Revised Code of Washington - RCW Title 54 Public Utility Districts - Chapter 54.16 Powers

54.16.005 Definitions
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Commission" means the Washington utilities and transportation commission. (2) ...

54.16.010 Surveys, plans, investigations, or studies
A district may make surveys, plans, investigations or studies for generating electric energy by water power, steam, or other methods, and for systems and facilities ...

54.16.020 Acquisition of property and rights -- Eminent domain
A district may construct, condemn and purchase, purchase, acquire, lease, add to, maintain, operate, develop, and regulate all lands, property, property rights, water, water rights, ...

54.16.030 Water and irrigation works
A district may construct, purchase, condemn and purchase, acquire, add to, maintain, conduct, and operate water works and irrigation plants and systems, within or without ...

54.16.032 Authority to assist customers in the acquisition of water conservation equipment -- Limitations
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 ...

54.16.035 Provision of water service beyond district subject to review by boundary review board
The provision of water service beyond the boundaries of a public utility district may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under ...

54.16.040 Electric energy
A district may purchase, within or without its limits, electric current for sale and distribution within or without its limits, and construct, condemn and purchase, ...

54.16.045 Nonpolluting power generation by individual -- Exemption from regulation -- Authorization to contract with utility
See chapter 80.58 RCW. ...

54.16.047 Hydroelectric resources -- Separate legal authority -- Creation by irrigation districts and cities, towns, or public utility districts
See RCW 87.03.825 through 87.03.840. ...

54.16.050 Water rights
A district may take, condemn and purchase, purchase and acquire any public and private property, franchises and property rights, including state, county, and school lands, ...

54.16.060 Intertie lines
A district may build and maintain intertie lines connecting its power plant and distribution system with the power plant and distribution system owned by any ...

54.16.070 District may borrow money, contract indebtedness, issue bonds or obligations -- Guaranty fund
(1) A district may contract indebtedness or borrow money for any corporate purpose on its credit or on the revenues of its public utilities, and ...

54.16.080 Levy and collection of taxes -- Tax anticipation warrants
A district may raise revenue by the levy of an annual tax on all taxable property within the district, not exceeding forty-five cents per thousand ...

54.16.083 Community revitalization financing -- Public improvements
In addition to other authority that a public utility district possesses, a public utility district may provide any public improvement as defined under RCW 39.89.020, ...

54.16.085 Interfund loans
A public utility district may make and repay interfund loans between its funds.[1987 c 18 § 2.] ...

54.16.090 Contracts with other agencies or utilities -- Gifts, etc. -- Employees and experts -- Advancements
A district may enter into any contract or agreement with the United States, or any state, municipality, or other utility district, or any department of ...

54.16.092 Employment interview expenses
When a district commission finds that a vacancy for a technical or managerial position requires special qualifications or entails responsibilities and duties of such a ...

54.16.095 Liability insurance for officials and employees
The board of commissioners of each public utility district may purchase liability insurance with such limits as they may deem reasonable for the purpose of ...

54.16.096 Liability insurance for officers and employees authorized
See RCW 36.16.138. ...

54.16.097 Actions against officer, employee, or agent -- Defense and costs provided by public utility district -- Exception
Whenever any action, claim or proceeding is instituted against any person who is or was an officer, employee, or agent of a public utility district ...

54.16.100 Manager -- Appointment -- Compensation -- Duties
The commission, by resolution introduced at a regular meeting and adopted at a subsequent regular meeting, shall appoint and may remove at will a district ...

54.16.110 May sue and be sued -- Claims
A district may sue in any court of competent jurisdiction, and may be sued in the county in which its principal office is located or ...

54.16.120 Local utility districts authorized
A district may, by resolution, establish and define the boundaries of local assessment districts to be known as local utility district No. . . . ...

54.16.125 Exemption of farm and agricultural land from special benefit assessments
See RCW 84.33.210 through 84.33.270, 84.34.300 through 84.34.380, and 84.34.922. ...

54.16.130 Local districts -- Procedure -- Financing
The commission shall by resolution establish the method of procedure in all matters relating to local utility districts. A public utility district may determine by ...

54.16.140 Petition or resolution for local district -- Hearing -- Notice
Any such improvement shall be ordered by resolution of the commission either upon petition or resolution therefor. When a petition, signed by ten percent of ...

54.16.142 Local utility districts -- Notice must contain statement that assessments may vary from estimates
Any notice given to the public or to the owners of specific lots, tracts, or parcels of land relating to the formation of a local ...

54.16.145 Local utility districts -- Sanitary sewer or potable water facilities -- Notice to certain property owners
Whenever it is proposed that a local utility district finance sanitary sewers or potable water facilities, additional notice of the public hearing on the proposed ...

54.16.150 Procedure when petition is signed by majority of landowners
When a petition signed by a majority of the landowners in a proposed local improvement district is filed with the commission, asking that the improvement ...

