RCW 57.06.110 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 110
RCW 57.06.110: 1953 validation.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this act shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, which have maintained their organization as such since the date of such attempted organization, establishment, or creation.
RCW 57.08.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 100
RCW 57.08.100: Health care, group, life, and social security insurance contracts for employees', commissioners' benefit—Joint action with other districts.
Status: in_force

Subject to chapter 48.62 RCW, a district, by a majority vote of its board of commissioners, may enter into contracts to provide health care services and/or group insurance and/or term life insurance and/or social security insurance for the benefit of its employees and may pay all or any part of the cost thereof. Any two or more districts, by a majority vote of their respective boards of commissioners, may, if deemed expedient, join in the procuring of such health care services and/or group insurance and/or term life insurance, and the board of commissioners of a participating district may by appropriate resolution authorize its respective district to pay all or any portion of the cost thereof. A district providing health, group, or life insurance to its employees may provide its commissioners with the same coverage. However, the per person amounts for such insurance paid by the district shall not exceed the per person amounts paid by the district for its employees.
RCW 57.06.180 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 180
RCW 57.06.180: 1988 validation.
Status: in_force

The existence of all water districts formed in counties without a boundary review board in compliance with the requirements of chapter 57.04 RCW, whether or not the requirements of RCW 57.02.040 and * 56.02.070 were satisfied, is validated and such districts shall be deemed to be legally formed.
RCW 57.08.044 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 044
RCW 57.08.044: Contracts for acquisition, use, operation, etc., authorized—Service to areas in other districts.
Status: in_force

A district may enter into contracts with any county, city, town, or any other municipal or quasi-municipal corporation, or with any private person or corporation, for the acquisition, ownership, use, and operation of any property, facilities, or services, within or without the district, and necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of the district. A district may provide water, reclaimed water, sewer, drainage, or street lighting services to property owners in areas within or without the limits of the district, except that if the area to be served is located within another existing district duly authorized to exercise district powers in that area, then water, reclaimed water, sewer, drainage, or street lighting service may not be so provided by contract or otherwise without the consent by resolution of the board of commissioners of that other district.
RCW 57.24.220 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 220
RCW 57.24.220: Assumption of substandard water system—Limited immunity from liability.
Status: in_force

A district assuming responsibility for a water system that is not in compliance with state or federal requirements for public drinking water systems, and its agents and employees, are immune from lawsuits or causes of action, based on noncompliance with state or federal requirements for public drinking water systems, which predate the date of assuming responsibility and continue after the date of assuming responsibility, provided that the district has submitted and is complying with a plan and schedule of improvements approved by the department of health. This immunity shall expire on the earlier of the date the plan of improvements is completed or four years from the date of assuming responsibility. This immunity does not apply to intentional injuries, fraud, or bad faith.
RCW 57.08.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 020
RCW 57.08.020: Conveyance of water system to city or town.
Status: in_force

That water districts duly organized under the laws of the state of Washington shall have the following powers in addition to those conferred by existing statutes. Whenever any water district shall have installed a distributing system of mains and laterals and as a source of supply of water shall be purchasing or intending to purchase water from any city or town, and whenever it shall appear to be advantageous to the water consumers in said water district that such city or town shall take over the water system of the water district and supply water to the said water users, the commissioners of said water district, upon being authorized as provided in RCW 57.08.030 , shall have the right to convey such distributing system to any such city or town: PROVIDED, Such city or town is willing to accept, maintain and repair the same: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That all bonded and other indebtedness of said water district except local improvement district bonds shall have been paid.
RCW 57.08.005 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 005
RCW 57.08.005: Powers.
Status: in_force

A district shall have the following powers: (1) To acquire by purchase or condemnation, or both, all lands, property and property rights, and all water and water rights, both within and without the district, necessary for its purposes. The right of eminent domain shall be exercised in the same manner and by the same procedure as provided for cities and towns, insofar as consistent with this title, except that all assessment or reassessment rolls to be prepared and filed by eminent domain commissioners or commissioners appointed by the court shall be prepared and filed by the district, and the duties devolving upon the city treasurer are imposed upon the county treasurer; (2) To lease real or personal property necessary for its purposes for a term of years for which that leased property may reasonably be needed; (3) To construct, condemn and purchase, add to, maintain, and supply waterworks to furnish the district and inhabitants thereof and any other persons, both within and without the district, with an ample supply of water for all uses and purposes public and private with full authority to regulate and control the use, content, distribution, and price thereof in such a manner as is not in conflict with general law and may construct, acquire, or own buildings and other necessary district facilities. Where a customer connected to the district's system uses the water on an intermittent or transient basis, a district may charge for providing water service to such a customer, regardless of the amount of water, if any, used by the customer. District waterworks may include facilities which result in combined water supply and electric generation, if the electricity generated thereby is a by-product of the water supply system. That electricity may be used by the district or sold to any entity authorized by law to use or distribute electricity. Electricity is deemed a by-product when the electrical generation is subordinate to the primary purpose of water supply. For such purposes, a district may take, condemn and purchase, acquire, and retain water from any public or navigable lake, river or watercourse, or any underflowing water, and by means of aqueducts or pipeline conduct the same throughout the district and any city or town therein and carry it along and upon public highways, roads, and streets, within and without such district. For the purpose of constructing or laying aqueducts or pipelines, dams, or waterworks or other necessary structures in storing and retaining water or for any other lawful purpose such district may occupy the beds and shores up to the high water mark of any such lake, river, or other watercourse, and may acquire by purchase or condemnation such property or property rights or privileges as may be necessary to protect its water supply from pollution. For the purposes of waterworks which include facilities for the generation of electricity as a by-product, nothing in this section may be construed to authorize a district to condemn electric generating, transmission, or distribution rights or facilities of entities authorized by law to distribute electricity, or to acquire such rights or facilities without the consent of the owner; (4) To purchase and take water from any municipal corporation, private person, or entity. A district contiguous to Canada may contract with a Canadian corporation for the purchase of water and for the construction, purchase, maintenance, and supply of waterworks to furnish the district and inhabitants thereof and residents of Canada with an ample supply of water under the terms approved by the board of commissioners; (5) To construct, condemn and purchase, add to, maintain, and operate systems of sewers for the purpose of furnishing the district, the inhabitants thereof, and persons outside the district with an adequate system of sewers for all uses and purposes, public and private, including but not limited to on-site sewage disposal facilities, approved septic tanks or approved septic tank systems, on-site sanitary sewerage systems, inspection services and maintenance services for private and public on-site systems, point and nonpoint water pollution monitoring programs that are directly related to the sewerage facilities and programs operated by a district, other facilities, programs, and systems for the collection, interception, treatment, and disposal of wastewater, and for the control of pollution from wastewater with full authority to regulate the use and operation thereof and the service rates to be charged. Under this chapter, after July 1, 1998, any requirements for pumping the septic tank of an on-site sewage system should be based, among other things, on actual measurement of accumulation of sludge and scum by a trained inspector, trained owner's agent, or trained owner. Training must occur in a program approved by the state board of health or by a local health officer. Sewage facilities may include facilities which result in combined sewage disposal or treatment and electric or methane gas generation, except that the electricity or methane gas generated thereby is a by-product of the system of sewers. Such electricity or methane gas may be used by the district or sold to any entity authorized by law to distribute electricity or methane gas. Electricity and methane gas are deemed by-products when the electrical or methane gas generation is subordinate to the primary purpose of sewage disposal or treatment. The district may also sell surplus methane gas, which may be produced as a by-product. For such purposes a district may conduct sewage throughout the district and throughout other political subdivisions within the district, and construct and lay sewer pipe along and upon public highways, roads, and streets, within and without the district, and condemn and purchase or acquire land and rights-of-way necessary for such sewer pipe. A district may erect sewage treatment plants within or without the district, and may acquire, by purchase or condemnation, properties or privileges necessary to be had to protect any lakes, rivers, or watercourses and also other areas of land from pollution from its sewers or its sewage treatment plant. For the purposes of sewage facilities which include facilities that result in combined sewage disposal or treatment and electric generation where the electric generation is a by-product, nothing in this section may be construed to authorize a district to condemn electric generating, transmission, or distribution rights or facilities of entities authorized by law to distribute electricity, or to acquire such rights or facilities without the consent of the owners; (6) The authority to construct, condemn and purchase, add to, maintain, and operate systems of reclaimed water as authorized by chapter 90.46 RCW for the purpose of furnishing the district and the inhabitants thereof with reclaimed water for all authorized uses and purposes, public and private, including with full authority to regulate the use and operation thereof and the service rates to be charged. In compliance with other sections of this chapter, a district may also provide reclaimed water services to persons outside the district; (7)(a) To construct, condemn and purchase, add to, maintain, and operate systems of drainage for the benefit and use of the district, the inhabitants thereof, and persons outside the district with an adequate system of drainage, including but not limited to facilities and systems for the collection, interception, treatment, and disposal of storm or surface waters, and for the protection, preservation, and rehabilitation of surface and underground waters, and drainage facilities for public highways, streets, and roads, with full authority to regulate the use and operation thereof and, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the service rates to be charged. (b) The rate a district may charge under this section for storm or surface water sewer systems or the portion of the rate allocable to the storm or surface water sewer system of combined sanitary sewage and storm or surface water sewer systems shall be reduced by a minimum of ten percent for any new or remodeled commercial building that utilizes a permissive rainwater harvesting system. Rainwater harvesting systems shall be properly sized to utilize the available roof surface of the building. The jurisdiction shall consider rate reductions in excess of ten percent dependent upon the amount of rainwater harvested. (c) Drainage facilities may include natural systems. Drainage facilities may include facilities which result in combined drainage facilities and electric generation, except that the electricity generated thereby is a by-product of the drainage system. Such electricity may be used by the district or sold to any entity authorized by law to distribute electricity. Electricity is deemed a by-product when the electrical generation is subordinate to the primary purpose of drainage collection, disposal, and treatment. For such purposes, a district may conduct storm or surface water throughout the district and throughout other political subdivisions within the district, construct and lay drainage pipe and culverts along and upon public highways, roads, and streets, within and without the district, and condemn and purchase or acquire land and rights-of-way necessary for such drainage systems. A district may provide or erect facilities and improvements for the treatment and disposal of storm or surface water within or without the district, and may acquire, by purchase or condemnation, properties or privileges necessary to be had to protect any lakes, rivers, or watercourses and also other areas of land from pollution from storm or surface waters. For the purposes of drainage facilities which include facilities that also generate electricity as a by-product, nothing in this section may be construed to authorize a district to condemn electric generating, transmission, or distribution rights or facilities of entities authorized by law to distribute electricity, or to acquire such rights or facilities without the consent of the owners; (8) To construct, condemn, acquire, and own buildings and other necessary district facilities; (9) To compel all property owners within the district located within an area served by the district's system of sewers to connect their private drain and sewer systems with the district's system under such penalty as the commissioners shall prescribe by resolution. The district may for such purpose enter upon private property and connect the private drains or sewers with the district system and the cost thereof shall be charged against the property owner and shall be a lien upon property served; (10) Where a district contains within its borders, abuts, or is located adjacent to any lake, stream, groundwater as defined by RCW 90.44.035 , or other waterway within the state of Washington, to provide for the reduction, minimization, or elimination of pollutants from those waters in accordance with the district's comprehensive plan, and to issue general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, local improvement district bonds, or utility local improvement bonds for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of reducing, minimizing, or eliminating the pollutants from these waters; (11) Subject to subsection (7) of this section, to fix rates and charges for water, sewer, reclaimed water, and drain service supplied and to charge property owners seeking to connect to the district's systems, as a condition to granting the right to so connect, in addition to the cost of the connection, such reasonable connection charge as the board of commissioners shall determine to be proper in order that those property owners shall bear their equitable share of the cost of the system. For the purposes of calculating a connection charge, the board of commissioners shall determine the pro rata share of the cost of existing facilities and facilities planned for construction within the next ten years and contained in an adopted comprehensive plan and other costs borne by the district which are directly attributable to the improvements required by property owners seeking to connect to the system. The cost of existing facilities shall not include those portions of the system which have been donated or which have been paid for by grants. The connection charge may include interest charges applied from the date of construction of the system until the connection, or for a period not to exceed ten years, whichever is shorter, at a rate commensurate with the rate of interest applicable to the district at the time of construction or major rehabilitation of the system, or at the time of installation of the lines to which the property owner is seeking to connect. In lieu of requiring the installation of permanent local facilities not planned for construction by the district, a district may permit connection to the water and/or sewer systems through temporary facilities installed at the property owner's expense, provided the property owner pays a connection charge consistent with the provisions of this chapter and agrees, in the future, to connect to permanent facilities when they are installed; or a district may permit connection to the water and/or sewer systems through temporary facilities and collect from property owners so connecting a proportionate share of the estimated cost of future local facilities needed to serve the property, as determined by the district. The amount collected, including interest at a rate commensurate with the rate of interest applicable to the district at the time of construction of the temporary facilities, shall be held for contribution to the construction of the permanent local facilities by other developers or the district. The amount collected shall be deemed full satisfaction of the proportionate share of the actual cost of construction of the permanent local facilities. If the permanent local facilities are not constructed within fifteen years of the date of payment, the amount collected, including any accrued interest, shall be returned to the property owner, according to the records of the county auditor on the date of return. If the amount collected is returned to the property owner, and permanent local facilities capable of serving the property are constructed thereafter, the property owner at the time of construction of such permanent local facilities shall pay a proportionate share of the cost of such permanent local facilities, in addition to reasonable connection charges and other charges authorized by this section. A district may permit payment of the cost of connection and the reasonable connection charge to be paid with interest in installments over a period not exceeding fifteen years. The county treasurer may charge and collect a fee of three dollars for each year for the treasurer's services. Those fees shall be a charge to be included as part of each annual installment, and shall be credited to the county current expense fund by the county treasurer. Revenues from connection charges excluding permit fees are to be considered payments in aid of construction as defined by department of revenue rule. Rates or charges for on-site inspection and maintenance services may not be imposed under this chapter on the development, construction, or reconstruction of property. Before adopting on-site inspection and maintenance utility services, or incorporating residences into an on-site inspection and maintenance or sewer utility under this chapter, notification must be provided, prior to the applicable public hearing, to all residences within the proposed service area that have on-site systems permitted by the local health officer. The notice must clearly state that the residence is within the proposed service area and must provide information on estimated rates or charges that may be imposed for the service. A water-sewer district shall not provide on-site sewage system inspection, pumping services, or other maintenance or repair services under this section using water-sewer district employees unless the on-site system is connected by a publicly owned collection system to the water-sewer district's sewerage system, and the on-site system represents the first step in the sewage disposal process. Except as otherwise provided in RCW 90.03.525 , any public entity and public property, including the state of Washington and state property, shall be subject to rates and charges for sewer, water, stormwater control, drainage, and street lighting facilities to the same extent private persons and private property are subject to those rates and charges that are imposed by districts. In setting those rates and charges, consideration may be made of in-kind services, such as stream improvements or donation of property; (12) To contract with individuals, associations and corporations, the state of Washington, and the United States; (13) To employ such persons as are needed to carry out the district's purposes and fix salaries and any bond requirements for those employees; (14) To contract for the provision of engineering, legal, and other professional services as in the board of commissioner's discretion is necessary in carrying out their duties; (15) To sue and be sued; (16) To loan and borrow funds and to issue bonds and instruments evidencing indebtedness under chapter 57.20 RCW and other applicable laws; (17) To transfer funds, real or personal property, property interests, or services subject to RCW 57.08.015 ; (18) To levy taxes in accordance with this chapter and chapters 57.04 and 57.20 RCW; (19) To provide for making local improvements and to levy and collect special assessments on property benefited thereby, and for paying for the same or any portion thereof in accordance with chapter 57.16 RCW; (20) To establish street lighting systems under RCW 57.08.060 ; (21) To exercise such other powers as are granted to water-sewer districts by this title or other applicable laws; and (22) To exercise any of the powers granted to cities and counties with respect to the acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation of, and fixing rates and charges for waterworks and systems of sewerage and drainage.
RCW 57.08.041 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 041
RCW 57.08.041: Contracting for management of water storage assets—Notice—Procedure—Definitions.
Status: in_force

(1) Any water-sewer district may elect to contract for asset management service of its water storage assets in accordance with this section. If a water-sewer district elects to contract under this subsection for all, some, or one component of water storage asset management services for its water storage assets, each water-sewer district shall publish notice of its requirements to procure asset management service of its water storage assets. The announcement must concisely state the scope and nature of the water storage asset management service for which a contract is required and encourage firms to submit proposals to meet these requirements. If a water-sewer district chooses to negotiate a water storage asset management service contract under this section, no otherwise applicable statutory procurement requirement applies. (2) The water-sewer district may negotiate a fair and reasonable water storage asset management service contract with the firm that submits the best proposal based on criteria that is established by the water-sewer district. (3) If the water-sewer district is unable to negotiate a satisfactory water storage asset management service contract with the firm that submits the best proposal, negotiations with that firm must formally be terminated and the water-sewer district may select another firm in accordance with this section and continue negotiation until a water storage asset management service contract is reached or the selection process is terminated. (4) For the purposes of this section: (a) "Water storage asset management services" means the financing, designing, improving, operating, maintaining, repairing, testing, inspecting, cleaning, administering, or managing, or any combination thereof, of a water storage asset. (b) "Water storage asset" means water storage structures and associated distribution systems, such as the water tank, tower, well, meter, or water filter.
RCW 57.12.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 12 / Section 030
RCW 57.12.030: Commissioners—Terms.
Status: in_force

