Senate approves House version of Morton’s bill to better protect water supplies

April 17, 2009

Olympia…Sen. Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls, collaborated with Secretary of Health Mary Selecky this session by co-sponsoring her request bill to ensure public water supplies are better protected. 

His measure, Substitute Senate Bill 5199, passed the Senate on March 2 and the House of Representatives on April 14. The House version, Substitute House Bill 1283, passed the House on March 5 and the Senate on April 17. 

While both bills are still active, the House of Representatives made a minor change to SSB 5199, so it would need a “concurrence” vote in the Senate to become law. 

SHB 1283 was not amended by the Senate, so today’s vote sends it to the governor to be signed into law. 

“It’s a little confusing for folks when there are companion bills moving in both chambers, “ Morton said. “The bottom line is this good idea has been approved by the full Legislature in the House bill and is on its way to the governor to be signed into law.” 

The new law will require backflow assembly testers and cross-connection control specialists to be certified in the same manner as certified water supply system operators. 

A backflow assembly tester inspects, tests, and monitors backflow assemblies that protect a public water supply from contamination. 

A cross-connection control specialist develops and implements cross-connection control programs. 

Systems that store, transmit, pump or distribute water to consumers are at risk if there is a failure in backflow assemblies and cross-connections. 

"Mary’s concern that we need to make sure people are doing their jobs properly resonated with my colleagues,” Morton said. “Contaminated drinking water can be very serious.” 

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Additional contact: Penny Drost (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov