The permits listed in this section are part of Washington's water resource management strategy a strategy intended to ensure an adequate and clean supply of water for all purposes. Construction Permit A Dam Safety Construction Permit is required before constructing, modifying, or repairing any dam or controlling works for storage of 10 or more acre-feet of water, liquid waste, or mine tailings. The applicant must submit plans and specifications to Ecology for review and approval. These must be prepared by a qualified professional engineer and carry the engineer's signature and seal. Permit processing time averages from 6 to 8 weeks, but varies depending on project complexity.
Ecology also inspects the construction of all dams to reasonably secure safety of life and property.
The Department of Health has review and approval authority over water system plans, project reports, and construction documents for new public drinking water systems and alterations or additions to existing systems. In many areas, the local health department actually does the review and approval for smaller systems. Public water systems are defined as systems that furnish water to two or more service connections for human consumption and domestic use. Commercial, industrial, governmental, and irrigation water supplied by the system are also included in this definition. The Public Water Supply Approval is not required for water supplies serving single family residences.