Except as in this section otherwise provided, the term of office of each district commissioner shall be six years, such term to be computed from the first day of January following the election, and commissioners shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280 . Three initial district commissioners shall be elected at the same election at which the proposition is submitted to the voters as to whether such district shall be formed. The election of initial district commissioners shall be null and void if the ballot proposition to form the district is not approved. Each candidate shall run for one of three separate commissioner positions. A special filing period shall be opened as provided in RCW 29A.24.171 and 29A.24.181 . The person receiving the greatest number of votes for each position shall be elected to that position. The initial district commissioners shall assume office immediately when they are elected and qualified. Staggering of the terms of office for the initial district commissioners shall be accomplished as follows: (1) The person who is elected receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected to a six-year term of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year or a five-year term of office if the election is held in an even-numbered year; (2) the person who is elected receiving the next greatest number of votes shall be elected to a four-year term of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year or a three-year term of office if the election is held in an even-numbered year; and (3) the other person who is elected shall be elected to a two-year term of office if the election is held in an odd-numbered year or a one-year term of office if the election is held in an even-numbered year. The terms of office shall be calculated from the first day of January after the election. Thereafter, commissioners shall be elected to six-year terms of office. Commissioners shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office in accordance with RCW 29A.60.280 .
RCW 57.24.001 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 001
RCW 57.24.001: Actions subject to review by boundary review board.
Status: in_force

Actions taken under this chapter may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.
RCW 57.16.140 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 140
RCW 57.16.140: Excess sewer capacity or water supply not grounds for zoning decision challenge.
Status: in_force

The construction of or existence of sewer capacity or water supply in excess of the needs of the density allowed by zoning shall not be grounds for any legal challenge to any zoning decision by the county.
RCW 57.20.160 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 160
RCW 57.20.160: Maintenance or general fund and special funds—Deposits and investments.
Status: in_force

Whenever there shall have accumulated in any general or special fund of a district money, the disbursement of which is not yet due, the board of commissioners may, by resolution, authorize the treasurer to deposit or invest such money in qualified public depositaries, or to invest such money in any investment permitted at any time by RCW 36.29.020 . However, the county treasurer may refuse to invest any district money the disbursement of which will be required during the period of investment to meet outstanding obligations of the district.
RCW 57.24.040 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 040
RCW 57.24.040: Election—Qualification of voters.
Status: in_force

(1) The annexation election shall be held on the date designated in the notice and shall be conducted in accordance with the general election laws of the state. If the original petition for annexation is signed by qualified voters, then only qualified voters at the date of election residing in the territory proposed to be annexed, shall be permitted to vote at the election. (2) If the original petition for annexation is signed by property owners as provided for in this chapter, then no person shall be entitled to vote at that election unless at the time of the filing of the original petition he or she owned land in the district of record and in addition thereto at the date of election shall be a qualified voter of the county in which such district is located. It shall be the duty of the county auditor, upon request of the county legislative authority, to certify the names of all persons owning land in the district at the date of the filing of the original petition as shown by the records of the auditor's office; and at any such election the county auditor may require any such property owner offering to vote to take an oath that the property owner is a qualified voter of the county before the property owner shall be allowed to vote. However, at any election held under the provisions of this chapter an officer or agent of any corporation having its principal place of business in the county and owning land at the date of filing the original petition in the district duly authorized in writing may cast a vote on behalf of such corporation. When so voting the person shall file with the county auditor such a written instrument of that person's authority. (3) If the majority of the votes cast upon the question of such election shall be for annexation, then the territory concerned shall immediately be and become annexed to such district and the same shall then forthwith be a part of the district, the same as though originally included in that district.
RCW 57.16.150 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 150
RCW 57.16.150: Foreclosure of assessments—Attorneys' fees.
Status: in_force

Judgments foreclosing special assessments pursuant to RCW 35.50.260 may also allow to districts, in addition to delinquent installments, interest, penalties, and costs, such attorneys' fees as the court may adjudge reasonable.
RCW 57.28.001 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 001
RCW 57.28.001: Actions subject to review by boundary review board.
Status: in_force

Actions taken under this chapter may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.
RCW 57.24.210 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 210
RCW 57.24.210: Annexation of certain unincorporated territory with boundaries contiguous to two municipal corporations providing water or sewer service—Procedure.
Status: in_force

When there is unincorporated territory containing less than one hundred acres and having at least eighty percent of the boundaries of such area contiguous to two municipal corporations providing either water or sewer service, one of which is a water-sewer district, the legislative authority of either of the contiguous municipal corporations may resolve to annex such territory to that municipal corporation, provided a majority of the legislative authority of the other contiguous municipal corporation concurs. In such event, the municipal corporation resolving to annex such territory may proceed to effect the annexation by complying with RCW 57.24.170 through 57.24.190 . For purposes of this section, "municipal corporation" means a water-sewer district, city, or town.
RCW 57.20.170 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 170
RCW 57.20.170: Maintenance or general fund and special funds—Loans from maintenance or general funds to construction funds or other funds.
Status: in_force

The board of commissioners of any district may, by resolution, authorize and direct a loan or loans from maintenance funds or general funds of the district to construction funds or other funds of the district, so long as that loan or loans do not, in the opinion of the board of commissioners, impair the ability of the district to operate and maintain its water supply, sewer, drainage, or street lighting systems.
RCW 57.20.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 030
RCW 57.20.030: Local improvement guaranty fund.
Status: in_force

Every district in the state is authorized to create a fund for the purpose of guaranteeing, to the extent of such fund, and in the manner hereinafter provided, the payment of all of its local improvement bonds issued to pay for any local improvement within its confines. Such fund shall be designated "Local Improvement Guaranty Fund of the ". . . . . Water-Sewer District," ". . . . . Water District," ". . . . . Sewer District," or ". . . . . District No. . . . . .," and shall be established by resolution of the board of commissioners. For the purpose of maintaining such fund, every district, after the establishment thereof, shall at all times set aside and pay into such a fund such proportion of the monthly gross revenues of the water supply, sewer, or drainage system of such district as the commissioners thereof may direct by resolution. This proportion may be varied from time to time as the commissioners deem expedient or necessary. However, under the existence of the conditions set forth in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, then the proportion must be as specified in subsections (1) and (2) of this section: (1) Whenever any bonds of any local improvement district have been guaranteed under this section and RCW 57.20.080 and 57.20.090 and the guaranty fund does not have a cash balance equal to twenty percent of all bonds originally guaranteed under this section and RCW 57.20.080 and 57.20.090 (excluding issues which have been retired in full), then twenty percent of the gross monthly revenues derived from water, sewer, and drainage systems in the territory included in the local improvement district (but not necessarily from users in other parts of the district as a whole) shall be set aside and paid into the guaranty fund, except that whenever under the requirements of this subsection, the cash balance accumulates so that it is equal to twenty percent of all bonds guaranteed, or to the full amount of all bonds guaranteed, outstanding and unpaid (which amount might be less than twenty percent of the original total guaranteed), then no further money need be set aside and paid into the guaranty fund so long as the condition shall continue. (2) Whenever any warrants issued against the guaranty fund, as provided in this section, remain outstanding and uncalled for lack of funds for six months from the date of issuance thereof; or whenever any coupons or bonds guaranteed under this section and RCW 57.20.080 and 57.20.090 have been matured for six months and have not been redeemed either in cash or by issuance and delivery of warrants upon the guaranty fund, then twenty percent of the gross monthly revenues (or such portion thereof as the commissioners of the district determine will be sufficient to retire the warrants or redeem the coupons or bonds in the ensuing six months) derived from all water, sewer, and drainage system users in the district shall be set aside and paid into the guaranty fund. However, whenever under the requirements of this subsection all warrants, coupons, or bonds specified in this subsection have been redeemed, no further income needs to be set aside and paid into the guaranty fund under the requirements of this subsection until and unless other warrants remain outstanding and unpaid for six months or other coupons or bonds default. (3) For the purposes of complying with the requirements of setting aside and paying into the local improvement guaranty fund a proportion of the monthly gross revenues of the water supply, sewer, or drainage system of any district, as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, that district shall bind and obligate itself to maintain and operate the applicable system and further bind and obligate itself to establish, maintain, and collect such rates for water, sewer, or drainage as will produce gross revenues sufficient to maintain and operate that system and to make necessary provision for the local improvement guaranty fund as specified by this section and RCW 57.20.080 and 57.20.090 . The district shall alter its rates for water, sewer, and drainage service from time to time and shall vary the same in different portions of its territory to comply with those requirements. (4) Whenever any coupon or bond guaranteed by this section shall mature and there shall not be sufficient funds in the appropriate local improvement district bond redemption fund to pay the same, then the applicable county treasurer shall pay same from the local improvement guaranty fund of the district; if there shall not be sufficient funds in the guaranty fund to pay same, then the same may be paid by issuance and delivery of a warrant upon the local improvement guaranty fund. (5) Whenever the cash balance in the local improvement guaranty fund is insufficient for the required purposes, warrants drawing interest at a rate determined by the commissioners may be issued by the applicable county auditor, against the fund to meet any liability accrued against it and must be issued upon demand of the holders of any maturing coupons and/or bonds guaranteed by this section, or to pay for any certificates of delinquency for delinquent installments of assessments as provided in subsection (6) of this section. Guaranty fund warrants shall be a first lien in their order of issuance upon the gross revenues set aside and paid into that fund. (6) Within twenty days after the date of delinquency of any annual installment of assessments levied for the purpose of paying the local improvement bonds of any district guaranteed under the provisions of this section, it shall be mandatory for the county treasurer of the county in which the real property is located to compile a statement of all installments delinquent, together with the amount of accrued interest and penalty appurtenant to each of the installments. Thereupon the applicable county treasurer shall forthwith purchase (for the district) certificates of delinquency for all such delinquent installments. Payment for all such certificates of delinquency shall be made from the local improvement guaranty fund and if there shall not be sufficient money in the fund to pay for such certificates of delinquency, the applicable county treasurer shall accept the local improvement guaranty fund warrants in payment therefor. All of those certificates of delinquency shall be issued in the name of the local improvement guaranty fund and all guaranty fund warrants issued in payment therefor shall be issued in the name of the appropriate local improvement district fund. Whenever any market is available and the commissioners of the district so direct, the applicable county treasurer shall sell any certificates of delinquency belonging to the local improvement guaranty fund. However, any such sale must not be for less than face value thereof plus accrued interest from date of issuance to date of sale. (7) Certificates of delinquency, as provided in subsection (6) of this section, shall be issued by the county treasurer of the county in which the real property is located, shall bear interest at the rate of ten percent per annum, shall be in each instance for the face value of the delinquent installment, plus accrued interest to date of issuance of certificate of delinquency, plus a penalty of five percent of such face value, and shall set forth: (a) Description of property assessed; (b) Date installment of assessment became delinquent; (c) Name of owner or reputed owner, if known. The certificates of delinquency may be redeemed by the owner of the property assessed at any time up to two years from the date of foreclosure of such certificate of delinquency. If any such certificate of delinquency is not redeemed on the second occurring first day of January subsequent to its issuance, the county treasurer who issued the certificate of delinquency shall then proceed to foreclose such certificate of delinquency in the manner specified for the foreclosure of the lien of local improvement assessments, pursuant to chapter 35.50 RCW and if no redemption be made within the succeeding two years shall execute and deliver a deed conveying fee simple title to the property described in the foreclosed certificate of delinquency.
RCW 57.08.065 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 065
RCW 57.08.065: Powers as to mutual systems—Overlapping districts—Operation of system of sewerage or drainage by former water district.
Status: in_force

(1) A district shall have power to establish, maintain, and operate a mutual water, sewerage, drainage, and street lighting system, a mutual system of any two or three of the systems, or separate systems. (2) Where any two or more districts include the same territory as of July 1, 1997, none of the overlapping districts may provide any service that was made available by any of the other districts prior to July 1, 1997, within the overlapping territory without the consent by resolution of the board of commissioners of the other district or districts. (3) A district that was a water district prior to July 1, 1997, that did not operate a system of sewerage or drainage prior to July 1, 1997, may not proceed to exercise the powers to establish, maintain, construct, and operate any system of sewerage or drainage without first obtaining written approval and certification of necessity from the department of ecology and department of health. Any comprehensive plan for a system of sewers or drainages or addition thereto or betterment thereof, proposed by a district that was a water district prior to July 1, 1997, shall be approved by the same county and state officials as were required to approve such plans adopted by a sewer district immediately prior to July 1, 1997, and as subsequently may be required.
RCW 57.06.140 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 140
RCW 57.06.140: 1975 validation.
Status: in_force

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts under the provisions of chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, are hereby validated and declared to be duly existing water districts, having the respective boundaries set forth in their organization proceedings as shown by the files in the office of the board of county commissioners of the county in question and of such water districts.
RCW 57.16.062 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 062
RCW 57.16.062: Hearing—Improvement ordered—Divestment of power to order—Notice—Appeal—Assessment roll.
Status: in_force

Whether an improvement district is initiated by petition or resolution, the board shall conduct a public hearing at the time and place designated in the notice to property owners. At this hearing the board shall hear objections from any person affected by the formation of the improvement district and may make such changes in the boundaries of the improvement district or such modifications in the plans for the proposed improvement as shall be deemed necessary. The board may not change the boundaries of the improvement district to include property not previously included in it without first passing a new resolution of intention and giving a new notice to property owners in the manner and form and within the time provided in this chapter for the original notice. After the hearing and the expiration of the ten-day period for filing protests, the commissioners shall have jurisdiction to overrule protests and proceed with any such improvement district initiated by petition or resolution. The jurisdiction of the commissioners to proceed with any improvement district initiated by resolution shall be divested by protests filed with the secretary of the board within ten days after the public hearing, signed by the owners, according to the records of the applicable county auditor, of at least forty percent of the area of land within the proposed improvement district. If the commissioners find that the improvement district should be formed, they shall by resolution form the improvement district and order the improvement. After execution of the resolution forming the improvement district, the secretary of the board of commissioners shall publish, in a legal publication that serves the area subject to the improvement district, a notice setting forth that a resolution has been passed forming the improvement district and that a lawsuit challenging the jurisdiction or authority of the district to proceed with the improvement and creating the improvement district must be filed, and notice to the district served, within thirty days of the publication of the notice. The notice shall set forth the nature of the appeal. Property owners bringing the appeal shall follow the procedures set forth under RCW 57.16.090 . Whenever a resolution forming an improvement district has been adopted, the formation is conclusive in all things upon all parties, and cannot be contested or questioned in any manner in any proceeding whatsoever by any person not commencing a lawsuit in the manner and within the time provided in this section, except for lawsuits made under RCW 57.16.090 . Following an appeal, if it is unsuccessful or if no appeal is made under RCW 57.16.090 , the commissioners may proceed with creating the improvement district, provide the improvement and provide the general funds of the district to be applied thereto, adopt detailed plans of the improvement district and declare the estimated cost thereof, acquire all necessary land therefor, pay all damages caused thereby, and commence in the name of the district such eminent domain proceedings as may be necessary to entitle the district to proceed with the improvements. The board shall thereupon proceed with the work and file with the county treasurer of the county in which the real property is located its roll levying special assessments in the amount to be paid by special assessment against the property situated within the improvement district in proportion to the special benefits to be derived by the property therein from the improvements.
RCW 57.28.110 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 110
RCW 57.28.110: Taxes and assessments unaffected.
Status: in_force

Taxes or assessments levied or assessed against property located in territory withdrawn from a district shall remain a lien and be collected as by law provided when the taxes or assessments are levied or assessed prior to the withdrawal or when the levies or assessments are duly made to provide revenue for the payment of general obligations or general obligation bonds of the district duly incurred or issued prior to the withdrawal.
RCW 57.12.015 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 12 / Section 015
RCW 57.12.015: Increase in number of commissioners.
Status: in_force

