Planning requirements for public drinking water systems
Please contact your Office of Drinking Water regional
planner for current information on what to include in your water
system plan or small water system management program or to
schedule a pre-plan conference. There is no charge for a
pre-plan conference.
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This information will help you determine the appropriate
level of planning for your water system. It also clarifies when
you must submit additional information to meet financial
viability requirements for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
(DWSRF) applications.
We strongly encourage all water systems to have a preplan
meeting with our regional engineering and planning staff before
developing their planning document for our approval.
Requirements for a new or updated water system plan
A Group A community water system must submit a Water System
Plan (WSP) to us for review and approval if it meets any of the
following conditions:
- It has 1,000 or more service connections.
- It is a new Group A water system.
- It is expanding. Contact your regional planner to find
out whether your water system is expanding.
- It wants to be eligible for the "document submittal
exception" process that allows it to proceed with certain
projects without submitting construction documents to us for
review.
- We directed it to develop a WSP because of demonstrated
operational, managerial, or financial problems.
- It is municipally owned and located in a critical water
supply service area. If your water system falls into this
category, but is not expanding, contact your regional
planner about the appropriate planning document.
- We require it to do so to meet DWSRF eligibility
requirements. We will require water systems with a current
WSP to submit a project-specific amendment if the WSP
doesn’t adequately address the proposed project. Requirements for a Small Water System Management Program (SWSMP)
Requirements for a Small Water System Management Program
All community and noncommunity water systems not required to
submit a WSP must develop and implement a Small Water System
Management Program (SWSMP).
- Except in certain circumstances, we don't require water
systems to submit their SWSMP to us for approval.
- Sanitary surveyors will discuss SWSMP development as
part of the sanitary survey process.
Submittal for approval
We may require a water system to submit its SWSMP to us for
review and approval when:
- A new nontransient noncommunity water system is created.
- It is required for a DWSRF application.
- A water system has operational, managerial, or financial
problems and we determine that completing a SWSMP might help
to correct those problems.
Contact your regional planner for a preplan meeting to
discuss the scope and level of detail for your SWSMP.
Financial viability requirements for DWSRF loan applicants
- The Public Works Board does not place additional
planning-related financial viability requirements on most
water systems that apply for DWSRF loans.
- The Public Works Board requires a supplemental
financial application from privately owned water systems
with applications that score high enough to be in the DWSRF
funding range. The supplement must include business
references, tax returns, balance sheet statements, and
long-term debt. Applicants must also fill out a financial
capacity spreadsheet. The Board uses this information and an
on-site visit with the applicant to evaluate ability to
repay a DWSRF loan and readiness to proceed with the
project.
More information
Office of Drinking Water
Our publications are online at
https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/dw/publications/publications.cfm
For more information, call the nearest regional office.
Eastern Region: Spokane Valley (509) 329-2100
Northwest Region: Kent (253) 395-6750
Southwest Region: Tumwater (360) 236-3030
Public Works Board
For financial viability requirements, call Bruce Lund at
(360) 725-3163.
DOH 331-202
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