Title 54 — Title 54 PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICTS

As used in this title "revenue obligation" or "revenue obligations" mean and include bonds, notes, warrants, certificates of indebtedness, or any other evidences of indebtedness issued by a district which, by the terms thereof, shall be payable from the revenues of its public uti…

Municipal corporations, to be known as public utility districts, are hereby authorized for the purposes of chapter 1, Laws of 1931 and may be established within the limits of the state of Washington, as provided herein.[ 1931 c 1 s 2; RRS s 11606.]Notes:Purpose—1931 c 1: "The pur…

Chapter 1, Laws of 1931, shall not be deemed or construed to repeal or affect any existing act, or any part thereof, relating to the construction, operation and maintenance of public utilities by irrigation or water-sewer districts or other municipal corporations, but shall be su…

In addition to other powers authorized in Title 54 RCW, public utility districts may annex territory as provided in this section.The boundaries of a public utility district may be enlarged and new contiguous territory added pursuant to the procedures for annexation by cities and …

When territory has been added to a public utility district in accordance with RCW 54.04.035, the supervisor of elections and other officers of the county in which the public utility district first operated shall coordinate elections, the levy and collection of taxes, and other ne…

(1) Any voting precinct located within a county that has a federal nuclear reservation within its boundaries is:(a) Withdrawn from a public utility district if the precinct receives at least one electric distribution, water, or sewer service from a city, and no electric distribut…

A district shall not construct any property to be utilized by it in the operation of a plant or system for the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy for sale, on the streets, alleys, or public places within a city or town without the consent of the governin…

(1) As used in this section:(a) "Attachment" means the affixation or installation of any wire, cable, or other physical material capable of carrying electronic impulses or light waves for the carrying of intelligence for telecommunications or television, including, but not limite…

(1) Subject to chapter 48.62 RCW, any public utility district engaged in the operation of electric or water utilities may enter into contracts of group insurance for the benefit of its employees, and pay all or any part of the premiums for such insurance. Such premiums shall be p…

Any public utility district which provides for the coverage of any of its employees under any plan for individual annuity contracts, retirement income policies, group annuity contracts, group insurance for the benefit of its employees, or any other contract for the benefit of its…

The supervisor of elections or other proper officer of the county shall give notice of all elections held under this title, for the time and in the manner and form provided for city, town, school district, and port district elections. When the supervisor or other officer deems an…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6076-S.SL) ***(1) Any item, or items of the same kind of materials, equipment, or supplies purchased, the estimated cost of which is in excess of $30,000, exclusive of sales tax, shall be by contract. However, a district may make purchases of the same …

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6076-S.SL) ***Any notice inviting sealed bids shall state generally the work to be done, or the material to be purchased and shall call for proposals for furnishing it, to be sealed and filed with the commission on or before the time named therein. Eac…

For the awarding of a contract to purchase any item, or items of the same kind of materials, equipment, or supplies in an amount exceeding thirty thousand dollars per calendar month, but less than one hundred twenty thousand dollars per calendar month, exclusive of sales tax, the…

A district shall require that bid proposals upon any construction or improvement of any electrical facility shall be made upon contract proposal form supplied by the district commission, and in no other manner. The district commission shall, before furnishing any person, firm or …

Each contractor and subcontractor performing work for a public utility district or a local utility district within a public utility district shall pay or cause to be paid to its employees on the work or under the contract or subcontract, not less than the minimum scale fixed by t…

RCW 54.04.070 through 54.04.090 shall not apply to agreements entered into under authority of chapter 70A.140 RCW provided there is compliance with the procurement procedure under RCW 70A.140.040.[ 2021 c 65 s 60; 1986 c 244 s 14.]Notes:Explanatory statement—2021 c 65: See note f…

Whenever a decree of public use and necessity heretofore has been or hereafter shall be entered in condemnation proceedings conducted by a public utility district for the acquisition of electrical distribution properties, or whenever it has executed a contract for the purchase of…

In order that the commissioners of a public utility district may be better able to plan for the marketing of power and for the development of resources pertaining thereto, they shall have the same powers as are vested in a board of county commissioners as provided in *chapter 44,…

Whenever any municipal corporation acquires by condemnation or otherwise any utility which at the time of acquisition is in private ownership and the employees of such private utility have been for at least two years and are at the time of acquisition covered by any plan for indi…

Any person affected by RCW 54.04.130 who was employed by the private utility at the time of acquisition may, at his or her option, apply to the district and/or appropriate officers, for admission to any plan available to other employees of the district. Every such person who was …

The municipal corporation may enter into any agreements and contracts necessary to carry out the powers and duties prescribed by RCW 54.04.130 and 54.04.140, but nothing in RCW 54.04.130 through 54.04.160 shall be so construed as requiring without consent the modification of the …

Any municipal corporation which has heretofore or shall hereafter acquire from a private owner any urban transportation system which at the time of such acquisition has or had in effect any pension or retirement system for its employees, shall assume all such obligations with res…

Employees of public utility districts are hereby authorized and entitled to enter into collective bargaining relations with their employers with all the rights and privileges incident thereto as are accorded to similar employees in private industry.[ 1963 c 28 s 1.]