(1) In the event a three-member board of commissioners of any district with any number of customers determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from three to five, or if the board of a district with any number of customers is presented with a petition signed by ten percent of the registered voters resident within the district who voted in the last general municipal election calling for an increase in the number of commissioners of the district, the board shall submit a resolution to the county auditor requesting that an election be held. Upon receipt of the resolution, the county auditor shall call a special election to be held within the district, at which election a proposition in substantially the following language shall be submitted to the voters: Shall the Board of Commissioners of (name and/or number of district) be increased from three to five members? Yes . . . . . No . . . . . If the proposition receives a majority approval at the election the board of commissioners of the district shall be increased to five members. (2) In any district with more than ten thousand customers, if a three-member board of commissioners determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from three to five, the number of commissioners shall be so increased without an election, unless within ninety days of adoption of that resolution a petition requesting an election and signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters who voted in the last municipal general election is filed with the board. If such a petition is received, the board shall submit the resolution and the petition to the county auditor, who shall call a special election in the manner described in this section. (3)(a) In any district with more than twenty-five thousand customers, if a five-member board of commissioners determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from five to seven, the number of commissioners may be so increased without an election, unless within ninety days of adoption of that resolution a petition requesting an election and signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters who voted in the last municipal general election is filed with the board. If such a petition is received, the board shall submit the resolution and the petition to the county auditor, who shall call a special election in the manner described in this section. (b) In the event a five-member board of commissioners of any district with more than twenty-five thousand customers determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to increase the number of commissioners from five to seven, the board may submit a resolution to the county auditor requesting that an election be held. Upon receipt of the resolution, the county auditor shall call a special election to be held within the district, at which election a proposition in substantially the following language shall be submitted to the voters: Shall the Board of Commissioners of (name and/or number of district) be increased from five to seven members? Yes . . . . . No . . . . . If the proposition receives a majority approval at the election the board of commissioners of the district shall be increased to seven members. (4) The two additional positions created on boards of commissioners by this section shall be filled initially as for a vacancy, except that the appointees shall draw lots, one appointee to serve until the next district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms, and the other appointee to serve until the second district general election after the appointment, at which two commissioners shall be elected for six-year terms.
RCW 57.20.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 010
RCW 57.20.010: General obligation bonds—Term—Issuance—Excess bond retirement levies.
Status: in_force

When general district indebtedness payable from annual tax levies to be made in excess of the constitutional and/or statutory tax limitations has been authorized, the district may issue its general obligation bonds in payment thereof. The bonds shall not have terms in excess of twenty years and shall as nearly as practicable be issued for a period which will not exceed the life of the improvement to be acquired by the issuance of the bonds. The bonds shall be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW. The election at which the voters are presented with a ballot proposition authorizing both the bond issue and imposition of excess bond retirement levies shall be held as provided in RCW 39.36.050 . Whenever the proposition to issue such bonds and impose such excess bond retirement levies has been approved, there shall be levied by the officers or governing body charged with the duty of levying taxes, annual levies in excess of the constitutional and/or statutory tax limitations sufficient to meet the annual or semiannual payments of principal and interest on the bonds upon all taxable property within the district.
RCW 57.08.016 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 016
RCW 57.08.016: Sale of unnecessary property authorized—Additional requirements for sale of realty.
Status: in_force

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5467.SL ) ***

(1) There shall be no private sale of real property where the estimated value exceeds the sum of five thousand dollars. Estimated value shall be determined by the board of commissioners and based upon real estate appraiser and broker advice as it considers appropriate. Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, no real property of the district shall be sold for less than ninety percent of the value thereof. Where the estimated value of the real property exceeds five thousand dollars, value shall be established by a written broker price opinion made not more than six months prior to the date of sale by three disinterested real estate brokers licensed under the laws of the state or by one professionally designated real estate appraiser as defined in chapter 18.140 RCW. A broker price opinion shall be signed by the broker and an appraisal must be signed by the appraiser and filed with the secretary of the board of commissioners of the district, who shall keep it at the office of the district open to public inspection. Any notice of intention to sell real property of the district shall recite the estimated value or, if an appraisal has been made, the appraised value thereof. (2) If no purchasers can be obtained for the property at ninety percent or more of its estimated or appraised value after one hundred twenty days of offering the property for sale, the board of commissioners of the district may adopt a resolution stating that the district has been unable to sell the property at the ninety percent amount. The district then may sell the property at the highest price it can obtain at public auction. A notice of intention to sell at public auction shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. The notice shall describe the property, state the time and place at which it will be offered for sale and the terms of sale, and shall call for bids, fix the conditions thereof, and reserve the right to reject any and all bids for good cause.
RCW 57.22.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 22 / Section 020
RCW 57.22.020: Reimbursement to owner—Contract requirements.
Status: in_force

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, the contract shall also provide, subject to the terms and conditions in this section, for the reimbursement to the owner or the owner's assigns for a period not to exceed fifteen years of a portion of the costs of the facilities constructed pursuant to such contract from connection charges received by the district from other property owners who subsequently connect to or use the facilities within the period of time that the contract is effective and who did not contribute to the original cost of such facilities. (2)(a) The contract may provide for an extension of the fifteen-year reimbursement period for a time not to exceed the duration of any moratorium, phasing ordinance, concurrency designation, or other governmental action that prevents making applications for, or the approval of, any new development for a period of six months or more within the benefit area of the system extensions authorized under this chapter. (b) Upon the extension of the reimbursement period pursuant to (a) of this subsection, the contract must specify the duration of the contract extension and must be filed and recorded with the county auditor. Property owners who are subject to the reimbursement obligations under subsection (1) of this section shall be notified by the water-sewer district of the extension filed under this subsection. (3) Each contract shall include a provision requiring that every two years from the date the contract is executed a property owner entitled to reimbursement under this section provide the water-sewer district with information regarding the current contract name, address, and telephone number of the person, company, or partnership that originally entered into the contract. If the property owner fails to comply with the notification requirements of this subsection within sixty days of the specified time, then the water-sewer district may collect any reimbursement funds owed to the property owner under the contract. Such funds must be deposited in the capital fund of the water-sewer district.
RCW 57.06.170 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 170
RCW 57.06.170: 1975 validation.
Status: in_force

RCW 57.06.140 through 57.06.160 shall apply only to such districts attempted to be organized under chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, which have maintained their organization as such since the date of such attempted organization, establishment, or creation, or which have been merged into another municipal corporation.
RCW 57.20.027 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 027
RCW 57.20.027: Revenue warrants and revenue bond anticipation warrants.
Status: in_force

Districts may also issue revenue warrants and revenue bond anticipation warrants for the same purposes for which such districts may issue revenue bonds. The provisions of this chapter relating to the authorization, terms, conditions, covenants, issuance and sale of revenue bonds (exclusive of provisions relating to refunding) shall be applicable to such warrants. Districts issuing revenue bond anticipation warrants may make covenants relative to the issuance of revenue bonds to provide funds for the redemption of part or all of such warrants and may contract for the sale of such bonds and warrants.
RCW 57.08.015 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 015
RCW 57.08.015: Sale of unnecessary property authorized—Notice.
Status: in_force

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5467.SL ) ***

The board of commissioners of a district may sell, at public or private sale, property belonging to the district if the board determines that the property is not and will not be needed for district purposes and if the board gives notice of intention to sell as in this section provided. However, no such notice of intention shall be required to sell personal property of less than two thousand five hundred dollars in value. The notice of intention to sell shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the district. The notice shall describe the property and state the time and place at which it will be sold or offered for sale, the terms of sale, whether the property is to be sold at public or private sale, and if at public sale the notice shall call for bids, fix the conditions of the bids and reserve the right to reject any and all bids for good cause.
RCW 57.08.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 030
RCW 57.08.030: Election on conveyance—Contract for operation of facilities.
Status: in_force

(1) Whenever any district shall have installed a distributing system of water mains and laterals, and as a source of supply of water shall be purchasing or intending to purchase water from any city or town, and whenever it appears to be advantageous to the water consumers in the district that such city or town shall take over the water system of the district and supply water to those water users, the commissioners of the district, when authorized as provided in subsection (2) of this section, shall have the right to convey the distributing system to that city or town if that city or town is willing to accept, maintain, and repair the same. (2) Should the commissioners of the district decide that it would be to the advantage of the water consumers of the district to make the conveyance provided for in subsection (1) of this section, they shall cause the proposition of making that conveyance to be submitted to the voters of the district at any general election or at a special election to be called for the purpose of voting on the same. If at the election a majority of the voters voting on the proposition shall be in favor of making the conveyance, the district commissioners shall have the right to convey to the city or town the mains and laterals belonging to the district upon the city or town entering into a contract satisfactory to the commissioners to maintain and repair the same. (3) Whenever a city or town located wholly or in part within a district shall enter into a contract with the commissioners of a district providing that the city or town shall take over all of the operation of the water supply facilities of the district located within its boundaries, the area of the district located within the city or town shall upon the execution of the contract cease to be served by the district for water service purposes. However, the affected land within that city or town shall remain liable for the payment of all assessments, any lien upon the property at the time of the execution of the agreement, and for any lien of all general obligation bonds due at the date of the contract, and the city or town shall remain liable for its fair prorated share of the debt of the area for any revenue bonds, outstanding as of the date of contract.
RCW 57.46.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 46 / Section 020
RCW 57.46.020: Disbursement of contributions—Quarterly report.
Status: in_force

All assistance provided under this chapter shall be disbursed by the grantee or charitable organization. Where possible the district shall be paid on behalf of the customer by the grantee or the charitable organization. When direct vendor payment is not feasible, a check shall be issued jointly payable to the customer and the district. The availability of funds for assistance to a district's low-income customers as a result of voluntary contributions shall not reduce the amount of assistance for which the district's customers are eligible under the federally funded energy assistance programs administered by the grantee of the department of commerce within the district's service area. The grantee or charitable organization shall provide the district with a quarterly report on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th which includes information concerning the total amount of funds received from the district, the names of all recipients of assistance from these funds, the amount received by each recipient, and the amount of funds received from the district currently on hand and available for future low-income assistance.
RCW 57.02.001 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 001
RCW 57.02.001: Reclassification of water and sewer districts—Previous actions valid.
Status: in_force

Every sewer district and every water district previously created shall be reclassified and shall become a water-sewer district, and shall be known as the ". . . . . Water-Sewer District," or "Water-Sewer District No. . . . ." or shall continue to be known as a "sewer district" or a "water district," with the existing name or number inserted, as appropriate. As used in this title, "district" means a water-sewer district, a sewer district, or a water district. All debts, contracts, and obligations previously made or incurred by or in favor of any water district or sewer district, and all bonds or other obligations issued or executed by those districts, and all assessments or levies, and all other things and proceedings done or taken by those districts or by their respective officers, are declared legal and valid and of full force and effect.
RCW 57.06.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 010
RCW 57.06.010: 1927 validation.
Status: in_force

In case an attempt has been made to organize a water district not containing within its boundaries any incorporated city or town, and either through inadvertence or mistake the election for the organization of the district was held more than thirty days from the date of such certificate of the county auditor but less than sixty days from such date, such proceedings shall not be deemed invalid by reason thereof, and in case all other proceedings in connection with the organization of any such water district were regular, such proceedings are hereby validated and all bonds and warrants issued or to be issued by any such water district are hereby declared to be valid.
RCW 57.06.060 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 060
RCW 57.06.060: 1945 validation.
Status: in_force

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts under the provisions of Pierce's Perpetual Code 994-1 to -53, chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto (sections 11579 to 11604, Remington's Revised Statutes), are hereby validated and declared to be duly existing water districts, or local improvement districts, or utility local improvement districts, as the case may be, having the respective boundaries set forth in their organization proceedings as shown by the files in the office of the board of county commissioners of the county in question and of such water districts.
RCW 57.02.080 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 080
RCW 57.02.080: Water-sewer districts desiring to merge into irrigation districts—Procedure.
Status: in_force

The procedures and provisions of RCW 85.08.830 through 85.08.890 , which are applicable to drainage improvement districts, joint drainage improvement districts, or consolidated drainage improvement districts that desire to merge into irrigation districts, shall also apply to districts organized, or reorganized, under this title that desire to merge into irrigation districts. The authority granted by this section shall be cumulative and in addition to any other power or authority granted by law to any district.
RCW 57.02.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 050
RCW 57.02.050: Multicounty districts—Delegation of duties—Exceptions.
Status: in_force

Whenever the boundaries or proposed boundaries of a district include or are proposed to include by means of formation, annexation, transfer, withdrawal, consolidation, or merger, territory in more than one county: (1) All duties delegated by this title to officers of the county in which the district is located shall be delegated to the officers of the county in which the largest land area of the district is located, except that elections shall be conducted pursuant to general election law; (2) Actions subject to review and approval under RCW 57.02.040 shall be reviewed and approved only by the officers or boundary review board in the county in which such actions are proposed to occur; (3) Verification of voters' signatures shall be conducted by the county auditor of the county in which such signators reside; and (4) Comprehensive plan review and approval or rejection by the respective county legislative authorities under RCW 57.16.010 shall be limited to that part of such plans within the respective counties.
RCW 57.16.065 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 065
RCW 57.16.065: Notice must contain statement that assessments may vary from estimates.
Status: in_force

Notice given to the public or to the owners of specific lots, tracts, or parcels of land relating to the formation of an improvement district shall contain a statement that actual assessments may vary from assessment estimates so long as they do not exceed a figure equal to the increased true and fair value the improvement adds to the property.
RCW 57.08.120 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 120
RCW 57.08.120: Lease of real property—Notice, hearing—Performance bond or security.
Status: in_force

A district may lease out real property which it owns or in which it has an interest and which is not immediately necessary for its purposes upon such terms as the board of commissioners deems proper. No such lease shall be made until the district has first caused notice thereof to be published twice in a newspaper in general circulation in the district, the first publication to be at least fifteen days and the second at least seven days prior to the making of such lease. The notice shall describe the property, the lessee, and the lease payments. A hearing shall be held pursuant to the terms of the notice, at which time any and all persons who may be interested shall have the right to appear and to be heard. No such lease shall be made unless secured by a bond conditioned on the performance of the terms of the lease, with surety satisfactory to the commissioners and with a penalty of not less than one-sixth of the term of the lease or for one year's rental, whichever is greater. No such lease shall be made for a term longer than fifty years. In cases involving leases of more than five years, the commissioners may provide for or stipulate to acceptance of a bond conditioned on the performance of a part of the term for five years or more whenever it is further provided that the lessee must procure and deliver to the commissioners renewal bonds with like terms and conditions no more than two years prior nor less than one year prior to the expiration of such bond during the entire term of the lease. However, no such bond shall be construed to secure the furnishing of any other bond by the same surety or indemnity company. The board of commissioners may require a reasonable security deposit in lieu of a bond on leased property owned by a district. The commissioners may accept as surety on any bond required by this section an approved surety company, or may accept in lieu thereof a secured interest in property of a value at least twice the amount of the bond required, conditioned further that in the event the commissioners determine that the value of the bond security has become or is about to become impaired, additional security shall be required from the lessee. The authority granted under this section shall not be exercised by the board of commissioners unless the property is declared by resolution of the board of commissioners to be property for which there is a future need by the district and for the use of which provision is made in the comprehensive plan of the district as the same may be amended from time to time.
RCW 57.90.040 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 90 / Section 040
RCW 57.90.040: Distribution of assets.
Status: in_force

If a special district is disincorporated the proceeds of the sale of any of its assets, together with money on hand in the treasury of the special district, shall after payment of all costs and expenses and all outstanding indebtedness be paid to the county treasurer to be placed to the credit of the school district, or districts, in which such special district is situated.
RCW 57.24.200 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 200
RCW 57.24.200: Expenditure of funds to provide certain information authorized—Limits.
Status: in_force

A district may expend funds to inform residents in areas proposed for annexation into the district of the following: (1) Technical information and data; (2) The fiscal impact of the proposed improvement; and (3) The types of improvements planned. Expenditures under this section shall be limited to research, preparation, printing, and mailing of the information.
RCW 57.46.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 46 / Section 010
RCW 57.46.010: Voluntary contributions to assist low-income residential customers—Administration.
Status: in_force

A district may include along with, or as part of its regular customer billings, a request for voluntary contributions to assist qualified low-income residential customers of the district in paying their district bills. All funds received by the district in response to such requests shall be transmitted to the grantee of the department of commerce which administers federally funded energy assistance programs for the state in the district's service area or to a charitable organization within the district's service area. All such funds shall be used solely to supplement assistance to low-income residential customers of the district in paying their district bills. The grantee or charitable organization shall be responsible to determine which of the district's customers are qualified for low-income assistance and the amount of assistance to be provided to those who are qualified.
RCW 57.20.140 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 140
RCW 57.20.140: Maintenance or general fund and special funds.
Status: in_force

The treasurer shall create and maintain a separate fund designated as the maintenance fund or general fund of the district into which shall be paid all money received by the treasurer from the collection of taxes other than taxes levied for the payment of general obligation bonds of the district and all revenues of the district other than assessments levied in local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, and no money shall be disbursed therefrom except upon warrants of the county auditor issued by authority of the commissioners or upon a resolution of the commissioners ordering a transfer to any other fund of the district. The treasurer also shall maintain such other special funds as may be prescribed by the district, into which shall be placed such money as the board of commissioners may by its resolution direct, and from which disbursements shall be made upon proper warrants of the county auditor issued against the same by authority of the board of commissioners.
RCW 57.06.190 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 190
RCW 57.06.190: Sewer districts—Validation—1959 c 103.
Status: in_force