54.16.160 Assessment roll -- Hearing -- Appellate review -- Expenses
Before approval of the roll, a notice shall be published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the ...

54.16.165 Segregation of assessments
Whenever any land against which there has been levied any special assessment by any public utility district shall have been sold in part or subdivided, ...

54.16.170 Apportionment of cost of improvement
When an improvement is ordered hereunder, payment for which shall be made in part from assessments against property specially benefited, not more than fifty percent ...

54.16.180 Sale, lease, disposition of properties, equipment, and materials -- Procedure -- Acquisition, operation of sewage system by districts in certain counties
(1) A district may sell and convey, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its works, plants, systems, utilities and properties, after ...

54.16.190 General resolutions
The commission of a district may adopt general resolutions to carry out the purposes, objects, and provisions of this title.[1955 c 390 § 20. Prior: ...

54.16.200 Joint exercise of powers and joint acquisition of properties
Any two or more public utility districts organized under the provisions of the laws of this state shall have the power, by mutual agreement, to ...

54.16.210 Joint acquisition, operation, etc., with city of electrical utility properties
See chapter 35.92 RCW. ...

54.16.220 Columbia river hydroelectric projects -- Grant back of easements to former owners
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every public utility district acquiring privately owned lands, real estate or property for reservoir purposes of a hydroelectric power ...

54.16.230 Sewage system works -- Acquire, construct, operate, etc. -- Authorizing election -- Procedure
A public utility district may acquire, construct, operate, maintain, and add to sewage systems, subject to and in compliance with the county comprehensive plan, under ...

54.16.240 Sewage system works -- Resolution or petition -- Voter approval or rejection
The commission of a public utility district, by resolution may, or on petition in the same manner as provided for the creation of a district ...

54.16.250 Sewage system works -- Ballot proposition -- Canvass
The legislative authority of the county in which the public utility district is located, upon receipt of the resolution of the public utility district commission ...

54.16.260 Sewage system works -- Accounts and funding
Accounts and funding for any sewage system or systems shall be kept as provided in RCW 43.09.210.[1975 1st ex.s. c 57 § 4.] ...

54.16.270 Sewage system works -- Existing authority not affected
Nothing contained in RCW 54.16.230 through 54.16.260 shall change or alter the present authority of certain public utility districts as regards sewage systems and as ...

54.16.280 Energy conservation plan -- Financing authorized for energy conservation projects in structures or equipment -- Limitations
Any district is hereby authorized, within limits established by the Constitution of the state of Washington, to assist the owners of structures or equipment in ...

54.16.285 Limitations on termination of utility service for residential heating
(1) A district providing utility service for residential space heating shall not terminate such utility service between November 15 through March 15 if the customer: ...

54.16.300 Combined utility functions
A public utility district by resolution may combine two or more of its separate utility functions into a single utility and combine its related funds ...

54.16.310 Operation, maintenance, and inspection of sewage disposal facilities, septic tanks, and wastewater disposal facilities and systems -- Maintenance costs
A public utility district as authorized by a county board of health, may perform operation and maintenance, including inspections, of on-site sewage disposal facilities, alternate ...

54.16.320 Assumption of substandard water system -- Limited immunity from liability
A public utility district assuming responsibility for a water system that is not in compliance with state or federal requirements for public drinking water systems, ...

54.16.330 Telecommunications facilities -- Purposes -- Limitations -- Provision of wholesale telecommunications services -- Eminent domain
(1) A public utility district in existence on June 8, 2000, may construct, purchase, acquire, develop, finance, lease, license, handle, provide, add to, contract for, ...

54.16.340 Wholesale telecommunications services -- Petition for review of rates, terms, conditions
(1) A person or entity that has requested wholesale telecommunications services from a public utility district providing wholesale telecommunications services under this chapter may petition ...

54.16.350 Tariff for irrigation pumping service -- Authority to buy back electricity
The commission may approve a tariff for irrigation pumping service that allows the district to buy back electricity from customers to reduce electricity usage by ...

54.16.360 Cooperative watershed management
In addition to the authority provided in RCW 54.16.030 relating to water supply, a public utility district may participate in and expend revenue on cooperative ...

54.16.370 Purchase of electric power and energy from joint operating agency
A district may contract to purchase from a joint operating agency electric power and energy required for its present or future requirements. For projects the ...

54.16.380 Appliance repair service -- Operation by district
Any public utility district that has operated an electrical appliance repair service for at least ten years prior to July 24, 2005, may continue to ...

54.16.385 Appliance repair service -- Requirements
When a public utility district provides electrical appliance repair services under RCW 54.16.380, the public utility district shall: (1) Charge customers the true and fair ...

54.16.390 Environmental mitigation activities
(1) A public utility district may develop and make publicly available a plan for the district to reduce its greenhouse gases emissions or achieve no-net ...

54.16.400 Voluntary donations for purposes of urban forestry
(1) Public utility districts may request voluntary donations from their customers for the purposes of urban forestry. The request may be in the form of ...