Approval of coordinated water system plan — Limitations following approval — Dispute resolution mechanism — Update or revision of plan.
RCW 70A.100.060
in effect(1) A coordinated water system plan shall be submitted to the secretary for design approval within two years of the establishment of the boundaries of a critical water supply service area. (2) The secretary shall review the coordinated water system plan and, to the extent the plan is consistent with the requirements of this chapter and regulations adopted hereunder, shall approve the plan, provided that the secretary shall not approve those portions of a coordinated water system plan that fail to meet the requirements for future service area boundaries until any boundary dispute is resolved as set forth in RCW 70A.100.070 . (3) Following the approval of a coordinated water system plan by the secretary: (a) All purveyors constructing or proposing to construct public water system facilities within the area covered by the plan shall comply with the plan. (b) No other purveyor shall establish a public water system within the area covered by the plan, unless the local legislative authority determines that existing purveyors are unable to provide the service in a timely and reasonable manner, pursuant to guidelines developed by the secretary. An existing purveyor is unable to provide the service in a timely manner if the water cannot be provided to an applicant for water within one hundred twenty days unless specified otherwise by the local legislative authority. If such a determination is made, the local legislative authority shall require the new public water system to be constructed in accordance with the construction standards and specifications embodied in the coordinated water system plan approved for the area. The service area boundaries in the coordinated plan for the affected utilities shall be revised to reflect the decision of the local legislative authority. (4) The secretary may deny proposals to establish or to expand any public water system within a critical water supply service area for which there is not an approved coordinated water system plan at any time after two years of the establishment of the critical water supply service area: PROVIDED, That service connections shall not be considered expansions. (5) The affected legislative authorities may develop and utilize a mechanism for addressing disputes that arise in the implementation of the coordinated water system plan after the plan has been approved by the secretary. (6) After adoption of the initial coordinated water system plan, the local legislative authority or the secretary may determine that the plan should be updated or revised. The legislative authority may initiate an update at any time, but the secretary may initiate an update no more frequently than once every five years. The update may encompass all or a portion of the plan, with the scope of the update to be determined by the secretary and the legislative authority. The process for the update shall be the one prescribed in RCW 70A.100.050 . (7) The provisions of subsection (3) of this section shall not apply in any county for which a coordinated water system plan has not been approved under subsection (2) of this section. (8) If the secretary initiates an update or revision of a coordinated water system plan, the state shall pay for the cost of updating or revising the plan.
(1) A coordinated water system plan shall be submitted to the secretary for design approval within two years of the establishment of the boundaries of a critical water supply service area.
(2) The secretary shall review the coordinated water system plan and, to the extent the plan is consistent with the requirements of this chapter and regulations adopted hereunder, shall approve the plan, provided that the secretary shall not approve those portions of a coordinated water system plan that fail to meet the requirements for future service area boundaries until any boundary dispute is resolved as set forth in RCW 70A.100.070 .
(3) Following the approval of a coordinated water system plan by the secretary:
(a) All purveyors constructing or proposing to construct public water system facilities within the area covered by the plan shall comply with the plan.
(b) No other purveyor shall establish a public water system within the area covered by the plan, unless the local legislative authority determines that existing purveyors are unable to provide the service in a timely and reasonable manner, pursuant to guidelines developed by the secretary. An existing purveyor is unable to provide the service in a timely manner if the water cannot be provided to an applicant for water within one hundred twenty days unless specified otherwise by the local legislative authority. If such a determination is made, the local legislative authority shall require the new public water system to be constructed in accordance with the construction standards and specifications embodied in the coordinated water system plan approved for the area. The service area boundaries in the coordinated plan for the affected utilities shall be revised to reflect the decision of the local legislative authority.
(4) The secretary may deny proposals to establish or to expand any public water system within a critical water supply service area for which there is not an approved coordinated water system plan at any time after two years of the establishment of the critical water supply service area: PROVIDED, That service connections shall not be considered expansions.
(5) The affected legislative authorities may develop and utilize a mechanism for addressing disputes that arise in the implementation of the coordinated water system plan after the plan has been approved by the secretary.
(6) After adoption of the initial coordinated water system plan, the local legislative authority or the secretary may determine that the plan should be updated or revised. The legislative authority may initiate an update at any time, but the secretary may initiate an update no more frequently than once every five years. The update may encompass all or a portion of the plan, with the scope of the update to be determined by the secretary and the legislative authority. The process for the update shall be the one prescribed in RCW 70A.100.050 .
(7) The provisions of subsection (3) of this section shall not apply in any county for which a coordinated water system plan has not been approved under subsection (2) of this section.
(8) If the secretary initiates an update or revision of a coordinated water system plan, the state shall pay for the cost of updating or revising the plan.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70A.100&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026