Coordinated Water System Plan - Kitsap County Government

Kitsap County May 9, 2005
Coordinated Water System Plan
Regional Supplement 2005 Revision
Section
3 Water Utility Service Areas
3.1 Introduction
The Public Water System Coordination Act (Coordination Act) requires that a procedure be
established to identify the existing and future service areas of public water utilities within a
Critical Water Supply Service Area (CWSSA).
There have been no major changes in the Public Water System Coordination Act laws since the
1992 Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP) was prepared, which influence the selection of
future service areas by water utilities. However, changes have occurred in the allowable levels of
service within retail service areas and how disputes are settled in the event of disagreements
between utilities and applicants for service requests. These changes affect the Utility Service
Review Procedure (USRP), which is described in Section 5. Provisions for designating
wholesale water service areas have also been included. Much of the information presented
below, therefore, is a reiteration of the intent and purpose of having well-defined service areas,
the related responsibilities of service areas, and the process of their selection.
The establishment of retail service area boundaries carries with it
two obligations. The first obligation is that the county and state
governments recognize an identified utility as the responsible
agency for providing all retail public water service within a
designated area. The second obligation is that the designated
utility shall assume responsibility, within its service area, for
planning and implementing water system development and proper
utility management. The manner in which this responsibility is to
be fulfilled is described in the utility's water system plan.
For those areas within the CWSSA which are in a utility’s
designated retail service area, but the utility is unwilling or unable
to provide timely and reasonable service, or for areas which are
not within any utility's designated retail service area, the Utility
Establishment of a
Service Area Boundary
carries two obligations
for providing public
water service: 1) Local
governments recognize
the utility as the
responsible agency; 2)
The utility shall assume
responsibility within its
area for planning,
implementation, and
utility management.
Service Review Procedure (USRP), gives priority to service by an existing Group A or B system
which has mains within one quarter of a mile and has an approved water system plan, or a
Satellite System Management Agency (SSMA). If these service options are not available, a new
utility may be formed and constructed subject to Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP)
specifications and demonstration of financial viability.
The Coordination Act provides the legal mechanism, for municipal systems and private water
utilities alike, to establish an exclusive retail service area. This procedure provides the utilities
with the assurance that the financial commitments associated with their capital improvement
programs are protected and that their planning is consistent with State and County requirements.
From the County's perspective, designated retail service areas will mean a specific utility has
Section 3 - Water Utility Service Areas 3-1