All debts, contracts and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any sewer district, all bonds, warrants, or other obligations issued by such districts, any connection or service charges made by such districts, any and all assessments heretofore levied in any utility local improvement districts of any sewer districts, and all other things and proceedings relating thereto done or taken by such sewer districts or by their respective officers are hereby declared to be legal and valid and of full force and effect from the date thereof: PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall apply to ultra vires acts or acts of fraud committed by the officers or agents of said district.
RCW 57.08.081 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 081
RCW 57.08.081: Rates and charges—Delinquencies—Heat-related alert limitations.
Status: in_force

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2575.SL ) ***

(1) Subject to RCW 57.08.005 (7), the commissioners of any district shall provide for revenues by fixing rates and charges for furnishing sewer and drainage service and facilities to those to whom service is available or for providing water, such rates and charges to be fixed as deemed necessary by the commissioners, so that uniform charges will be made for the same class of customer or service and facility. Rates and charges may be combined for the furnishing of more than one type of sewer or drainage service and facilities. (2) In classifying customers of such water, sewer, or drainage system, the board of commissioners may in its discretion consider any or all of the following factors: The difference in cost to various customers; the location of the various customers within and without the district; the difference in cost of maintenance, operation, repair, and replacement of the various parts of the system; the different character of the service furnished various customers; the quantity and quality of the service and facility furnished; the time of its use; the achievement of water conservation goals and the discouragement of wasteful practices; capital contributions made to the system including but not limited to assessments; and any other matters which present a reasonable difference as a ground for distinction. Rates shall be established as deemed proper by the commissioners and as fixed by resolution and shall produce revenues sufficient to take care of the costs of maintenance and operation, revenue bond and warrant interest and principal amortization requirements, and all other charges necessary for efficient and proper operation of the system. Prior to furnishing services, a district may require a deposit to guarantee payment for services. However, failure to require a deposit does not affect the validity of any lien authorized by this section. (3) The commissioners shall enforce collection of connection charges, and rates and charges for water supplied against property owners connecting with the system or receiving such water, and for sewer and drainage services charged against property to which and its owners to whom the service is available, such charges being deemed charges against the property served, by addition of penalties of not more than ten percent thereof in case of failure to pay the charges at times fixed by resolution. The commissioners may provide by resolution that where either connection charges or rates and charges for services supplied are delinquent for any specified period of time, the district shall certify the delinquencies to the auditor of the county in which the real property is located, and the charges and any penalties added thereto and interest thereon at the rate of not more than the prime lending rate of the district's bank plus four percentage points per year shall be a lien against the property upon which the service was received, subject only to the lien for general taxes. (4) The district may, at any time after the connection charges or rates and charges for services supplied or available and penalties are delinquent for a period of 60 days, bring suit in foreclosure by civil action in the superior court of the county in which the real property is located. The court may allow, in addition to the costs and disbursements provided by statute, attorneys' fees, title search and report costs, and expenses as it adjudges reasonable. The action shall be in rem, and may be brought in the name of the district against an individual or against all of those who are delinquent in one action. The laws and rules of the court shall control as in other civil actions. (5) In addition to the right to foreclose provided in this section, the district may also cut off all or part of the service after charges for water or sewer service supplied or available are delinquent for a period of 30 days, except on the days indicated in subsection (8) of this section. (6) A district may determine how to apply partial payments on past due accounts. (7) A district may provide a real property owner or the owner's designee with duplicate bills for service to tenants, or may notify an owner or the owner's designee that a tenant's service account is delinquent. However, if an owner or the owner's designee notifies the district in writing that a property served by the district is a rental property, asks to be notified of a tenant's delinquency, and has provided, in writing, a complete and accurate mailing address, the district shall notify the owner or the owner's designee of a tenant's delinquency at the same time and in the same manner the district notifies the tenant of the tenant's delinquency or by mail. When a district provides a real property owner or the owner's designee with duplicates of tenant utility service bills or notice that a tenant's utility account is delinquent, the district shall notify the tenant that it is providing the duplicate bills or delinquency notice to the owner or the owner's designee. After January 1, 1999, if a district fails to notify the owner of a tenant's delinquency after receiving a written request to do so and after receiving the other information required by this subsection (7), the district shall have no lien against the premises for the tenant's delinquent and unpaid charges. (8) A district providing water utility service to residential customers may not effect, due to lack of payment, an involuntary termination of utility service to any residential user, including tenants of metered apartment buildings and residents of mobile homes, on any day for which the national weather service has issued or has announced that it intends to issue a heat-related alert, such as an excessive heat warning, a heat advisory, an excessive heat watch, or a similar alert, for the area in which the residential user's address is located. (9)(a) A residential user at whose dwelling utility service has been disconnected for lack of payment may request that the district reconnect service on any day for which the national weather service has issued or has announced that it intends to issue a heat-related alert, such as an excessive heat warning, a heat advisory, an excessive heat watch, or a similar alert, for the area in which the residential user's address is located. The district shall inform all customers in the notice of disconnection of the ability to seek reconnection and provide clear and specific information on how to make that request, including how to contact the district. (b) Upon receipt of a request made pursuant to (a) of this subsection, the district shall promptly make a reasonable attempt to reconnect service to the dwelling. The district, in connection with a request made pursuant to (a) of this subsection, may require the residential user to enter into a payment plan prior to reconnecting service to the dwelling. If the district requires the residential user to enter into a repayment plan, the repayment plan must comply with subsection (10) of this section. (10) A repayment plan required by a district pursuant to subsection (9)(b) of this section will be designed both to pay the past due bill by the following May 15th, or as soon as possible after May 15th if needed to maintain monthly payments that are no greater than six percent of the customer's monthly income, and to pay for continued utility service. The plan may not require monthly payments in excess of six percent of the customer's monthly income. A customer may agree to pay a higher percentage during this period, but will not be in default unless payment during this period is less than six percent of the customer's monthly income. If assistance payments are received by the customer subsequent to implementation of the plan, the customer shall contact the district to reformulate the plan. (11) On an annual basis, each district with more than 2,500 water customers in Washington must submit a report to the department of commerce that includes the total number of disconnections that occurred on each day for which the national weather service issued, or announced that it intended to issue, a heat-related alert. Districts with fewer than 2,500 water customers in Washington must provide similar information upon request by the department. (a) Subject to availability, each district must provide any other information related to utility disconnections that is requested by the department. (b) The information required in this subsection must be submitted in a form, timeline, and manner as prescribed by the department.
RCW 57.08.009 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 009
RCW 57.08.009: Use of property not immediately necessary to district for park or recreational purposes.
Status: in_force

A district may operate and maintain a park or recreational facilities on real property that it owns or in which it has an interest that is not immediately necessary for its purposes. If such park or recreational facilities are operated by a person other than the district, including a corporation, partnership, or other business enterprise, the person shall indemnify and hold harmless the district for any injury or damage caused by the action of the person.
RCW 57.06.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 030
RCW 57.06.030: 1943 validation.
Status: in_force

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts under the provisions of chapter 114 of the Laws of 1929 and amendments thereto, are hereby validated and declared to be duly existing water districts, or local improvement districts, or utility local improvement districts, as the case may be, having the respective boundaries set forth in their organization proceedings as shown by the files in the office of the board of county commissioners of the county in question and of such water districts.
RCW 57.16.160 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 160
RCW 57.16.160: Review of sewer general comprehensive plan—Time limitations—Notice of rejection of plan or extension of timeline.
Status: in_force

For any new or revised sewer general comprehensive plan submitted by a water-sewer district for review under this chapter, the appropriate state agency shall review and either approve, conditionally approve, reject, or request amendments within ninety days of the receipt of the submission of the plan. The appropriate state agency may extend this ninety-day time limitation for new submittals by up to an additional ninety days if insufficient time exists to adequately review the general comprehensive plan. For rejections of plans or extensions of the timeline, the appropriate state agency shall provide in writing to the water-sewer district the reason for such action. In addition, the governing body of the water-sewer district and the appropriate state agency may mutually agree to an extension of the deadlines contained in this section.
RCW 57.20.105 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 105
RCW 57.20.105: Vote on general indebtedness.
Status: in_force

The commissioners may submit to the voters of the district at any general or special election, a proposition that the district incur a general indebtedness payable from annual tax levies to be made in excess of the constitutional tax limitation for the construction of any part or all of the improvements described in its general comprehensive plan or plans. Elections shall be held as provided in RCW 39.36.050 . The proposition authorizing both the bond issue and imposition of excess bond retirement levies must be adopted by three-fifths of the voters voting thereon, at which election the total number of persons voting on the proposition shall constitute not less than forty percent of the total number of votes cast in the district at the last preceding general election. The bonds shall not be issued to run for a period longer than thirty years from the date of the issue. The bonds shall be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW. Whenever the proposition to issue general obligation bonds and impose such excess bond retirement levies has been approved, there shall be levied by the officers or governing body charged with the duty of levying taxes, annual levies in excess of the constitutional tax limitation sufficient to meet the annual or semiannual payments of principal and interest on the bonds upon all taxable property within the district.
RCW 57.20.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 020
RCW 57.20.020: Revenue bonds—Special fund.
Status: in_force

(1) The commissioners shall have power and are required to create a special fund or funds for the sole purpose of paying the interest and principal of revenue bonds into which special fund or funds the commissioners shall obligate and bind the district to set aside and pay a fixed proportion of the gross revenues of the water supply, sewer, or drainage system or any fixed amount out of and not exceeding a fixed proportion of such revenues, or a fixed amount or amounts without regard to any fixed proportion, and such bonds and the interest thereof shall be payable only out of such special fund or funds, and shall be a lien and charge against all revenues and payments received from any utility local improvement district or districts pledged to secure such bonds, subject only to operating and maintenance expenses. In creating any such special fund or funds the commissioners shall have due regard to the cost of operation and maintenance of the plant or system as constructed or added to and to any proportion or part of the revenue previously pledged as a fund for the payment of bonds, warrants, or other indebtedness, and shall not set aside into such special fund a greater amount or proportion of the revenue and proceeds than in their judgment will be available over and above such cost of maintenance and operation and the amount or proportion, if any, of the revenue so previously pledged. Any such bonds and interest thereon issued against any such fund as provided in this section shall be a valid claim of the owner thereof only as against the special fund and its fixed proportion or amount of the revenue pledged to such fund, and shall not constitute an indebtedness of the district within the meaning of the constitutional provisions and limitations. Each such bond shall state upon its face that it is payable from a special fund, naming the fund and the resolution creating it. Such bonds shall be sold in such manner, at such price, and at such rate or rates of interest as the commissioners shall deem for the best interests of the district, either at public or private sale, and the commissioners may provide in any contract for the construction and acquirement of the proposed improvement (and for the refunding of outstanding local improvement district obligations, if any) that payment therefor shall be made in such bonds at par value thereof. When any such special fund shall have been heretofore or shall be hereafter created and any such bonds shall have been heretofore or shall hereafter be issued against the same a fixed proportion or a fixed amount out of and not to exceed such fixed proportion, or a fixed amount or amounts without regard to any fixed proportion, of revenue shall be set aside and paid into the special fund as provided in the resolution creating such fund or authorizing such bonds. In case any district shall fail thus to set aside and pay the fixed proportion or amount, the owner of any bond payable from such special fund may bring suit or action against the district and compel such setting aside and payment. (2) Revenue bonds payable from a special fund may be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW.
RCW 57.28.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 050
RCW 57.28.050: Hearing—Findings.
Status: in_force

The petition for withdrawal shall be heard at the time and place specified in such notice or the hearing may be adjourned from time to time, not exceeding one month in all, and any person may appear at such hearing and make objections to the withdrawal of such territory or to the proposed boundary lines thereof. Upon final hearing on the petition for withdrawal, the board of commissioners of the district shall make such changes in the proposed boundary lines as it deems to be proper, except that no changes in the boundary lines shall be made by the board of commissioners to include lands not within the boundaries of the territory as described in such petition. In establishing and defining such boundaries the board of commissioners shall exclude any property which is then being furnished with water, sewer, or drainage service by the district or which is included in any distribution or collection system the construction of which is included within any duly established local improvement district or utility local improvement district, and the territory as finally established and defined must be substantial in area and consist of adjoining or contiguous properties. The board of commissioners shall thereupon make and by resolution adopt findings of fact as to the following questions: (1) Would the withdrawal of such territory be of benefit to such territory? (2) Would such withdrawal be conducive to the general welfare of the balance of the district? Such findings shall be entered in the records of the district, together with any recommendations the board of commissioners may by resolution adopt.
RCW 57.08.105 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 105
RCW 57.08.105: Liability insurance for officials and employees.
Status: in_force

The board of commissioners of each district may purchase liability insurance with such limits as it may deem reasonable for the purpose of protecting its officials and employees against liability for personal or bodily injuries and property damage arising from their acts or omissions while performing or in good faith purporting to perform their official duties.
RCW 57.16.060 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 060
RCW 57.16.060: Resolution or petition to form district—Procedure—Written protest—Notice.
Status: in_force

Local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts to carry out the whole or any portion of the general comprehensive plan of improvements or plan providing for additions and betterments to an original general comprehensive plan previously adopted may be initiated either by resolution of the board of commissioners or by petition signed by the owners according to the records of the office of the applicable county auditor of at least fifty-one percent of the area of the land within the limits of the improvement district to be created. In case the board of commissioners desires to initiate the formation of an improvement district by resolution, it first shall pass a resolution declaring its intention to order the improvement, setting forth the nature and territorial extent of such proposed improvement, designating the number of the proposed improvement district, and describing the boundaries thereof, stating the estimated cost and expense of the improvement and the proportionate amount thereof which will be borne by the property within the proposed improvement district, and fixing a date, time, and place for a public hearing on the formation of the proposed improvement district. In case any such improvement district is initiated by petition, the petition shall set forth the nature and territorial extent of the proposed improvement requested to be ordered and the fact that the signers thereof are the owners according to the records of the applicable county auditor of at least fifty-one percent of the area of land within the limits of the improvement district to be created. Upon the filing of such petition the board shall determine whether the petition is sufficient, and the board's determination thereof shall be conclusive upon all persons. No person may withdraw his or her name from the petition after it has been filed with the board of commissioners. If the board finds the petition to be sufficient, it shall proceed to adopt a resolution declaring its intention to order the improvement petitioned for, setting forth the nature and territorial extent of the improvement, designating the number of the proposed improvement district and describing the boundaries thereof, stating the estimated cost and expense of the improvement and the proportionate amount thereof which will be borne by the property within the proposed improvement district, and fixing a date, time, and place for a public hearing on the formation of the proposed improvement district. Notice of the adoption of the resolution of intention, whether the resolution was adopted on the initiative of the board or pursuant to a petition of the property owners, shall be published in at least two consecutive issues of a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed improvement district, the date of the first publication to be at least fifteen days prior to the date fixed by such resolution for hearing before the board of commissioners. Notice of the adoption of the resolution of intention shall also be given each owner or reputed owner of any lot, tract, parcel of land, or other property within the proposed improvement district by mailing the notice at least fifteen days before the date fixed for the public hearing to the owner or reputed owner of the property as shown on the tax rolls of the county treasurer of the county in which the real property is located at the address shown thereon. Whenever such notices are mailed, the commissioners shall maintain a list of the reputed property owners, which list shall be kept on file at a location within the district and shall be made available for public perusal. The notices shall refer to the resolution of intention and designate the proposed improvement district by number. The notices also shall set forth the nature of the proposed improvement, the total estimated cost, the proportion of total cost to be borne by assessments, and the date, time, and place of the hearing before the board of commissioners. In the case of improvements initiated by resolution, the notice also shall: (1) State that all persons desiring to object to the formation of the proposed district must file their written protests with the secretary of the board of commissioners no later than ten days after the public hearing; (2) state that if owners of at least forty percent of the area of land within the proposed improvement district file written protests with the secretary of the board, the power of the commissioners to proceed with the creation of the proposed improvement district shall be divested; (3) provide the name and address of the secretary of the board; and (4) state the hours and location within the district where the names of the property owners within the proposed improvement district are kept available for public perusal. In the case of the notice given each owner or reputed owner by mail, the notice shall set forth the estimated amount of the cost and expense of such improvement to be borne by the particular lot, tract, parcel of land, or other property.
RCW 57.20.019 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 019
RCW 57.20.019: Additions and betterments.
Status: in_force

