Title 57 — Title 57 WATER-SEWER DISTRICTS

Every sewer district and every water district previously created shall be reclassified and shall become a water-sewer district, and shall be known as the ". . . . . Water-Sewer District," or "Water-Sewer District No. . . . ." or shall continue to be known as a "sewer district" or…

Wherever in this title petitions are required to be signed by the owners of property, the following rules shall govern the sufficiency of the petitions:(1) The signature of a record owner, as determined by the records of the county auditor of the county in which the real property…

The board of commissioners of a district may notify the owner or reputed owner of any tract, parcel of land, or other property located within the area included in a petition being circulated for a local improvement district or utility local improvement district under chapter 57.1…

The rule of strict construction shall not apply to this title, which shall be liberally construed to carry out its purposes and objects.[ 1996 c 230 s 104; 1959 c 108 s 19.]Notes:Part headings not law—Effective date—1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the following proposed actions shall be approved as provided for in RCW 57.02.045:(a) Formation or reorganization under chapter 57.04 RCW;(b) Annexation of territory under chapter 57.24 RCW;(c) Withdrawal of territory unde…

In any county where a boundary review board, as provided in chapter 36.93 RCW, is not established, the approval of the proposed action shall be by the county legislative authority pursuant to RCW 57.02.040 and shall be final, and the procedures required to adopt such proposed act…

Whenever the boundaries or proposed boundaries of a district include or are proposed to include by means of formation, annexation, transfer, withdrawal, consolidation, or merger, territory in more than one county:(1) All duties delegated by this title to officers of the county in…

All actions taken in regard to the formation, annexation, consolidation, or merger of water districts taken prior to July 10, 1982, but consistent with this title, as amended, are hereby approved and ratified and shall be legal for all purposes.[ 1982 1st ex.s. c 17 s 7.]

The procedures and provisions of RCW 85.08.830 through 85.08.890, which are applicable to drainage improvement districts, joint drainage improvement districts, or consolidated drainage improvement districts that desire to merge into irrigation districts, shall also apply to distr…

Elections in a district shall be conducted under general election laws.[ 1996 c 230 s 109.]Notes:Part headings not law—Effective date—1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.

(1) A water-sewer district may not prohibit the use of multipurpose fire sprinkler systems that are part of a structure's plumbing system for single-family homes and townhouses as defined by the state residential building code or require a separate water meter or backflow prevent…

Actions taken under this chapter may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1996 c 230 s 201; 1989 c 84 s 56.]Notes:Part headings not law—Effective date—1996 c 230: See notes following RCW 57.02.001.

Water-sewer districts are authorized to be established for the purposes of chapter 57.08 RCW. Such districts may include within their boundaries one or more counties, cities, and towns, or other political subdivisions. However, no portion or all of any city or town may be include…

(1) For the purpose of formation of water-sewer districts, a petition shall be presented to the county legislative authority of each county in which the proposed district is located. The petition shall set forth the reasons for the creation of the district, designate the boundari…

Upon entry of the findings of the final hearing on the petition if one or more county legislative authorities find that the proposed district will be conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience and will benefit the land therein, they shall present a resolution to the…

All elections held pursuant to this title, whether general or special, shall be conducted by the county auditor of the county in which the district is located. Except as provided in RCW 57.04.060, the expense of all such elections shall be paid for out of the funds of the distric…

If at the election a majority of the voters voting upon the proposition vote in favor of the formation of the district the county legislative authority shall so declare in its canvass of the returns of the election to be made within ten days after the date of the election, and th…

Any district may apply to change its name by filing with the county legislative authority in which was filed the original petition for organization of the district, a certified copy of a resolution of its board of commissioners adopted by majority vote of all of the members of th…

Whenever two or more petitions for the formation of a district shall be filed as provided in this chapter, the petition describing the greater area shall supersede all others and an election shall first be held thereunder, and no lesser district shall ever be created within the l…

*This act shall not be construed to repeal, amend, or modify any law heretofore enacted providing a method for water supply for any city or town in this state, but shall be held to be an additional and concurrent method providing for such purpose. Nor shall this act be construed …

Dissolution of district, see chapters 36.96 and 53.48 RCW.

