission will not allow either direct or indirect expenditures for political or legislative activities for ratemaking purposes.(2) For purposes of this rule, political or legislative activities include, but are not limited to:(a) Encouraging support or opposition to bal…

(1) The water company must retain all records and reports for three years unless otherwise specified in subsection (2) of this section.(2) The Regulations to Govern the Preservation of Records of Electric, Gas and Water Companies, published by the National Association of Regulato…

(1) Water companies must use the uniform system of accounts (USOA) published by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). Information about the USOA regarding the version adopted and where to obtain it is set out in WAC 480-110-999 (Adoption by referen…

Each water company must notify the commission within seventy-two hours after every accident resulting in death or serious injury to any person occurring in its plant or through contact with its facilities. At a minimum, the report must include the name of the injured person, time…

(1) Before a water company issues stocks, stock certificates, other evidence of interest or ownership, bonds, notes other than those notes exempted from reporting under RCW 80.08.043, or other evidences of indebtedness, or assumes any obligation or liability as guarantor subject …

(1) At least five business days before a water company that is not rated investment grade or its subsidiary transfers cash to any of its affiliated interests or subsidiaries or assumes an obligation or liability of any of its affiliated interests or any of its subsidiaries, the c…

Prior to the effective date of any contract or arrangement described in RCW 80.16.020, each water company must file a verified copy or a verified summary, if unwritten, of contracts or arrangements, except for transactions provided at tariff rates, with any affiliated interest. P…

Before selling, leasing, or assigning any of its property or facilities which are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public, or before acquiring property or facilities of another public utility, a water company must obtain from the commission an order aut…

Each water company that has issued securities must file with the commission an annual securities transaction report. The report is due ninety days from the end of the company's reporting period, whether a fiscal or calendar year. At a minimum, the report must contain:(1) A schedu…

(1) Each Class A water company must file an annual report summarizing all transactions, except for transactions provided at tariff rates, that occurred between the company and its affiliated interests, and the company and its subsidiaries. The report is due one hundred twenty day…

WAC 480-110-999In this chapter, the commission adopts by reference all or portions of regulations and standards identified below. They are available for inspection at the commission branch of the Washington state library. The publications, effective date, references within this c…

(1) For the purpose of these rules a "forwarder" shall be defined as a person engaged in the business of soliciting, collecting or assembling shipments for the purpose of combining the same into a shipment of such size as to be entitled to a quantity rate and who forwards such sh…

(1) Each intrastate broker or forwarder and each interstate broker or forwarder shall file with the commission, and keep in effect, a surety bond, or deposit satisfactory security in the amount of ten thousand dollars conditioned upon such broker or forwarder making compensation …

(1) The rules in this chapter apply to any company that is subject to the jurisdiction of the commission as to rates or services under the provisions of RCW 80.01.040 and chapters 80.04 and 80.36 RCW.(2) Tariffs filed by companies must conform to these rules. If the commission ac…

The commission may grant an exemption from the provisions of any rule in this chapter in the same manner and consistent with the standards and according to the procedures set forth in WAC 480-07-110 (Exceptions from and modifications to commission rules).[Statutory Authority: Cha…

(1) These rules do not relieve any company from any of its duties and obligations under the laws of the state of Washington.(2) The commission retains the authority to impose additional or different requirements on any company in appropriate circumstances, consistent with the req…

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 03-01-065 a…

The commission may enforce the performance requirements set forth in this chapter by imposing administrative penalties under RCW 80.04.405, 80.04.380, or other appropriate penalty statutes. These performance requirements are not intended to establish civil duties owed to any indi…

The definitions in this section apply throughout the chapter except where there is an alternative definition in a specific section, or where the context clearly requires otherwise."Access charge" means a rate charged by a local exchange company to an interexchange company for the…

Companies that provide their customers with tariffed services must file those tariffs in accordance with chapter 480-80 WAC, Utilities general—Tariffs and contracts. This rule does not apply to companies competitively classified under RCW 80.36.320.[Statutory Authority: Chapter 1…