In the same manner as provided for the adoption of an original general comprehensive plan, a plan providing for additions and betterments to the original general comprehensive plan may be adopted. Without limiting its generality "additions and betterments" shall include any necessary change in, amendment of, or addition to the general comprehensive plan. The district may incur a general indebtedness payable from annual tax levies to be made in excess of the constitutional tax limitation for the construction of the additions and betterments in the same way that general indebtedness may be incurred for the construction of the original general comprehensive plan after submission to the voters of the entire district in the manner the original proposition to incur indebtedness was submitted as provided in RCW 57.20.105 . Upon ratification the additions and betterments may be carried out by the commissioners to the extent specified or referred to in the proposition to incur the general indebtedness. The district may issue revenue bonds to pay for the construction of the additions and the betterments pursuant to resolution of the board of commissioners.
RCW 57.36.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 36 / Section 010
RCW 57.36.010: Merger of districts authorized.
Status: in_force

Whenever one or more districts desire to merge into another district, the district or districts desiring to merge into the other district shall be referred to as the "merging district" or "merging districts" and the district into which the merging district or districts desire to merge shall be referred to as the "merger district." After the merger, the merger district shall survive under its original name or number.
RCW 57.06.070 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 070
RCW 57.06.070: 1945 validation.
Status: in_force

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, local improvement district, or utility local improvement district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such attempted organization, and any and all assessments or levies, and all other things and proceedings done or taken by such districts or by their respective officers acting under or in pursuance of such attempted organization, are hereby declared legal and valid and of full force and effect.
RCW 57.24.190 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 190
RCW 57.24.190: Annexation of certain unincorporated territory—Referendum authorized—Petition—Election—Effective date of annexation.
Status: in_force

The annexation resolution under RCW 57.24.180 shall be subject to referendum for forty-five days after the passage thereof. Upon the filing of a timely and sufficient referendum petition with the board of commissioners, signed by registered voters in number equal to not less than ten percent of the registered voters in the area to be annexed who voted in the last municipal general election, the question of annexation shall be submitted to the voters of such area in a general election if one is to be held within ninety days or at a special election called for that purpose by the board of commissioners in accordance with RCW 29A.04.321 and 29A.04.330 . Notice of that election shall be given under RCW 57.24.020 and the election shall be conducted under RCW 57.24.040 . The annexation shall be deemed approved by the voters unless a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in opposition thereto. After the expiration of the forty-fifth day from but excluding the date of passage of the annexation resolution, if no timely and sufficient referendum petition has been filed, the area annexed shall become a part of the district upon the date fixed in the resolution of annexation upon transmitting the resolution to the county legislative authority.
RCW 57.20.018 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 018
RCW 57.20.018: Revenue bonds authorized—Use.
Status: in_force

(1) The commissioners may, without submitting a proposition to the voters, authorize by resolution the district to issue revenue bonds for the construction costs, interest during the period of construction and six months thereafter, working capital or other costs of the improvements described in any part or all of a general comprehensive plan or plans, or for other purposes or functions of a district authorized by statute. The amount of the bonds to be issued shall be included in the resolution. (2) Any resolution authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds may include provision for refunding any local improvement district bonds of a district, out of the proceeds of sale of revenue bonds, and a district may pay off any outstanding local improvement bonds with such funds either by purchase in the open market below their par value and accrued interest or by call at par value and accrued interest at the next succeeding interest payment date. The bonds may be in any form, including bearer bonds or registered bonds as provided by RCW 39.46.030 . (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, district revenue bonds may be issued and sold in accordance with chapter 39.46 RCW.
RCW 57.08.190 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 190
RCW 57.08.190: Cooperative watershed management.
Status: in_force

In addition to the authority provided in RCW 57.08.005 , a water district, sewer district, or water-sewer district may participate in and expend revenue on cooperative watershed management actions, including watershed management partnerships under RCW 39.34.210 and other intergovernmental agreements, for purposes of water supply, water quality, and water resource and habitat protection and management.
RCW 57.16.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 100
RCW 57.16.100: Conclusiveness of roll—Correction of errors.
Status: in_force

(1) Whenever any assessment roll for local improvements shall have been confirmed by the district board of commissioners, the regularity, validity, and correctness of the proceedings relating to the improvements, and to the assessment therefor, including the action of the district commissioners upon the assessment roll and the confirmation thereof, shall be conclusive in all things upon all parties, and cannot in any manner be contested or questioned in any proceeding whatsoever by any person not filing written objections to such roll in the manner and within the time provided in this chapter, and not appealing from the action of the commissioners in confirming such assessment roll in the manner and within the time in this chapter provided. No proceedings of any kind shall be commenced or prosecuted for the purpose of defeating or contesting any such assessment, or the sale of property to pay such assessment, or any certificate of delinquency issued therefor, or the foreclosure of any lien issued therefor. However, this section shall not be construed as prohibiting the bringing of injunction proceedings to prevent the sale of any real estate upon the grounds (a) that the property about to be sold does not appear upon the assessment roll, or (b) that the assessment had been paid. (2) This section also shall not prohibit the correction of clerical errors and errors in the computation of assessments in assessment rolls by the following procedure: (a) The board of commissioners may file a petition with the superior court of the county wherein the real property is located, asking that the court enter an order correcting such errors and directing that the county treasurer pay a portion or all of the incorrect assessment by the transfer of funds from the district's maintenance fund, if such relief be necessary. (b) Upon the filing of the petition, the court shall set a date for hearing and upon the hearing may enter an order as provided in (a) of this subsection. However, neither the correcting order nor the corrected assessment roll shall result in an increased assessment to the property owner.
RCW 57.20.135 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 135
RCW 57.20.135: Treasurer—Designation—Approval—Powers and duties—Bond.
Status: in_force

Upon obtaining the approval of the county treasurer, the board of commissioners of a district with more than twenty-five hundred water customers or sewer customers may designate by resolution some other person having experience in financial or fiscal matters as the treasurer of the district. Such a treasurer shall possess all of the powers, responsibilities, and duties of, and shall be subject to the same restrictions as provided by law for, the county treasurer with regard to a district, and the county auditor with regard to district financial matters. Such treasurer shall be bonded for not less than twenty-five thousand dollars. Approval by the county treasurer authorizing such a district to designate its treasurer shall not be arbitrarily or capriciously withheld.
RCW 57.20.023 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 023
RCW 57.20.023: Covenants to guarantee payment of revenue bonds—Bonds payable from same source may be issued on parity.
Status: in_force

The board of commissioners may make such covenants as it may deem necessary to secure and guarantee the payment of the principal of and interest on revenue bonds of the district, including but not being limited to covenants for the establishment and maintenance of adequate reserves to secure or guarantee the payment of such principal and interest; the protection and disposition of the proceeds of sale of such bonds; the use and disposition of the gross revenues of the water supply system, sewer system, or drainage system of the district and any additions or betterments thereto or extensions thereof; the use and disposition of any utility local improvement district assessments; the creation and maintenance of funds for renewals and replacements of the system; the establishment and maintenance of rates and charges adequate to pay principal and interest of such bonds and to maintain adequate coverage over debt service; the maintenance, operation and management of the system and the accounting, insuring and auditing of the business in connection therewith; the terms upon which such bonds or any of them may be redeemed at the election of the district; limitations upon the right of the district to dispose of its system or any part thereof; the appointment of trustees, depositaries and paying agents to receive, hold, disburse, invest and reinvest all or any part of the proceeds of sale of the bonds and all or any part of the income, revenue and receipts of the district, and the commissioners may make such other covenants as it may deem necessary to accomplish the most advantageous sale of such bonds. The board of commissioners may also provide that revenue bonds payable out of the same source or sources may later be issued on a parity with any revenue bonds being issued and sold.
RCW 57.02.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 030
RCW 57.02.030: Title to be liberally construed.
Status: in_force

The rule of strict construction shall not apply to this title, which shall be liberally construed to carry out its purposes and objects.
RCW 57.04.070 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 070
RCW 57.04.070: When two or more petitions filed.
Status: in_force

Whenever two or more petitions for the formation of a district shall be filed as provided in this chapter, the petition describing the greater area shall supersede all others and an election shall first be held thereunder, and no lesser district shall ever be created within the limits in whole or in part of any district, except as provided in RCW 36.94.420 .
RCW 57.04.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 050
RCW 57.04.050: Election—Notice—Excess tax levy.
Status: in_force

Upon entry of the findings of the final hearing on the petition if one or more county legislative authorities find that the proposed district will be conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience and will benefit the land therein, they shall present a resolution to the county auditor calling for a special election to be held at a date according to RCW 29A.04.330 , at which a ballot proposition authorizing the district to be created shall be submitted to voters for their approval or rejection. The commissioners shall cause to be published a notice of the election for four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed district, which notice shall state the hours during which the polls will be open, the boundaries of the district as finally adopted and the object of the election, and the notice shall also be posted ten days in ten public places in the proposed district. The district shall be created if the ballot proposition authorizing the district to be created is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the proposition. A separate ballot proposition authorizing the district, if created, to impose a single-year excess levy for the preliminary expenses of the district shall be submitted to voters for their approval or rejection at the same special election, if the petition to create the district also proposed that a ballot proposition authorizing an excess levy be submitted to voters for their approval or rejection. The excess levy shall be proposed in the amount specified in the petition to create the district, not to exceed one dollar and twenty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, and may only be submitted to voters for their approval or rejection if the special election is held in February, March, April, or May. The proposition to be effective must be approved in the manner set forth in Article VII, section 2(a) of the state Constitution.
RCW 57.04.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 030
RCW 57.04.030: Petition procedure—Hearing—Boundaries.
Status: in_force

(1) For the purpose of formation of water-sewer districts, a petition shall be presented to the county legislative authority of each county in which the proposed district is located. The petition shall set forth the reasons for the creation of the district, designate the boundaries of the district, and state that establishment of the district will be conducive to the public health, convenience, and welfare and will be of benefit to the property included in the district. The petition shall state the proposed name of the district, which may be ". . . . . . . Sewer-Water [Water-Sewer] District," ". . . . . . . Water District," ". . . . . . . Sewer District," or may be designated by a number such as ". . . . . . . . County Water-Sewer District No. . . .." The petition shall specify the proposed property tax levy assessment, if any, which shall not exceed one dollar and twenty-five cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, for general preliminary expenses of the district. The petition shall be signed by at least ten percent of the registered voters who voted in the last municipal general election, who shall be qualified voters on the date of filing the petition, residing within the district described in the petition. The petition shall be filed with the county auditor of the county in which all or the largest geographic portion of the proposed district is located, who shall within ten days examine and verify the signatures on the petition. No person having signed such a petition shall be allowed to withdraw the person's name from the petition after the filing of the petition with the county auditor. If the area proposed to be included in the district is located in more than one county, the auditor of the county in which the largest geographic portion of the district is located shall be the lead auditor and shall immediately transfer a copy of the petitions to the auditor of each other county in which the proposed district is located. Within ten days after the lead auditor received the petition, the auditors of these other counties shall certify to the lead auditor: (a) The number of voters of that county residing in the proposed district who voted at the last municipal general election; and (b) the number of valid signatures on the petition of voters of that county residing in the proposed district. The lead auditor shall certify the sufficiency of the petition after receiving this information. If the petition shall be found to contain a sufficient number of signatures, the county auditor or lead county auditor shall then transmit it, together with a certificate of sufficiency attached thereto to the county legislative authority of each county in which the proposed district is located. (2) If in the opinion of the county health officer the existing water, sewerage, or drainage facilities are inadequate in the district to be created, and creation of the district is necessary for public health and safety, then the legislative authority of the county may declare by resolution that a water-sewer district is a public health and safety necessity, and the district shall be organized under this title, without a petition being required. (3) Following receipt of a petition certified to contain a sufficient number of signatures, or upon declaring a district to be a public health and safety necessity, at a regular or special meeting the county legislative authority shall cause to be published once a week for at least two weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the proposed district, a notice that such a petition has been presented, stating the time of the meeting at which the petition shall be considered, and setting forth the boundaries of the proposed district. When a petition is presented for hearing, each county legislative authority shall hear the petition or may adjourn the hearing from time to time not exceeding one month in all. Any person, firm, or corporation may appear before the county legislative authority and make objections to the establishment of the district or the proposed boundary lines thereof. Upon a final hearing each county legislative authority shall make such changes in the proposed boundary lines within the county as it deems to be proper and shall establish and define the boundaries and shall find whether the proposed district will be conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience and be of special benefit to the land included within the boundaries of the proposed district. No lands that will not, in the judgment of the county legislative authority, be benefited by inclusion therein, shall be included within the boundaries of the district. No change shall be made by the county legislative authority in the boundary lines to include any territory outside of the boundaries described in the petition, except that the boundaries of any proposed district may be extended by the county legislative authority to include other lands in the county upon a petition signed by the owners of all of the land within the proposed extension.
RCW 57.02.040 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 040
RCW 57.02.040: Water-sewer district activities to be approved—Criteria for approval by county legislative authority.
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the following proposed actions shall be approved as provided for in RCW 57.02.045 : (a) Formation or reorganization under chapter 57.04 RCW; (b) Annexation of territory under chapter 57.24 RCW; (c) Withdrawal of territory under chapter 57.28 RCW; (d) Transfer of territory under RCW 57.32.160 ; (e) Consolidation under chapter 57.32 RCW; and (f) Merger under chapter 57.36 RCW. (2) At least one of the districts involved shall give notice of the proposed action to the county legislative authority, state department of ecology, and state department of health. The county legislative authority shall within thirty days of receiving notice of the proposed action approve the action or hold a hearing on the action. (3) The county legislative authority shall decide within sixty days of a hearing whether to approve or not approve the proposed action. In approving or not approving the proposed action, the county legislative authority shall consider the following criteria: (a) Whether the proposed action in the area under consideration is in compliance with the development program that is outlined in the county comprehensive plan, or city or town comprehensive plan where appropriate, and its supporting documents; (b) Whether the proposed action in the area under consideration is in compliance with the basin-wide water and/or sewage plan as approved by the state department of ecology and the state department of social and health services; and (c) Whether the proposed action is in compliance with the policies expressed in the county plan for water and/or sewage facilities. (4) If the proposed action is inconsistent with subsection (3)(a), (b), or (c) of this section, the county legislative authority shall not approve it. If the proposed action is consistent with subsection (3)(a), (b), and (c) of this section, the county legislative authority shall approve it unless it finds that water or sewer service in the area under consideration will be most appropriately served by the county itself under the provisions of chapter 36.94 RCW, or by another district, city, town, or municipality. If there has not been adopted for the area under consideration a plan or program under subsection (3)(a), (b), or (c) of this section, the proposed action shall not be found inconsistent with such subsection. (5) Where a district is proposed to be formed, and where no boundary review board is established in the county, the petition described in RCW 57.04.030 shall serve as the notice of proposed action under this section, and the hearing provided for in RCW 57.04.030 shall serve as the hearing provided for in this section and in RCW 57.02.045 .
RCW 57.28.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 010
RCW 57.28.010: Withdrawal authorized—Petition.
Status: in_force

Territory within a district may be withdrawn therefrom in the following manner and upon the following conditions: The petition for withdrawal shall be in writing and shall designate the boundaries of the territory proposed to be withdrawn from the district and shall be signed by at least twenty-five percent of the qualified voters residing within the territory so designated who are qualified voters on the date of filing such petition. The petition shall set forth that the territory proposed to be withdrawn is of such location or character that water and sewer services cannot be furnished to it by the district at reasonable cost, and shall further set forth that the withdrawal of such territory will be of benefit to such territory and conducive to the general welfare of the balance of the district.
RCW 57.24.260 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 260
RCW 57.24.260: Annexation of territory within cities—Alternative method.
Status: in_force

The method of annexation provided for in RCW 57.24.230 through 57.24.250 is an alternative method and is additional to other methods provided for in this chapter.
RCW 57.06.210 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 210
RCW 57.06.210: Sewer districts—Validation of prior mergers.
Status: in_force

Each and all of the respective areas of land organized as a water district and heretofore attempted to be merged into a sewer district under chapter 148 of the Laws of 1969 [ex. sess.], and amendments thereto, and which have maintained their organization as part of a sewer district since the date of such attempted merger, are hereby validated and declared to be a proper merger of a water district into a sewer district. Such district shall have the respective boundaries set forth in their merger proceedings as shown by the official files of the legislative authority of the county in which such merged district is located. All debts, contracts, bonds, and other obligations heretofore executed in connection with or in pursuance of such attempted organization, and any and all assessments or levies and all other actions taken by such districts or by their respective officers acting under such attempted organization, are hereby declared legal and valid and of full force and effect. Such districts may hereafter exercise their powers only to the extent permitted by and in accordance with the provisions of *RCW 56.36.060 , as now or hereafter amended.
RCW 57.36.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 36 / Section 050
RCW 57.36.050: Vesting of funds and property in merger district—Outstanding indebtedness.
Status: in_force