Any district may be disincorporated in the same manner (insofar as the same is applicable) as is provided in RCW 35.07.010 through 35.07.220 for the disincorporation of cities and towns, except that the petition for disincorporation shall be signed by not less than twenty-five pe…

A district whose boundaries are identical with, or if the district is located entirely within, the boundaries of a city or town may be dissolved by summary dissolution proceedings if the district is free from all debts and liabilities except contractual obligations between the di…

(1) On and after March 16, 1979, any sewerage improvement districts created under Title 85 RCW and located in a county with a population of from forty thousand to less than seventy thousand shall become districts and shall be operated, maintained, and have the same powers as dist…

Any sewerage improvement district which has been operating as a sewer district shall be a district under this title as of March 16, 1979, upon being so ordered by the county legislative authority of the county in which such district is located after a hearing of which notice is g…

(1) As an alternative means to forming a water-sewer district, a county legislative authority may authorize the formation of a water-sewer district to serve a new development that at the time of formation does not have any residents, at written request of sixty percent of the own…

In case an attempt has been made to organize a water district not containing within its boundaries any incorporated city or town, and either through inadvertence or mistake the election for the organization of the district was held more than thirty days from the date of such cert…

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore organized or attempted to be organized or incorporated under *chapter 161 of the Laws of 1913, and amendments thereto, are each hereby declared to be and created into duly existing water districts having the respective bound…

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts under the provisions of chapter 114 of the Laws of 1929 and amendments thereto, are hereby validated a…

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, local improvement district, or utility local improvement district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such…

The provisions of the act shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under chapter 114 of the Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, which have maintained their organization as such since the date of such attempted organization, establishment, or creation.[ 1943 …

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts under the provisions of Pierce's Perpetual Code 994-1 to -53, chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendment…

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, local improvement district, or utility local improvement district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such…

The provisions of this act shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under Pierce's Perpetual Code 994-1 to 53, chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto (sections 11579 to 11604, Remington's Revised Statutes), which have maintained their organization a…

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts, including all areas attempted to be annexed thereto, or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, under the provisions of chapter 114, Laws of 19…

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, local improvement district, or utility local improvement district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such…

The provisions of this act shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, which have maintained their organization as such since the date of such attempted organization, establishment, or creation.[ 1953 c 251…

All debts, contracts and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any water district and all bonds, warrants, or other obligations issued by such district, and all charges heretofore made by such districts, and any and all assessments heretofore levied in any loc…

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts under the provisions of chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, are hereby validated and declared to be duly existing water districts, having the respective boundarie…

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such attempted organization, and any and all assessments or levies, and…

The holding and exercise of the office of commissioner by persons now serving as members of the first board of commissioners under or in pursuance of such attempted organization, nominated by petition of at least twenty-five percent of the qualified electors of the district, and …

RCW 57.06.140 through 57.06.160 shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, which have maintained their organization as such since the date of such attempted organization, establishment, or creation, or whi…

The existence of all water districts formed in counties without a boundary review board in compliance with the requirements of chapter 57.04 RCW, whether or not the requirements of RCW 57.02.040 and * 56.02.070 were satisfied, is validated and such districts shall be deemed to be…

All debts, contracts and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any sewer district, all bonds, warrants, or other obligations issued by such districts, any connection or service charges made by such districts, any and all assessments heretofore levied in any ut…

The existence of all sewer districts formed in counties without a boundary review board in compliance with the requirements of *chapter 56.04 RCW, whether or not the requirements of RCW ** 56.02.060 and *** 56.02.070 were satisfied, is validated and such districts shall be deemed…

Each and all of the respective areas of land organized as a water district and heretofore attempted to be merged into a sewer district under chapter 148 of the Laws of 1969 [ex. sess.], and amendments thereto, and which have maintained their organization as part of a sewer distri…

A district shall have the following powers:(1) To acquire by purchase or condemnation, or both, all lands, property and property rights, and all water and water rights, both within and without the district, necessary for its purposes. The right of eminent domain shall be exercise…

Except upon approval of both districts by resolution, a district may not provide a service within an area in which that service is available from another district or within an area in which that service is planned to be made available under an effective comprehensive plan of anot…

A district may operate and maintain a park or recreational facilities on real property that it owns or in which it has an interest that is not immediately necessary for its purposes.If such park or recreational facilities are operated by a person other than the district, includin…

A district may enter into a contract with any person, corporation, or other entity, public or private, that owns a water system located in the district to manage, operate, maintain, or repair the water system. Such a contract may be entered into only if the general comprehensive …