Water Availability

Hands holding waterWashington Water proudly serves more than 36,000 connections within Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, San Juan, and Thurston counties. We provide more than just water to our customers—we provide Quality, Service, and Value.

Washington Water Service is considered a Municipal Water Supplier. As a Municipal Water Supplier, we have a duty to provide water to all new applicants within our Retail Service Area if water service can be provided in a timely and reasonable manner.

When is a Water Availability Request required?

A Water Availability request is required for any parcel that is within Washington Water’s retail service area not currently/currently served by Washington Water, if you are:

  • In the process of selling an undeveloped parcel
  • Building a new home or remodeling. ALL Counties within Washington State will not grant/issue a building permit without a copy/original Certificate of Water Availability.
  • Building a duplex or accessory/auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) on a parcel with a primary residence
  • Starting a new plat development project (residential/commercial)
  • Need an updated Certificate of Water Availability

Who can make a Water Availability Request?

A Water Availability Request can be made by:

  • The legal parcel owner/developer, as listed by the County Assessor’s Office
  • New parcel owners not listed by the County Assessor’s Office need to provide legal documentation that lists them as the parcel owner

NOTE: Washington Water Service will only provide information and documents to the legal parcel owner(s). It is the responsibility of the parcel owner(s) to share information and documents with other interested parties (builders/designers/future owners/permit agencies/realtors).

What documents and forms are required?

To make a Water Availability Request, you will need the following:

  • Request for Water Availability Document PDF
  • Attachment A, for:
    • Residential/Commercial developers requiring fire flow (hydrant/fire sprinkler service)
    • Residential connections for 3 or more service connections
    • Plat Development residential and/or commercial
  • Development plans
    • Two sets of conceptual improvement plans, including grading plans and sanitary sewer, storm drain elevation, and parcel/tract maps
  • Payment of the Water Availability Analysis Charge

What is a Non-Refundable Water Availability Analysis Charge?

Effective July 12, 2019, ALL Water Availability Analysis Requests are assessed a Non-Refundable Water Availability Analysis Charge, as specified on Schedule X of our Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved tariff. Payment should be made payable to Washington Water Service and can be made with a check (cashiers/personal), money order, or cash.

Charges are as follows:

  • $20.00 Lender Letter. This letter states that the parcel is located within the Washington Water Service area and that the water system can potentially provide water service to their parcel. This letter does NOT include information as to the cost to provide service nor any fire flow information. Lender letters have a 30-day expiration. If additional information is required, such as the service availability, potential costs to provide water service to the parcel a Water Availability Analysis Request for Confirmation of Service should be submitted.
  • $20.00 Reissue Certificate of Water Availability.A certificate of Water Availability can be reissued under the following conditions: 1) water service has been installed with an active billing account, and 2) the previously issued Certificate of Water Availability is no more than 3-years old.
  • $100.00 Water Availability Analysis-Confirmation of Service. Residential Connections (0-2) for parcels not currently/currently served by Washington Water Service. The information provided discloses service availability, service connection charge, water system facilities charge (if applicable), service conditions, fire flow, water service installation, and monthly billing charges (Metered/Ready to Serve). Note: Certificates of Water Availability are ONLY issued to the Legal Parcel Owner once any/all applicable fee(s) have been paid, an active billing account established, and a water service connection has been installed.
  • $500.00 Engineering Review. Residential Connections (3 or more), Fire Service (hydrant/in-home sprinklers), Commercial Use, and Plat Development types of projects.

What is the processing time once I have submitted my Water Availability Request?

Upon receipt of the Water Availability Request, payment of the Non-Refundable Water Availability Analysis Charge, and required documents, Washington Water’s Water Availability Request Department will review your request. Requests are processed in the order in which they are received.

We will contact you once we have reviewed your request and provide periodic updates on the status of your request to the email address you provided on your Water Availability Request (unless otherwise noted).

Typical response times are:

  • 2 weeks to review and respond to the Water Availability Request for a residential connection for 0-2 connection(s) that can be directly connected to an existing water main. This includes a lender letter and/or updating an existing Certificate of Water Availability.
  • 45 days if a direct connection is not available or requests are for 3 or more residential connections, fire flow analysis, commercial development, or a residential plat development type of project requiring engineering

Additional time may be required to review and respond to some requests.

When will a Certificate of Water Availability be issued?

Certificates of Water Availability are usually issued within 10–15 business days after a water service connection has been installed, any applicable service fees have been paid, and an active billing account is set up.

The parcel owner will be billed a monthly Ready-to-Serve fee (see Washington Water Rate Information-UTC-Approved Tariff) until the service connection has been converted to an active metered service. The Ready-to-Serve fee can only be stopped if the parcel owner formally (in writing) relinquishes the connection back to Washington Water or if the parcel owner fails to pay the monthly Ready-to-Serve fee. If the parcel owner fails to pay, the monthly Ready-to-Serve fee Washington Water reserves the right to disconnect and remove the service permanently, returning the service connection to Washington Water. Once a service connection has been relinquished/removed, the current/future parcel owner will be required to submit a Water Availability Request and pay the applicable Analysis Charge/Service Connection Charge to set a new service connection. Any fees paid prior to the relinquishment of service are not refundable. Due to changes in available connections in our serving areas, a connection may not be available at the time of the Water Availability request.

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