All funds and property, real and personal, of the merging district or districts, shall vest in and become the property of the merger district. Unless the agreement of merger provides to the contrary, any outstanding indebtedness of any form, owed by the districts, shall remain the obligation of the area of the original debtor district; and the commissioners of the merger district shall make such levies, assessments, or charges for service upon such area or the users therein as shall pay off such indebtedness at maturity.
RCW 57.16.070 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 070
RCW 57.16.070: Hearing on assessment roll—Notice.
Status: in_force

Before approval of the roll a notice shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the improvement district, stating that the roll is on file and open to inspection in the office of the secretary, and fixing the time, not less than fifteen or more than thirty days from the date of the first publication of the notice, within which protests must be filed with the secretary against any assessments shown thereon, and fixing a time when a hearing will be held by the commissioners on the protests. Notice shall also be given by mailing, at least fifteen days before the hearing, a similar notice to the owners or reputed owners of the land in the improvement district as they appear on the books of the treasurer of the county in which the real property is located. At the hearing, or any adjournment thereof, the commissioners may correct, change, or modify the roll, or any part thereof, or set aside the roll and order a new assessment, and may then by resolution approve it. If an assessment is raised a new notice similar to the first shall be given, after which final approval of the roll may be made. When property has been entered originally upon the roll and the assessment thereon is not raised, no objection thereto shall be considered by the commissioners or by any court on appeal unless the objection is made in writing at, or prior to, the date fixed for the original hearing upon the roll.
RCW 57.22.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 22 / Section 050
RCW 57.22.050: District participation in financing project.
Status: in_force

As an alternative to financing projects under this chapter solely by owners of real estate, districts may join in the financing of improvement projects and may be reimbursed in the same manner as the owners of real estate who participate in the projects, if the board of commissioners has specified the conditions of its participation in a resolution.
RCW 57.20.090 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 090
RCW 57.20.090: Rights and remedies of bond owner.
Status: in_force

The owner of any local improvement bonds guaranteed under the provisions of this section and RCW 57.20.030 and 57.20.080 shall not have any claim therefor against the district by which the same is issued, except for payment from the special assessments made for the improvement for which the local improvement bonds were issued, and except as against the local improvement guaranty fund of the district; and the district shall not be liable to any owner of such local improvement bond for any loss to the guaranty fund occurring in the lawful operation thereof by the district. The remedy of the owner of a local improvement bond, in case of nonpayment, shall be confined to the enforcement of the assessment and to the guaranty fund. A copy of the foregoing part of this section shall be plainly written, printed or engraved on each local improvement bond guaranteed by this section and RCW 57.20.030 and 57.20.080 . The establishment of a local improvement guaranty fund by any district shall not be deemed at variance from any comprehensive plan heretofore adopted by that district. If any local improvement guaranty fund hereunder authorized at any time has a balance therein in cash, and the obligations guaranteed thereby have all been paid off, then such balance shall be transferred to the maintenance fund of the district.
RCW 57.16.015 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 015
RCW 57.16.015: Expenditures before plan adopted and approved.
Status: in_force

No expenditure for carrying on any part of a general comprehensive plan shall be made other than the necessary salaries of engineers, clerical, office expenses, and other professional expenses of the district, and the cost of engineering, surveying, preparation, and collection of data necessary for making and adopting a general plan of improvements in the district, until the general comprehensive plan of improvements has been adopted by the commissioners and approved as provided in RCW 57.16.010 .
RCW 57.28.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 020
RCW 57.28.020: Petition of residents.
Status: in_force

The petition for withdrawal shall be filed with the county auditor of each county in which the district is located, and after the filing no person having signed the petition shall be allowed to withdraw the person's name therefrom. Within ten days after such filing, each county auditor shall examine and verify the signatures of signers residing in the respective county. The petition shall be transmitted to the auditor of the county in which all or the major geographic portion of the district is located, who shall certify to the sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures. If the area proposed to be withdrawn is located in more than one county, the auditor of the county in which the largest geographic portion of the area proposed to be withdrawn is located shall be the lead auditor and shall immediately transfer a copy of the petitions to the auditor of each other county in which the area proposed to be withdrawn is located. Within ten days after the lead auditor received the petition, the auditors of these other counties shall certify to the lead auditor: (1) The number of voters of that county residing in the area proposed to be withdrawn who voted at the last municipal general election; and (2) the number of valid signatures on the petition of voters of that county residing in the area proposed to be withdrawn. The lead auditor shall certify the sufficiency of the petition after receiving this information. If such petition be found by such county auditor to contain sufficient signatures, the petition, together with a certificate of sufficiency attached thereto, shall be transmitted to the board of commissioners of the district.
RCW 57.24.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 100
RCW 57.24.100: Petition method—Effective date of annexation—Prior indebtedness.
Status: in_force

Upon the date fixed in the resolution the area annexed shall become a part of the district. No property within the limits of the territory so annexed shall ever be taxed or assessed to pay any portion of the indebtedness of the district to which it is annexed contracted prior to or existing at the date of annexation; nor shall any such property be released from any taxes or assessments levied against it or from liability for payment of outstanding bonds or warrants issued prior to such annexation.
RCW 57.90.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 90 / Section 100
RCW 57.90.100: Disposal of real property on abandonment of irrigation district right-of-way—Right of adjacent owners.
Status: in_force

Whenever as the result of abandonment of an irrigation district right-of-way real property held by an irrigation district is to be sold or otherwise disposed of, notice shall be given to the owners of the lands adjoining that real property and such owners shall have the right of first refusal to purchase at the appraised price all or any part of the real property to be sold or otherwise disposed of which adjoins or is adjacent to their land. Real property to be sold or otherwise disposed of under this section shall have been first appraised by the county assessor or by a person designated by the county assessor. Notice under this section shall be sufficient if sent by registered mail to the owner at the address shown in the tax records of the county in which the land is situated. Notice under this section shall be in addition to any notice required by law. After sixty days from the date of sending of notice, if no applications for purchase have been received by the irrigation district or other person or entity sending notice, the rights of first refusal of owners of adjoining lands shall be deemed to have been waived, and the real property may be disposed of or sold. If two or more owners of adjoining lands apply to purchase the same real property, or apply to purchase overlapping parts of the real property, the respective rights of the applicants may be determined in the superior court of the county in which the real property is situated. The court may divide the real property in question between some or all of the applicants or award the whole to one applicant, as justice may require.
RCW 57.04.130 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 130
RCW 57.04.130: Sewerage improvement districts operating as sewer districts become water-sewer districts—Procedure.
Status: in_force

Any sewerage improvement district which has been operating as a sewer district shall be a district under this title as of March 16, 1979, upon being so ordered by the county legislative authority of the county in which such district is located after a hearing of which notice is given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the district and mailed to any known creditors, holders of contracts, and obligees at least thirty days prior to such hearing. After such hearing if the county legislative authority finds that the sewerage improvement district was operating as a district and that the converting of such district will be in the best interest of that district, it shall order that such sewer improvement district shall become a district immediately upon the passage of the resolution containing such order. The debts, contracts, and obligations of any sewerage improvement district which has been erroneously operating as a district are recognized as legal and binding. The members of the government authority of any sewerage improvement district which has been operating as a district and who were erroneously elected as sewer district commissioners shall be recognized as the governing authority of a district. The members of the governing authority shall continue in office for the term for which they were elected.
RCW 57.04.140 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 140
RCW 57.04.140: Formation—Alternative method—New development.
Status: in_force

(1) As an alternative means to forming a water-sewer district, a county legislative authority may authorize the formation of a water-sewer district to serve a new development that at the time of formation does not have any residents, at written request of sixty percent of the owners of the area to be included in the proposed district. The county legislative authority shall review the proposed district according to the procedures and criteria in RCW 57.02.040 . (2) The county legislative authority shall appoint the initial water-sewer commissioners of the district. The commissioners shall serve until seventy-five percent of the development is sold and occupied, or until some other time as specified by the county legislative authority when the district is approved. Commissioners serving under this section are not entitled to any form of compensation from the district. (3) New commissioners shall be elected according to the procedures in chapter 57.12 RCW at the next election held under RCW 29A.04.321 that follows more than ninety days after the date seventy-five percent of the development is sold and occupied, or after the time specified by the county legislative authority when the district is approved. (4) A water-sewer district created under this section may be transferred to a city or county, or dissolved if the district is inactive, by order of the county legislative authority at the written request of sixty percent of the owners of the area included in the district.
RCW 57.24.170 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 170
RCW 57.24.170: Annexation of certain unincorporated territory—Authorized—Hearing.
Status: in_force

When there is, within a district, unincorporated territory containing less than one hundred acres and having at least eighty percent of the boundaries of such area contiguous to the district, the board of commissioners may resolve to annex that territory to the district. The resolution shall describe the boundaries of the area to be annexed, state the number of voters residing therein as nearly as may be, and set a date for a public hearing on such resolution for annexation. Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication of the resolution at least once a week for two weeks prior to the date of the hearing, in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the district and one or more newspapers of general circulation within the area to be annexed.
RCW 57.24.240 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 240
RCW 57.24.240: Annexation of territory within cities—Hearing procedure—Election notice.
Status: in_force

(1) If a resolution calling for an annexation election as provided in RCW 57.24.230 is presented for hearing, the legislative authority of each county in which the territory proposed for annexation is located shall hear the resolution or may adjourn and reconvene the hearing as deemed necessary for its purposes. The hearing, however, may not exceed four weeks in duration. Any person, firm, or corporation may appear before the legislative authority or authorities and make objections to the proposed boundary lines or to annexation of the territory described in the resolution. (2) Upon a final hearing, each county legislative authority may make changes to the proposed boundary lines within the county as it deems proper and shall formally establish and define the boundaries. Each legislative authority also shall find whether the proposed annexation will be conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience and whether it will be of special benefit to the land included within the boundaries of the proposed annexation. No lands that will not, in the judgment of the legislative authority, benefit by inclusion therein, may be included within the boundaries of the territory as established and defined. The legislative authority may not include within the territory proposed for annexation any territory outside of the boundary lines described in the resolution adopted by the district under RCW 57.24.230 (2). (3) Upon the entry of the findings of the final hearing, each county legislative authority, if it finds the proposed annexation satisfies the requirements of subsection (2) of this section, shall give notice of a special election to be held within the boundaries of the territory proposed for annexation for the purpose of determining whether the same shall be annexed to the district. The notice shall: (a) Describe the boundaries established by the legislative authority; (b) State the name of the district to which the territory is proposed to be annexed; (c) Be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the territory proposed for annexation at least once a week for a minimum of two successive weeks prior to the election; (d) Be posted for the same period in at least four public places within the boundaries of the territory proposed for annexation; and (e) Designate the places within the territory proposed for annexation where the election shall be held. (4) The proposition to the voters shall be expressed on ballots containing the words: For Annexation to District or Against Annexation to District The county legislative authority shall name the persons to act as judges at that election.
RCW 57.28.035 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 035
RCW 57.28.035: Alternative procedure—Resolution.
Status: in_force

As an alternative procedure to those set forth in RCW 57.28.010 through 57.28.030 , the withdrawal of territory within a district may be commenced by a resolution of the board of commissioners that sets forth boundaries of the territory to be withdrawn and sets a date for the public hearing required under RCW 57.28.050 . Upon the final hearing, the board of commissioners shall make such changes in the proposed boundaries as they deem proper, except that no changes in the boundary lines may be made by the board of commissioners to include lands not within the boundaries of the territory as described in such resolution. Whenever the board of commissioners proposes to commence the withdrawal of any portion of its territory located within a city or town using the alternative procedures herein authorized, it shall first notify such city or town of their [its] intent to withdraw the territory. If the legislative authority of the city or town takes no action within sixty days of receipt of notification, the district may proceed with the resolution method. If the city or town legislative authority disapproves of use of the alternative procedures, the board of commissioners may proceed using the process established under RCW 57.28.010 through 57.28.030 . A withdrawal procedure commenced under this section shall be subject to the procedures and requirements set forth in RCW 57.28.040 through 57.28.110 .
RCW 57.32.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 32 / Section 020
RCW 57.32.020: Certificate of sufficiency.
Status: in_force

If the consolidation proceedings are initiated by petitions, upon the filing of such petitions with the boards of commissioners of the districts, the boards of commissioners of each district shall file such petitions with the auditor of the county in which all or the largest geographic portion of the respective districts is located, who shall within ten days examine and verify the signatures of the signers residing in the county. If the districts proposed to be consolidated include areas located in more than one county, the auditor of the county in which the largest geographic portion of the consolidating districts is located shall be the lead auditor and shall immediately transfer a copy of the petitions to the auditor of each other county in which the consolidating districts are located. Within ten days after the lead auditor received the petition, the auditors of these other counties shall certify to the lead auditor: (1) The number of voters of that county residing in each consolidating district; and (2) the number of valid signatures on the petition of voters of that county residing in each consolidating district. The lead auditor shall certify the sufficiency of the petition after receiving this information. If all of such petitions shall be found to contain a sufficient number of signatures, the county auditor shall transmit the same, together with a certificate of sufficiency attached thereto, to the board of commissioners of each of the districts proposed for consolidation. If there are no voters residing in one or more of the districts proposed to be consolidated, such petitions may be signed by such a number of landowners as appear of record to own at least a majority of the acreage in the pertinent district, and the petitions shall disclose the total number of acres of land in that district and shall also contain the names of all record owners of land therein.
RCW 57.20.130 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 130
RCW 57.20.130: Bonds—Payment of interest.
Status: in_force

Any coupons for the payment of interest on bonds of any district shall be considered for all purposes as warrants drawn upon the general fund of the district issuing such bonds, and when presented to the treasurer of the county having custody of the funds of such district at maturity, or thereafter, and when so presented, if there are not funds in the treasury to pay the coupons, it shall be the duty of the county treasurer to endorse the coupons as presented for payment, in the same manner as county warrants are indorsed, and thereafter the coupons shall bear interest at the same rate as the bonds to which they were attached. When there are no funds in the treasury to make interest payments on bonds not having coupons, the overdue interest payment shall continue bearing interest at the bond rate until it is paid, unless otherwise provided in the proceedings authorizing the sale of the bonds.
RCW 57.02.015 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 015
RCW 57.02.015: Board of commissioners may notify property owners about petitions—Review of petitions—Information.
Status: in_force

The board of commissioners of a district may notify the owner or reputed owner of any tract, parcel of land, or other property located within the area included in a petition being circulated for a local improvement district or utility local improvement district under chapter 57.16 RCW, an annexation under chapter 57.24 RCW, a consolidation under chapter 57.32 RCW, a merger under chapter 57.36 RCW, a withdrawal of territory under chapter 57.28 RCW, or a transfer of territory under RCW 57.32.160 . Upon the request of any person, the board of commissioners of a district may: (1) Review a proposed petition for proper drafting; and (2) Provide information regarding the effects of the adoption of any proposed petition.
RCW 57.90.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 90 / Section 050
RCW 57.90.050: Assessments to retire indebtedness.
Status: in_force

If a special district is disincorporated and the proceeds of the sale of any of its assets, together with money on hand in the treasury of the special district, are insufficient to retire any outstanding indebtedness, together with all costs and expenses of liquidation, the county legislative authority shall levy assessments in the manner provided by law against the property in the special district in amounts sufficient to retire the indebtedness and pay the costs and expenses.
RCW 57.28.070 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 070
RCW 57.28.070: Notice of hearing before county legislative authority.
Status: in_force

Upon receipt of the petition and certified copy of the findings and recommendations adopted by the district commissioners, the county legislative authority of each county in which the district is located at a regular or special meeting shall fix a time and place for hearing thereon and shall cause to be published at least once a week for two or more weeks in successive issues of a newspaper of general circulation in the district, a notice that such petition has been presented to the county legislative authority stating the time and place of the hearing thereon, setting forth the boundaries of the territory proposed to be withdrawn as such boundaries are established and defined in the findings or recommendations of the board of commissioners of the district.
RCW 57.08.160 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 160
RCW 57.08.160: Authority to assist customers in the acquisition of water conservation equipment—Limitations.
Status: in_force

Any district is hereby authorized, within limits established by the Constitution of the state of Washington, to assist the owners of structures in financing the acquisition and installation of fixtures, systems, and equipment, for compensation or otherwise, for the conservation or more efficient use of water in the structures under a water conservation plan adopted by the district if the cost per unit of water saved or conserved by the use of the fixtures, systems, and equipment is less than the cost per unit of water supplied by the next least costly new water source available to the district to meet future demand. Except where otherwise authorized, assistance shall be limited to: (1) Providing an inspection of the structure, either directly or through one or more inspectors under contract, to determine and inform the owner of the estimated cost of purchasing and installing conservation fixtures, systems, and equipment for which financial assistance will be approved and the estimated life-cycle savings to the water system and the consumer that are likely to result from the installation of the fixtures, systems, or equipment; (2) Providing a list of businesses that sell and install the fixtures, systems, and equipment within or in close proximity to the service area of the city or town, each of which businesses shall have requested to be included and shall have the ability to provide the products in a workmanlike manner and to utilize the fixtures, systems, and equipment in accordance with the prevailing national standards; (3) Arranging to have approved conservation fixtures, systems, and equipment installed by a private contractor whose bid is acceptable to the owner of the structure and verifying the installation; and (4) Arranging or providing financing for the purchase and installation of approved conservation fixtures, systems, and equipment. The fixtures, systems, and equipment shall be purchased or installed by a private business, the owner, or the utility. Pay back shall be in the form of incremental additions to the utility bill, billed either together with the use charge or separately. Loans shall not exceed two hundred forty months in length.
RCW 57.02.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 100
RCW 57.02.100: Single-family homes and townhouses—Multipurpose fire sprinkler systems.
Status: in_force

