Section 246-290-810. Water use efficiency program.

(1) Water system plans and small water system management programs submitted for approval for the first year after the effective date of this rule, must describe the municipal water supplier's existing water use efficiency program. The municipal water supplier must continue existing levels of water use efficiency.

(2) Subsections (3) and (4) of this section apply to:

(a) Water system plans submitted to the department for approval under WAC 246-290-100 one year after the effective date of this rule.

(b) Small water system management programs developed and implemented or submitted to the department for approval one year after the effective date of this rule.

(3) Municipal water suppliers shall develop and implement a water use efficiency program which includes sufficient cost-effective water use efficiency measures to meet the water use efficiency goals developed under WAC 246-290-830.

(4) Municipal water suppliers shall complete the following items in the water use efficiency program:

(a) Describe the current water use efficiency program;

(b) For systems serving one thousand or more total connections, estimate the amount of water saved through implementation of the water use efficiency program over the last six years;

(c) Describe the chosen water use efficiency goals and document the goals were established in accordance with WAC 246-290-830;

(d) Evaluate water use efficiency measures to determine if they are cost-effective as follows:

(i) Evaluate or implement, at a minimum, the number of water use efficiency measures specified in Table 1 based on the system's total number of connections.

(ii) Evaluate or implement water use efficiency measures from the following categories of measures if they are applicable: Indoor residential, outdoor, and industrial/commercial/institutional.

(iii) For systems serving less than one thousand total connections, describe the evaluation process used to select water use efficiency measures.

(iv) For systems serving one thousand or more total connections, include the following criteria when evaluating water use efficiency measures:

(A) Quantitatively evaluate water use efficiency measures to determine if they are cost-effective from the system's perspective including the marginal costs of producing water.

(B) Address whether the water use efficiency measures are cost-effective if the costs are shared with other entities.

(C) Quantitatively or qualitatively evaluate water use efficiency measures to determine if they are cost-effective from the societal perspective.

Table 1

(e) Describe all water use efficiency measures to be implemented within the next six years including a schedule and a budget that demonstrates how the water use efficiency measures will be funded;

(f) Describe how consumers will be educated on water use efficiency practices;

(g) Estimate projected water savings from selected water use efficiency measures;

(h) Describe how the water use efficiency program will be evaluated for effectiveness;

(i) Evaluate water distribution system leakage as follows:

(i) Include distribution system leakage totals in accordance with WAC 246-290-820 for the past six years.

(ii) If necessary, include a copy of the water loss control action plan in accordance with WAC 246-290-820(4).

(iii) If all or portions of transmission lines are excluded when determining distribution system leakage, estimate the amount of leakage from the excluded portion of the transmission mains and describe how it is maintained to minimize leakage.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.119A.180. WSR 07-02-025B, § 246-290-810, filed 12/22/06, effective 1/22/07.]

RCW 70.119A.180. WSR 07-02-025B, § 246-290-810, filed 12/22/06, effective 1/22/07.

Rules

246-290-100,246-290-830,246-290-830,246-290-820,246-290-820,