What’s Happening?
The Department of Health (department) is considering amending fees for all programs within the Office of Drinking Water to cover the costs of the programs and account for the General Fund State (GFS) and foundational public health services (FPHS) funding reductions and the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) made in the 2025-2027 state budget (ESSB 5167).
RCW 43.70.250 authorizes the Secretary of Health to establish various fees associated with licensing and regulation of professions, occupations, or businesses. These fees must be set at a level that covers the costs of administering each program or license. RCW 43.20B.020 authorizes the department to charge fees for services.
In the 2025-2027 state budget, the department is experiencing COLA increases, Class and Compensation increases, GFS and FPHS reductions, and fund balance deficits.
The department has completed a financial assessment of the Office of Drinking Water programs and determined the current fees are not generating sufficient revenue to cover the cost of the programs over the biennium.
Due to these reasons, the programs and fee sections considering fee adjustment are:
- WAC 246-290-990 for Water system evaluation and project review and approval fees
- WAC 246-292-995 for Certified operator and public water system certification fees
- WAC 246-294-070 for Operating permit fees
The department may also consider making editorial updates to align with Code Reviser’s Bill Drafting Guide.
Why?
RCW 43.70.250 authorizes the Secretary of Health to establish various fees associated with licensing and regulation of professions, occupations, or businesses. RCW 43.20B.020 authorizes the department to charge fees for services. These fees must be set at a level that covers the costs of administering each program or license. The department’s initial assessment of the Office of Drinking Water programs determined the current fees are not generating sufficient revenue to cover the cost of the programs over the biennium.
Get Involved
The department will use a collaborative rule-making approach. The department will keep interested parties informed of the rule development through email and regularly post information on this page. The department will also post draft rules on this page when the draft rules are ready. To receive notices regarding this rulemaking, please email Zehra Siddiqui.
Tentative Rulemaking Timeline
- July 2025 – Start rulemaking
- July 2025 – Informal comment period
- August and September 2025 – Formal comment period and public hearing
- October 2025 – Rulemaking complete
Rulemaking Files
| Document | What's This? | Date Filed |
|---|---|---|
| CR-101 – Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (PDF) | Announces intent of rulemaking. | July 7, 2025 |
Contacts
Zehra Siddiqui, Rules Coordinator
Jeanna Sieving, Fee Manager