(1) A water-sewer district may not prohibit the use of multipurpose fire sprinkler systems that are part of a structure's plumbing system for single-family homes and townhouses as defined by the state residential building code or require a separate water meter or backflow preventer for the multipurpose fire sprinkler system. (2) For the purposes of this section, "multipurpose fire sprinkler system" means a fire sprinkler system that: (a) Is supplied only by the purveyor's water; (b) Does not have a fire department pumper connection; (c) Is constructed of approved potable water piping and materials to which sprinkler heads are attached; and (d) Terminates at a connection to a toilet or other plumbing fixture to prevent stagnant water.
RCW 57.06.160 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 160
RCW 57.06.160: 1975 validation.
Status: in_force

The holding and exercise of the office of commissioner by persons now serving as members of the first board of commissioners under or in pursuance of such attempted organization, nominated by petition of at least twenty-five percent of the qualified electors of the district, and elected and qualified as otherwise provided by law, is hereby declared legal and valid and of full force and effect.
RCW 57.28.090 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 090
RCW 57.28.090: Election on withdrawal.
Status: in_force

If the findings of any county legislative authority answer any of the questions of fact set forth in RCW 57.28.050 in the negative, or if any of the findings of the county legislative authority are not the same as the findings of the district board of commissioners upon the same question, then in either of such events, the petition for withdrawal shall be deemed denied. Thereupon, and in such event, the county legislative authority of each county in which the district is located shall by resolution cause a special election to be held not less than thirty days or more than sixty days from the date of the final hearing of any county legislative authority upon the petition for withdrawal, at which election the proposition expressed on the ballots shall be substantially as follows: "Shall the territory established and defined by the district board of commissioners at its meeting held on the . . . . . . (insert date of final hearing of district board of commissioners upon the petition for withdrawal) be withdrawn from district . . . . . . (naming it). YES □ NO □"
RCW 57.04.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 020
RCW 57.04.020: Districts authorized.
Status: in_force

Water-sewer districts are authorized to be established for the purposes of chapter 57.08 RCW. Such districts may include within their boundaries one or more counties, cities, and towns, or other political subdivisions. However, no portion or all of any city or town may be included without the consent by resolution of the city or town legislative authority.
RCW 57.24.070 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 070
RCW 57.24.070: Petition method—Petition—Signers—Content—Certain public properties excluded from local improvement districts.
Status: in_force

As an alternative method of annexation, a petition for annexation of an area contiguous to a district may be made in writing, addressed to and filed with the board of commissioners of the district to which annexation is desired. It must be signed by the owners, according to the records of the county auditor, of not less than sixty percent of the area of land for which annexation is petitioned, excluding county and state rights-of-way, parks, tidelands, lakes, retention ponds, and stream and water courses. Additionally, the petition shall set forth a description of the property according to government legal subdivisions or legal plats, and shall be accompanied by a plat which outlines the boundaries of the property sought to be annexed. Those county and state properties shall be excluded from local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts in the annexed area and from special assessments, rates, or charges of the district except where service has been regulated and provided to such properties. The owners of such property shall be invited to be included within local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts at the time they are proposed for formation.
RCW 57.08.047 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 047
RCW 57.08.047: Provision of water, reclaimed water, sewer, or drainage service beyond district or city subject to review by boundary review board.
Status: in_force

The provision of water, reclaimed water, sewer, or drainage service beyond the boundaries of a special purpose district or city may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.
RCW 57.04.090 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 090
RCW 57.04.090: Dissolution—Legislative and court methods.
Status: in_force

Dissolution of district, see chapters 36.96 and 53.48 RCW.
RCW 57.08.050 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 08 / Section 050
RCW 57.08.050: Contracts for materials and work—Notice—Bids—Small works roster—Waiver of requirements.
Status: in_force

(1) All work ordered, the estimated cost of which is in excess of $150,000 if more than a single craft or trade is involved with the public works project, or a public works project in excess of $75,500 if only a single craft or trade is involved with the public works project, shall be let by contract and competitive bidding. Before awarding any such contract the board of commissioners shall publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation where the district is located at least once 13 days before the last date upon which bids will be received, inviting sealed proposals for such work, plans and specifications which must at the time of publication of such notice be on file in the office of the board of commissioners subject to the public inspection. The notice shall state generally the work to be done and shall call for proposals for doing the same to be sealed and filed with the board of commissioners on or before the day and hour named therein. Each bid shall be accompanied by a certified or cashier's check or postal money order payable to the order of the county treasurer for a sum not less than five percent of the amount of the bid, or accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than five percent of the bid with a corporate surety licensed to do business in the state, conditioned that the bidder will pay the district as liquidated damages the amount specified in the bond, unless the bidder enters into a contract in accordance with the bidder's bid, and no bid shall be considered unless accompanied by such check, cash or bid bond. At the time and place named such bids shall be publicly opened and read and the board of commissioners shall proceed to canvass the bids and may let such contract to the lowest responsible bidder upon plans and specifications on file or to the best bidder submitting the bidder's own plans and specifications. The board of commissioners may reject all bids for good cause and readvertise and in such case all checks, cash or bid bonds shall be returned to the bidders. If the contract is let, then all checks, cash, or bid bonds shall be returned to the bidders, except that of the successful bidder, which shall be retained until a contract shall be entered into for doing the work, and a bond to perform such work furnished with sureties satisfactory to the board of commissioners in the full amount of the contract price between the bidder and the commission in accordance with the bid. If the bidder fails to enter into the contract in accordance with the bid and furnish the bond within 10 days from the date at which the bidder is notified that the bidder is the successful bidder, the check, cash, or bid bonds and the amount thereof shall be forfeited to the district. If the bidder fails to enter into a contract in accordance with the bidder's bid, and the board of commissioners deems it necessary to take legal action to collect on any bid bond required by this section, then the district shall be entitled to collect from the bidder any legal expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees occasioned thereby. A low bidder who claims error and fails to enter into a contract is prohibited from bidding on the same project if a second or subsequent call for bids is made for the project. (2) As an alternative to requirements under subsection (1) of this section, a water-sewer district may let contracts using the small works roster process under RCW 39.04.151 through 39.04.154 . (3) Any purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment, with an estimated cost in excess of $40,000, shall be by contract. Any purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment, with an estimated cost of less than $50,000 shall be made using the process provided in RCW 39.04.190 . Any purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment with an estimated cost of $50,000 or more shall be made by competitive bidding following the procedure for letting contracts for projects under subsection (1) of this section. (4) As an alternative to requirements under subsection (3) of this section, a water-sewer district may let contracts for purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment with the suppliers designated on current state agency, county, city, or town purchasing rosters for the materials, supplies, or equipment, when the roster has been established in accordance with the competitive bidding law for purchases applicable to the state agency, county, city, or town. The price and terms for purchases shall be as described on the applicable roster. (5) The board may waive the competitive bidding requirements of this section pursuant to RCW 39.04.280 if an exemption contained within that section applies to the purchase or public work. (6)(a) A district may procure public works with a unit priced contract under this section for the purpose of completing anticipated types of work based on hourly rates or unit pricing for one or more categories of work or trades. (b) For the purposes of this section, "unit priced contract" means a competitively bid contract in which public works are anticipated on a recurring basis to meet the business or operational needs of the district, under which the contractor agrees to a fixed period indefinite quantity delivery of work, at a defined unit price for each category of work. (c) Unit priced contracts must be executed for an initial contract term not to exceed one year, with the district having the option of extending or renewing the unit priced contract for one additional year. (d) Invitations for unit price bids must include, for purposes of the bid evaluation, estimated quantities of the anticipated types of work or trades, and specify how the district will issue or release work assignments, work orders, or task authorizations pursuant to a unit priced contract for projects, tasks, or other work based on the hourly rates or unit prices bid by the contractor. Contracts must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder as per RCW 39.04.010 . Whenever possible, the district must invite at least one proposal from a certified minority or woman contractor who otherwise qualifies under this section. (e) Unit price contractors shall pay prevailing wages for all work that would otherwise be subject to the requirements of chapter 39.12 RCW. Prevailing wages for all work performed pursuant to each work order must be the prevailing wage rates in effect at the beginning date for each contract year. Unit priced contracts must have prevailing wage rates updated annually. Intents and affidavits for prevailing wages paid must be submitted annually for all work completed within the previous 12-month period of the unit priced contract. (7) A water-sewer district may have its own regularly employed personnel perform work which is an accepted industry practice under prudent utility management without a contract. For purposes of this section, "prudent utility management" means performing work with regularly employed personnel utilizing material of a worth not exceeding $300,000 in value without a contract. This limit on the value of material being utilized in work being performed by regularly employed personnel shall not include the value of individual items of equipment. For the purposes of this section, the term "equipment" includes but is not limited to conductor, cabling, wire, pipe, or lines used for electrical, water, fiber optic, or telecommunications. (8) For the purposes of this section, "lowest responsible bidder" means a bid that meets the criteria under RCW 39.04.350 and has the lowest bid; provided, that if the district issues a written finding that the lowest bidder has delivered a project to the district within the last three years which was late, over budget, or did not meet specifications, and the district does not find in writing that such bidder has shown how they would improve performance to be likely to meet project specifications then the district may choose the second lowest bidder whose bid is within five percent of the lowest bid and meets the same criteria as the lowest bidder.
RCW 57.06.120 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 120
RCW 57.06.120: 1959 validation.
Status: in_force

All debts, contracts and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any water district and all bonds, warrants, or other obligations issued by such district, and all charges heretofore made by such districts, and any and all assessments heretofore levied in any local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts of any water district, and all other things and proceedings relating thereto done or taken by such water districts or by their respective officers are hereby declared to be legal and valid and of full force and effect from the date thereof: PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall apply to ultra vires acts or acts of fraud committed by the officers or agents of said district.
RCW 57.20.150 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 150
RCW 57.20.150: Maintenance or general fund and special funds—Use of surplus in maintenance or general fund.
Status: in_force

Whenever a district has accumulated money in the maintenance fund or general fund of the district in excess of the requirements of that fund, the board of commissioners may in its discretion use any of that surplus money for any of the following purposes: (1) Redemption or servicing of outstanding obligations of the district; (2) maintenance expenses of the district; (3) construction or acquisition of any facilities necessary to carry out the purposes of the district; or (4) any other proper district purpose.
RCW 57.28.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 100
RCW 57.28.100: Notice of election—Election—Canvass.
Status: in_force

Notice of the election shall be posted and published in the same manner provided by law for the posting and publication of notice of elections to annex territory to districts. The territory described in the notice shall be that established and defined by the district board of commissioners. All qualified voters residing within the district shall have the right to vote at the election. If a majority of the votes cast favor the withdrawal from the district of such territory, then within ten days after the official canvass of the election the county legislative authority of each county in which the district is located shall by resolution establish that the territory has been withdrawn, and the territory shall thereupon be withdrawn and excluded from the district the same as if it had never been included therein except for the lien of any taxes as hereinafter set forth.
RCW 57.16.080 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 080
RCW 57.16.080: Enlarged district.
Status: in_force

If any portion of the system after its installation is not adequate for the purpose for which it was intended, or if for any reason changes, alterations, or betterments are necessary in any portion of the system after its installation, then an improvement district with boundaries which may include one or more existing improvement districts may be created in the district in the same manner as is provided herein for the creation of improvement districts. Upon the organization of such an improvement district, the plan of the improvement and the payment of the cost of the improvement shall be carried out in the same manner as is provided herein for the carrying out of and the paying for the improvement in the improvement districts previously provided for in this title.
RCW 57.24.080 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 080
RCW 57.24.080: Petition method—Hearing—Notice.
Status: in_force

If the petition for annexation filed with the board of commissioners complies with the requirements of law, as proved to the satisfaction of the board of commissioners, it may entertain the petition, fix the date for public hearing thereon, and cause notice of the hearing to be published in one issue of a newspaper of general circulation in the area proposed to be annexed and also posted in three public places within the area proposed for annexation. The notice shall specify the time and place of hearing and invite interested persons to appear and voice approval or disapproval of the annexation. The expense of publication and posting of the notice shall be borne by the signers of the petition.
RCW 57.22.040 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 22 / Section 040
RCW 57.22.040: Reimbursement—Procedures.
Status: in_force

The procedures for reimbursement contracts shall be governed by the following: (1) A reimbursement area shall be formulated by the board of commissioners within a reasonable time after the acceptance of the extension. The reimbursement shall be based upon a determination by the board of commissioners of which parcels would require similar improvements upon development. (2) The contract must be recorded in the appropriate county auditor's office after the final execution of the agreement.
RCW 57.20.165 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 165
RCW 57.20.165: Deposit account requirements.
Status: in_force

District money shall be deposited by the district in any account, which may be interest-bearing, subject to such requirements and conditions as may be prescribed by the state auditor. The account shall be in the name of the district except upon request by the treasurer, the accounts shall be in the name of the ". . .(name of county). . . county treasurer." The treasurer may instruct the financial institutions holding the deposits to transfer them to the treasurer at such times as the treasurer may deem appropriate, consistent with regulations governing and policies of the financial institution.
RCW 57.12.039 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 12 / Section 039
RCW 57.12.039: Commissioner districts.
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding RCW 57.12.020 and 57.12.030 , the board of commissioners may provide by majority vote that subsequent commissioners be elected from commissioner districts within the district. If the board exercises this option, it shall divide the district into three, five, or seven if the number of commissioners has been increased under RCW 57.12.015 , commissioner districts of approximately equal population following current precinct and district boundaries. (2) Commissioner districts shall be used as follows: (a) Only a registered voter who resides in a commissioner district may be a candidate for, or serve as, a commissioner of the commissioner district; and (b) only voters of a commissioner district may vote at a primary to nominate candidates for a commissioner of the commissioner district. Voters of the entire district may vote at a general election to elect a person as a commissioner of the commissioner district. Commissioner districts shall be redrawn as provided in chapter 29A.76 RCW. (3) In districts in which commissioners are nominated from commissioner districts, at the inception of a five-member or a seven-member board of commissioners, the new commissioner districts shall be numbered one through five or one through seven and the incumbent commissioners shall represent up to five commissioner districts depending on the amount of commissioners. If, as a result of redrawing the district boundaries two or three of the incumbent commissioners reside in one of the new commissioner districts, the commissioners who reside in the same commissioner district shall determine by lot which of the first three or five numbered commissioner districts they shall represent for the remainder of their respective terms. A primary shall be held to nominate candidates from the remaining districts where necessary and commissioners shall be elected at large at the general election. The persons elected as commissioners from the remaining commissioner districts shall take office immediately after qualification as defined under RCW 29A.04.133 .
RCW 57.12.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 12 / Section 010
RCW 57.12.010: Commissioners—President and secretary—Compensation.
Status: in_force

The governing body of a district shall be a board of commissioners consisting of three members, or five or seven members as provided in RCW 57.12.015 . The board shall annually elect one of its members as president and another as secretary. The board shall by resolution adopt rules governing the transaction of its business and shall adopt an official seal. All proceedings shall be by resolution recorded in a book kept for that purpose which shall be a public record. Each commissioner shall receive ninety dollars for each day or portion thereof spent in actual attendance at official meetings of the district commission, or in performance of other official services or duties on behalf of the district. However, the compensation for each commissioner shall not exceed eight thousand six hundred forty dollars per year. In addition, the secretary may be paid a reasonable sum for clerical services. Any commissioner may waive all or any portion of his or her compensation payable under this section as to any month or months during the commissioner's term of office, by a written waiver filed with the district at any time after the commissioner's election and prior to the date on which the compensation would otherwise be paid. The waiver shall specify the month or period of months for which it is made. No commissioner shall be employed full time by the district. A commissioner shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses actually incurred in connection with district business, including subsistence and lodging while away from the commissioner's place of residence and mileage for use of a privately owned vehicle at the mileage rate authorized in RCW 43.03.060 . The dollar thresholds established in this section must be adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management every five years, beginning January 1, 2024, based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, for Washington state, for wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, United States department of labor. If the bureau of labor and statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation in this section. The office of financial management must calculate the new dollar threshold and transmit it to the office of the code reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one month before the new dollar threshold is to take effect. A person holding office as commissioner for two or more special purpose districts shall receive only that per diem compensation authorized for one of his or her commissioner positions as compensation for attending an official meeting or conducting official services or duties while representing more than one of his or her districts. However, such commissioner may receive additional per diem compensation if approved by resolution of all boards of the affected commissions.
RCW 57.12.017 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 12 / Section 017
RCW 57.12.017: Decrease in number of commissioners.
Status: in_force