Any public utility district may enter into collective bargaining relations with its employees in the same manner that a private employer might do and may agree to be bound by the result of such collective bargaining.[ 1963 c 28 s 2.]

(1) In addition to any other authority provided by law, public utility districts are authorized to produce and distribute biodiesel, ethanol, and ethanol blend fuels, including entering into crop purchase contracts for a dedicated energy crop for the purpose of generating electri…

A public utility district may be a captive owner as defined in RCW 48.201.020.[ 2025 c 53 s 4.]

Actions taken under chapter 54.08 RCW may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 47.]

At any general election held in an even-numbered year, the county legislative authority of any county in this state may, or, on petition of ten percent of the qualified electors of the county based on the total vote cast in the last general county election held in an even-numbere…

All expenses of elections for the formation of such public utility districts shall be paid by the county holding such election, and such expenditure is hereby declared to be for a county purpose, and the money paid out for such purpose shall be repaid to such county by the public…

The existence of any public utility district now or hereafter formed under chapter 1, Laws of 1931, cannot hereafter be legally questioned by any person except the state of Washington in an appropriate court action brought within six months from the date that the county election …

Whenever a proposition for the formation of a public utility district is to be submitted to voters in any county, the county legislative authority may by resolution call a special election, and at the request of petitioners for the formation of such district contained in the peti…

Any district which does not own or operate electric facilities for the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric power on March 25, 1969, or any district which hereafter does not construct or acquire such electric facilities within ten years of its creation, shall not…

Any district now or hereafter created under the laws of this state may be dissolved, as hereinafter provided, by a majority vote of the qualified electors of such district at any general election upon a resolution of the district commission, or upon petition being filed and such …

A public utility district that is created as provided in RCW 54.08.010 shall be a municipal corporation of the state of Washington, and the name of such public utility district shall be Public Utility District No. . . . . of . . . . . . County.The powers of the public utility dis…

(1) Commissioners of public utility districts shall receive salaries as follows:(a) Each public utility district commissioner of a district operating utility properties shall receive a salary of one thousand eight hundred dollars per month, as adjusted for inflation by the office…

The commission shall elect from its members, a president and secretary, and shall, by resolution, adopt rules governing the transaction of district business, and adopt an official seal. All proceedings of the commission shall be by motion or resolution, recorded in its minute boo…

Each commissioner before he or she enters upon the duties of his or her office shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation that he or she will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of his or her office to the best of his or her ability. This oath, or affirmation, sh…

Commissioners and employees of public utility districts shall be immune from civil liability for mistakes and errors of judgment in the good faith performance of acts within the scope of their official duties involving the exercise of judgment and discretion which relate solely t…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Broadband infrastructure" means networks of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed internet access and other advanced t…

A district may make surveys, plans, investigations or studies for generating electric energy by water power, steam, or other methods, and for systems and facilities for the generation, transmission or distribution thereof, and for domestic and industrial water supply and irrigati…

A district may construct, condemn and purchase, purchase, acquire, lease, add to, maintain, operate, develop, and regulate all lands, property, property rights, water, water rights, dams, ditches, flumes, aqueducts, pipes and pipe lines, water power, leases, easements, rights-of-…

A district may construct, purchase, condemn and purchase, acquire, add to, maintain, conduct, and operate waterworks and irrigation plants and systems, within or without its limits, for the purpose of furnishing the district, and the inhabitants thereof, and of the county in whic…

Any district is hereby authorized, within limits established by the Constitution of the state of Washington, to assist the owners of structures in financing the acquisition and installation of fixtures, systems, and equipment, for compensation or otherwise, for the conservation o…

The provision of water service beyond the boundaries of a public utility district may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 48.]

A district may purchase, within or without its limits, electric current for sale and distribution within or without its limits, and construct, condemn and purchase, purchase, acquire, add to, maintain, conduct, and operate works, plants, transmission and distribution lines and fa…

A district may take, condemn and purchase, purchase and acquire any public and private property, franchises and property rights, including state, county, and school lands, and property and littoral and water rights, for any of the purposes aforesaid, and for railroads, tunnels, p…

A district may build and maintain intertie lines connecting its power plant and distribution system with the power plant and distribution system owned by any other public utility district, or municipal corporation, or connect with the power plants and distribution systems owned b…

(1) A district may contract indebtedness or borrow money for any corporate purpose on its credit or on the revenues of its public utilities, and to evidence such indebtedness may issue general obligation bonds or revenue obligations; may issue and sell local utility district bond…

A district may raise revenue by the levy of an annual tax on all taxable property within the district, not exceeding forty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value in any one year, exclusive of interest and redemption for general obligation bonds. The commission shall pr…