wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2010 > Original Bill
The provision of safe drinking water is of great importance to protect the health of the people of Washington state. The grant program created under this act provides an avenue for safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water to economically distressed communities and offsets the costs to ratepayers in these communities.
In fulfilling its responsibilities under this subsection, the state board may create ad hoc committees or other such committees of limited duration as necessary.
In order to protect public health, the state board of health shall:
Adopt rules for group A public water systems, as defined in RCW 70A.125.010, necessary to assure safe and reliable public drinking water and to protect the public health. Such rules shall establish requirements regarding:
The design and construction of public water system facilities, including proper sizing of pipes and storage for the number and type of customers;
Drinking water quality standards, monitoring requirements, and laboratory certification requirements;
Public water system management and reporting requirements;
Public water system planning and emergency response requirements;
Public water system operation and maintenance requirements;
Water quality, reliability, and management of existing but inadequate public water systems; and
Quality standards for the source or supply, or both source and supply, of water for bottled water plants;
Adopt rules as necessary for group B public water systems, as defined in RCW 70A.125.010. The rules shall, at a minimum, establish requirements regarding the initial design and construction of a public water system. The state board of health rules may waive some or all requirements for group B public water systems with fewer than five connections;
Adopt rules and standards for prevention, control, and abatement of health hazards and nuisances related to the disposal of human and animal excreta and animal remains;
Adopt rules controlling public health related to environmental conditions including but not limited to heating, lighting, ventilation, sanitary facilities, and cleanliness in public facilities including but not limited to food service establishments, schools, recreational facilities, and transient accommodations;
Adopt rules for the imposition and use of isolation and quarantine;
Adopt rules for the prevention and control of infectious and noninfectious diseases, including food and vector borne illness, and rules governing the receipt and conveyance of remains of deceased persons, and such other sanitary matters as may best be controlled by universal rule; and
Adopt rules for accessing existing databases for the purposes of performing health related research.
The state board shall adopt rules for the design, construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of those on‑site sewage systems with design flows of less than 3,500 gallons per day.
The state board may delegate any of its rule-adopting authority to the secretary and rescind such delegated authority.
All local boards of health, health authorities and officials, officers of state institutions, police officers, sheriffs, constables, and all other officers and employees of the state, or any county, city, or township thereof, shall enforce all rules adopted by the state board of health. In the event of failure or refusal on the part of any member of such boards or any other official or person mentioned in this section to so act, he or she shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50, upon first conviction, and not less than $100 upon second conviction.
The state board may advise the secretary on health policy issues pertaining to the department of health and the state.
The state board shall maintain and enforce all drinking water standards as required by applicable federal standards pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 200f et seq., in addition to those required by state law under this chapter and chapter 70A.100 RCW.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall provide financial assistance through a safe drinking water grant program for economically distressed communities, hereby created.
Any public water system as defined in RCW 70A.125.010 that: (a) Is located in an economically distressed community; and (b) does not meet state drinking water standards under chapter 43.20 or 70A.125 RCW is eligible.
All financing provided through the program must be in the form of grants to eligible public water systems to build, repair, consolidate, and redesign infrastructure. Grants must cover capital improvements, in addition to planning grants that increase public health and compliance with drinking water regulations.
Public water systems seeking planning grants under this section must provide a brief statement describing existing drinking water quality conditions, public water system and site deficiencies, and financial constraints, as well as other materials as required by the department.
Public water systems seeking construction grants under this section must have: (i) Received and completed a planning grant under (a) of this subsection; or (ii) completed construction documents including drawings, specifications, total project cost estimates, contract and procurement requirements, in addition to a brief statement describing existing drinking water quality conditions, public water system and site deficiencies, and financial constraints.
Before January 1, 2026, the department must develop an application process and project evaluation criteria to evaluate applications. Primary consideration must be given to drinking water quality and financial need and prioritized accordingly.
Beginning with the 2027-2029 fiscal biennium, the department must submit a prioritized list of recommended projects for funding to the governor and the legislature as part of the department's biennial capital budget request. The prioritized list must include a description of each project and the amount of recommended state funding. Priority must be given to projects with the poorest water quality.