(1) Except as provided in RCW 52.14.020 , in the event a five-member or seven-member board of commissioners of any district determines by resolution that it would be in the best interest of the district to decrease the number of commissioners from five to three, or from seven to five, or in the event the board is presented with a petition signed by ten percent of the registered voters resident within the district who voted in the last general municipal election calling for such a decrease in the number of commissioners of the district, the board shall submit a resolution to the county auditor. Upon receipt of the resolution, the county auditor shall call a special election to be held within the district at which election the following proposition shall be submitted to the voters substantially as follows: Shall the board of commissioners of (name and/or number of district) be decreased from (five/seven) members to (three/five) members? Yes . . . . No . . . . If the district has commissioner districts, the commissioners of the district must pass a resolution, before the submission of the proposition to the voters, to either redistrict from five commissioner districts to three commissioner districts, or from seven commissioner districts to five commissioner districts, or eliminate the commissioner districts. The resolution takes effect upon approval of the proposition by the voters. If the proposition receives a majority approval at the election, the board of commissioners of the district shall be decreased to three or five members. (2) The number of members on the board of the district shall be reduced by one whenever a commissioner resigns from office or a vacancy otherwise occurs on the board, until the number of remaining members is reduced to the number of members that is chosen for the board eventually to have. The reduction of membership on the board shall not be considered to be a vacancy that is to be filled until the number of remaining members is less than the number of members on the board that is chosen for the board eventually to have. (3) At the next three district general elections after the reduction is approved, the number of commissioners for the district that are elected shall be as follows, notwithstanding the number of commissioners whose terms expire: (a) In the first election after the reduction, only one position shall be filled. (b) In the second election, one position shall be filled. Thereafter, the commissioners shall be elected in the same manner as prescribed for such districts of the state.
RCW 57.24.020 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 020
RCW 57.24.020: Hearing procedure—Boundaries—Election, notice, judges.
Status: in_force

When such petition is presented for hearing, the legislative authority of each county in which the territory proposed to be annexed is located shall hear the petition or may adjourn the hearing from time to time not exceeding one month in all, and any person, firm, or corporation may appear before the county legislative authority and make objections to the proposed boundary lines or to annexation of the territory described in the petition. Upon a final hearing each county legislative authority shall make such changes in the proposed boundary lines within the county as it deems to be proper and shall establish and define such boundaries and shall find whether the proposed annexation as established by the county legislative authority to the district will be conducive to the public health, welfare and convenience and will be of special benefit to the land included within the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed to the district. No lands which will not, in the judgment of the county legislative authority, be benefited by inclusion therein, shall be included within the boundaries of the territory as so established and defined. No change shall be made by the county legislative authority in the boundary lines, including any territory outside of the boundary lines described in the petition. No person having signed such petition shall be allowed to withdraw such person's name therefrom after the filing of the petition with the board of commissioners. Upon the entry of the findings of the final hearing each county legislative authority, if it finds the proposed annexation to be conducive to the public health, welfare, and convenience and to be of special benefit to the land proposed to be annexed and included within the boundaries of the district, shall give notice of a special election to be held within the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed to the district for the purpose of determining whether the same shall be annexed to the district. The notice shall particularly describe the boundaries established by the county legislative authority, and shall state the name of the district to which the territory is proposed to be annexed, and the notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the territory proposed to be annexed at least once a week for a minimum of two successive weeks prior to the election and shall be posted for the same period in at least four public places within the boundaries of the territory proposed to be annexed, which notice shall designate the places within the territory proposed to be annexed where the election shall be held, and the proposition to the voters shall be expressed on ballots which contain the words: For Annexation to District or Against Annexation to District The county legislative authority shall name the persons to act as judges at that election.
RCW 57.06.090 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 090
RCW 57.06.090: 1953 validation.
Status: in_force

Each and all of the respective areas of land heretofore attempted to be organized into water districts, including all areas attempted to be annexed thereto, or into local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, under the provisions of chapter 114, Laws of 1929, and amendments thereto, are hereby validated and declared to be duly existing water districts, or local improvement districts, or utility local improvement districts, as the case may be, having the respective boundaries set forth in their organization and annexation proceedings as shown by the files in the office of the board of county commissioners of the county in question and of such water districts.
RCW 57.28.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 28 / Section 030
RCW 57.28.030: Petition of landowners.
Status: in_force

In the event there are no qualified voters residing within the territory proposed to be withdrawn, the petition for withdrawal may be signed by such persons as appear of record to own at least a majority of the acreage within such territory, in which event the petition shall also state the total number of acres and the names of all record owners of the land within such territory. The petition so signed shall be filed with the board of commissioners of the district, and after such filing no person having signed the same shall be allowed to withdraw that person's name.
RCW 57.16.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 16 / Section 010
RCW 57.16.010: General comprehensive plan of improvements—Approval of engineer, director of health, and city, town, or county—Amendments.
Status: in_force

Before ordering any improvements or submitting to vote any proposition for incurring any indebtedness, the district commissioners shall adopt a general comprehensive plan for the type or types of facilities the district proposes to provide. A district may prepare a separate general comprehensive plan for each of these services and other services that districts are permitted to provide, or the district may combine any or all of its comprehensive plans into a single general comprehensive plan. (1) For a general comprehensive plan of a water supply system, the commissioners shall investigate the several portions and sections of the district for the purpose of determining the present and reasonably foreseeable future needs thereof; shall examine and investigate, determine, and select a water supply or water supplies for such district suitable and adequate for present and reasonably foreseeable future needs thereof; and shall consider and determine a general system or plan for acquiring such water supply or water supplies, and the lands, waters, and water rights and easements necessary therefor, and for retaining and storing any such waters, and erecting dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, and pipe lines to convey the same throughout such district. There may be included as part of the system the installation of fire hydrants at suitable places throughout the district. The commissioners shall determine a general comprehensive plan for distributing such water throughout such portion of the district as may then reasonably be served by means of subsidiary aqueducts and pipe lines, and a long-term plan for financing the planned projects and the method of distributing the cost and expense thereof, including the creation of local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, and shall determine whether the whole or part of the cost and expenses shall be paid from revenue or general obligation bonds. (2) For a general comprehensive plan for a sewer system, the commissioners shall investigate all portions and sections of the district and select a general comprehensive plan for a sewer system for the district suitable and adequate for present and reasonably foreseeable future needs thereof. The general comprehensive plan shall provide for treatment plants and other methods and services, if any, for the prevention, control, and reduction of water pollution and for the treatment and disposal of sewage and industrial and other liquid wastes now produced or which may reasonably be expected to be produced within the district and shall, for such portions of the district as may then reasonably be served, provide for the acquisition or construction and installation of laterals, trunk sewers, intercepting sewers, syphons, pumping stations or other sewage collection facilities, septic tanks, septic tank systems or drainfields, and systems for the transmission and treatment of wastewater. The general comprehensive plan shall provide a long-term plan for financing the planned projects and the method of distributing the cost and expense of the sewer system and services, including the creation of local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts; and provide whether the whole or some part of the cost and expenses shall be paid from revenue or general obligation bonds. (3) For a general comprehensive plan for a reclaimed water system, the commissioners shall investigate all portions and sections of the district and select a general comprehensive plan for a reclaimed water system for the district suitable and adequate for present and reasonably foreseeable future needs thereof. The general comprehensive plan must provide for treatment plants or the use of existing treatment plants and other methods and services, if any, for reclaiming water and must, for such portions of the district as may then reasonably be served, provide for a general system or plan for acquiring the lands and easements necessary therefor, including retaining and storing reclaimed water, and for the acquisition or construction and installation of mains, transmission mains, pumping stations, hydrants, or other facilities and systems for the reclamation and transmission of reclaimed water throughout such district for such uses, public and private, as authorized by law. The general comprehensive plan must provide a long-term plan for financing the planned projects and the method of distributing the cost and expense of the reclaimed water system and services, including the creation of local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts; and provide whether the whole or some part of the cost and expenses must be paid from revenue or general obligation bonds. (4) For a general comprehensive plan for a drainage system, the commissioners shall investigate all portions and sections of the district and adopt a general comprehensive plan for a drainage system for the district suitable and adequate for present and future needs thereof. The general comprehensive plan shall provide for a system to collect, treat, and dispose of stormwater or surface waters, including use of natural systems and the construction or provision of culverts, stormwater pipes, ponds, and other systems. The general comprehensive plan shall provide for a long-term plan for financing the planned projects and provide for a method of distributing the cost and expense of the drainage system, including local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, and provide whether the whole or some part of the cost and expenses shall be paid from revenue or general obligation bonds. (5) For a general comprehensive plan for street lighting, the commissioners shall investigate all portions and sections of the district and adopt a general comprehensive plan for street lighting for the district suitable and adequate for present and future needs thereof. The general comprehensive plan shall provide for a system or systems of street lighting, provide for a long-term plan for financing the planned projects, and provide for a method of distributing the cost and expense of the street lighting system, including local improvement districts or utility local improvement districts, and provide whether the whole or some part of the cost and expenses shall be paid from revenue or general obligation bonds. (6) The commissioners may employ such engineering and legal service as in their discretion is necessary in carrying out their duties. (7) Any general comprehensive plan or plans shall be adopted by resolution and submitted to an engineer designated by the legislative authority of the county in which fifty-one percent or more of the area of the district is located, and to the director of health of the county in which the district or any portion thereof is located, and must be approved in writing by the engineer and director of health, except that a comprehensive plan relating to street lighting shall not be submitted to or approved by the director of health. The general comprehensive plan shall be approved, conditionally approved, or rejected by the director of health and by the designated engineer within sixty days of their respective receipt of the plan. However, this sixty-day time limitation may be extended by the director of health or engineer for up to an additional sixty days if sufficient time is not available to review adequately the general comprehensive plans. Before becoming effective, the general comprehensive plan shall also be submitted to, and approved by resolution of, the legislative authority of every county within whose boundaries all or a portion of the district lies. The general comprehensive plan shall be approved, conditionally approved, or rejected by each of the county legislative authorities pursuant to the criteria in RCW 57.02.040 for approving the formation, reorganization, annexation, consolidation, or merger of districts. The resolution, ordinance, or motion of the legislative body that rejects the comprehensive plan or a part thereof shall specifically state in what particular the comprehensive plan or part thereof rejected fails to meet these criteria. The general comprehensive plan shall not provide for the extension or location of facilities that are inconsistent with the requirements of RCW 36.70A.110 . Nothing in this chapter shall preclude a county from rejecting a proposed plan because it is in conflict with the criteria in RCW 57.02.040 . Each general comprehensive plan shall be deemed approved if the county legislative authority fails to reject or conditionally approve the plan within ninety days of the plan's submission to the county legislative authority or within thirty days of a hearing on the plan when the hearing is held within ninety days of submission to the county legislative authority. However, a county legislative authority may extend this ninety-day time limitation by up to an additional ninety days where a finding is made that ninety days is insufficient to review adequately the general comprehensive plan. In addition, the commissioners and the county legislative authority may mutually agree to an extension of the deadlines in this section. If the district includes portions or all of one or more cities or towns, the general comprehensive plan shall be submitted also to, and approved by resolution of, the legislative authorities of the cities and towns before becoming effective. The general comprehensive plan shall be deemed approved by the city or town legislative authority if the city or town legislative authority fails to reject or conditionally approve the plan within ninety days of the plan's submission to the city or town or within thirty days of a hearing on the plan when the hearing is held within ninety days of submission to the county legislative authority. However, a city or town legislative authority may extend this time limitation by up to an additional ninety days where a finding is made that insufficient time exists to adequately review the general comprehensive plan within these time limitations. In addition, the commissioners and the city or town legislative authority may mutually agree to an extension of the deadlines in this section. Before becoming effective, the general comprehensive plan shall be approved by any state agency whose approval may be required by applicable law. Before becoming effective, any amendment to, alteration of, or addition to, a general comprehensive plan shall also be subject to such approval as if it were a new general comprehensive plan. However, only if the amendment, alteration, or addition affects a particular city or town, shall the amendment, alteration, or addition be subject to approval by such particular city or town governing body.
RCW 57.46.030 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 46 / Section 030
RCW 57.46.030: Contributions not considered commingling of funds.
Status: in_force

Contributions received under a program implemented by a district in compliance with this chapter shall not be considered a commingling of funds.
RCW 57.20.110 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 110
RCW 57.20.110: Limitation of indebtedness.
Status: in_force

A district is authorized and empowered by and through its board of commissioners to contract indebtedness for its purposes, and the maintenance thereof not exceeding one-half of one percent of the value of the taxable property in the district, as the term "value of the taxable property" is defined in RCW 39.36.015 .
RCW 57.24.250 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 24 / Section 250
RCW 57.24.250: Annexation of territory within cities—Election.
Status: in_force

(1) The annexation election shall be held on the date designated in the notice and shall be conducted in accordance with the general election laws of the state. Qualified voters residing within the territory proposed for annexation shall be permitted to vote at the election. (2) If the majority of the votes cast upon the question of such election are for annexation, the territory concerned shall immediately be deemed annexed to the district and the same shall then forthwith be a part of the district, the same as though originally included in that district.
RCW 57.02.010 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 02 / Section 010
RCW 57.02.010: Petition signatures of property owners—Rules governing.
Status: in_force

Wherever in this title petitions are required to be signed by the owners of property, the following rules shall govern the sufficiency of the petitions: (1) The signature of a record owner, as determined by the records of the county auditor of the county in which the real property is located, shall be sufficient without the signature of the owner's spouse. (2) For mortgaged property, the signature of the mortgagor shall be sufficient. (3) For property purchased on contract, the signature of the contract purchaser, as shown by the records of the county auditor of the county in which the real property is located, shall be sufficient. (4) Any officer of a corporation owning land in the district duly authorized to execute deeds or encumbrances on behalf of the corporation may sign on behalf of that corporation, except that there shall be attached to the petition a certified excerpt from the bylaws showing such authority. (5) If any property in the district stands in the name of a deceased person or any person for whom a guardian has been appointed, the signature of the personal representative, administrator, or guardian, as the case may be, shall be equivalent to the signature of the owner of the property.
RCW 57.32.130 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 32 / Section 130
RCW 57.32.130: Commissioners—Number.
Status: in_force

The commissioners of the districts consolidated into any new consolidated district shall become commissioners thereof until their respective terms of office expire or until they resign from office if the resignation is before the expiration of their terms of office. At each election of commissioners following the consolidation, only one position shall be filled, so that as the terms of office expire, the total number of commissioners in the consolidated district shall be reduced to three. However, if the agreement provides that the consolidated district eventually will be governed by a five-member board of commissioners, one commissioner shall be elected to a six-year term of office at the first district general election following the consolidation, two commissioners shall be elected to six-year terms of office at the second district general election following the consolidation, and two commissioners shall be elected to six-year terms of office at the third district general election following the consolidation.
RCW 57.04.001 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 04 / Section 001
RCW 57.04.001: Actions subject to review by boundary review board.
Status: in_force

Actions taken under this chapter may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.
RCW 57.06.100 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 06 / Section 100
RCW 57.06.100: 1953 validation.
Status: in_force

All debts, contracts, and obligations heretofore made or incurred by or in favor of any such water district, local improvement district, or utility local improvement district, and all bonds or other obligations executed by such districts in connection with or in pursuance of such attempted organization, and any and all assessments or levies, and all other things and proceedings done or taken by such districts or by their respective officers acting under or in pursuance of such attempted organization, are hereby declared legal and valid and of full force and effect.
RCW 57.32.160 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 32 / Section 160
RCW 57.32.160: Transfer of part of district—Procedure.
Status: in_force

A part of one district may be transferred into an adjacent district if the area can be better served thereby. Such transfer can be accomplished by a petition, directed to both districts, signed by the owners according to the records of the county auditor of not less than sixty percent of the area of land to be transferred. If a majority of the commissioners of each district approves the petition, copies of the approving resolutions shall be filed with the county legislative authority which shall act upon the petition as a proposed action in accordance with RCW 57.02.040 .
RCW 57.20.120 — Washington Code / Title 57 / Chapter 20 / Section 120
RCW 57.20.120: Additional indebtedness—Ballot proposition.
Status: in_force

A district may contract indebtedness in excess of the amount named in RCW 57.20.110 , but not exceeding in amount, together with existing indebtedness, two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property in that district, as the term "value of the taxable property" is defined in RCW 39.36.015 , and impose excess property tax levies to retire the indebtedness whenever a ballot proposition authorizing the indebtedness and excess levies is approved as provided under Article VII, section 2, and Article VIII, section 6, of the state Constitution, at an election to be held in the district in the manner provided by this title and RCW 39.36.050 .