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ODW Now September 2025

Printable PDF copy (PDF)

Seasonal Shut-Down Procedures

Late summer often means water system shut down. Summer camps, campgrounds, parks, and other seasonal facilities are shutting off water access.
Here are key steps in the process to successfully close off the water and prepare for the next season.

Inspect

Look closely at all your water system facilities. Make sure the source, pressure tank, treatment, storage, and other structures are in good working order. Schedule repairs during the off season so that the facilities are ready for serving clean water at the start of next season. Write down the ending source meter reading.
See our Small Water System Start-up Shut-down Self-Inspection Checklist 331-312 (PDF).

Drain and Repair the Storage Tank

Drain the storage tank to inspect it for cracks and leaks. Inspect vents, overflow pipes, and storage hatch edges for any unwanted holes or openings. Repair now before the new season.

Consider Draining the Pressure Tank

If freezing is a concern, drain the pressure tank’s water. If not drained, chlorinate the tank before the new season.

Shut Down the Source and Treatment

Generally, shutting off power to the source and treatment is prudent. Protect facilities from freezing by insulating in Styrofoam. Other materials may attract rodents.

Protect the Distribution System

Make sure valves work by opening and closing them. Shut off all taps. If valves or taps are leaky or inoperable, take the time to repair them so that the system is ready to start a new season.

Prepare for the New Season

Plan for next year by looking at your records, water quality reports, and monitoring plans. While sealing cracks in the storage tank or changing out a valve does not require approval by us, replacing a storage tank or adding treatment does require our approval.

Contact an Engineering Staff Member for Further Information.

Drinking Water Contacts and Office Location webpage. We want to position you for success. Let us know if you have any questions. Our main number is 360-236-3100 or Toll Free 800-521-0323 (inside Washington).

See our Start-Up and Shut-Down Assistance for Seasonal Non-Community Water Systems webpage for more information and resources.

We're Updating Our Fees

On September 5, 2025, we filed proposed amendments to adjust our fees for:

Water system evaluation and project review and approval fees, WAC 246-290-990.
Certified operator and public water system certification fees, WAC 246-292-995.
Operating permit fees, WAC 246-294-070.

The proposed amended fees are for all drinking water programs to cover costs of the administering our programs.

We invite you to comment on the proposal through October 21, 2025, at midnight. A public hearing will be held on October 21, 2025, beginning at 1:00 p.m. to give you an opportunity to provide oral comments to the department.

If you wish to attend the public hearing virtually, please register at the Zoom link here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

You can email written comments to Zehra Siddiqui, or you can submit them online at the department’s rules comment webpage.

Please note that all comments received, whether virtually, email, or online, will be given the same consideration. We encourage you to comment in a manner that is most convenient for you.

Please visit our ODW Fee Rulemaking webpage for more information on the proposed rule revisions.

Fun With Numbers

We provide several annual reports to the Environmental Protection Agency that cover a wide range of topics. The reports describe how we implement our mission, vision, and values. Below are some data points from this year’s reports.

Certified Operators

Certified operators in Washington State: 3,995. Operators with more than one type of certification: 2,437.
Certified Backflow Assembly Testers (BAT): 1,923.
Certification exam applications received and reviewed: 1,733.
CEU-approved training courses for certified operators’ professional growth requirements: 486.
Group A public drinking water systems required to have a certified operator in responsible charge of their operations: 3,631.
Valid email addresses for certified operators and BAT: 99 percent.

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

Since 2014, $440 million provided through over 500 loans.
Since 2014, $175 million in subsidy (principal forgiveness).
Over $184 million to 34 projects, $3.5 million to 10 P+E projects, five consolidation feasibility projects in the 2024 loan cycle.

Sanitary Surveys

Sanitary surveys completed: 837.
Significant deficiencies identified: 339.
Significant findings identified: 317.
Referrals: 63.

Publications and Required Document Reviews

Reviewed and approved 231 engineering documents.
Engineering team members: 23.
Developed 22 new publications.
Updated or revised 31 publications.

Violations

Formal enforcement documents: 970.
Community Water Systems receive 50 percent of violations.
Transient Non-Community (TNC) systems receive 83 percent of nitrate enforcement actions issued.
TNC systems also receive 81 percent of coliform enforcement documents issued.

Explore Funding Options for Clean, Safe Water

We provide funding sources to help local health jurisdictions, community-based organizations, and public water systems address and mitigate drinking water contamination in their communities. Our publication, ODW Funding Opportunities 331-782 (PDF), lists funding programs, their descriptions, and informational links.

Programs listed include Source Water Protection, Alternative Drinking Water, Emerging Contaminants, DWSRF, and the Safe Drinking Water Initiative.

These funding opportunities can make a big difference in protecting community drinking water. Find more information in ODW Funding Opportunities 331-782 (PDF). Continuation of funding is dependent on state and federal budgets.

Website Changes Support Our One ODW Transition

In our last issue, we introduced our office reorganization into One ODW. In this issue, we're excited to share website updates that align with this new structure.

Contacts Page

Our Contacts and Office Location page has a fresh look.
The new organizational chart appears at the top.
Program email inboxes are now listed in one place.
A state map with counties lets you click on a county to see staff assigned to it, along with their contact information.
You can download an interactive PDF (331-784) with the same information or print a version with the counties listed alphabetically (331-874-Alpha).

Staff Directory

Staff contacts are no longer divided by region. Instead, the new Staff Directory webpage groups staff members by program, reflecting our One ODW approach.

Section links at the top let you jump straight to the program you need—whether that's State Revolving Fund, Sanitary Surveys, Water Quality Monitoring, or another program, all contacts are now in one location.

We'd Like Your Feedback

We hope these changes make it easier to find the information you need. Let us know your thoughts or share suggestions for improving for our newly organized webpages.

New Legislation Clarifies Public Water System Classification

During the 2025 Legislative Session, lawmakers passed a bill that changes how local and state authorities determine whether a water system is classified as Group A. Group A systems are those that serve 15 or more service connections, or 25 or more people a day, for 60 or more days each year.

The new law (Bills as Passed), which took effect April 16, 2025, makes it clear that agencies cannot rely solely on “estimated” population numbers to assign or change a system’s classification.

To align with this change, we are working with our Assistant Attorney General and developing policy guidance to clarify how the law applies under current rules (Chapter 246-290 WAC). Our rules allow us to estimate 2.5 people per connection if actual population numbers aren’t available—but under the new legislation, this estimate can only be used after a system already qualifies as Group A through other criteria (such as number of connections or verified population).

These estimates will still play an important role in other areas, such as assessing system capacity and setting design standards. The upcoming policy guidance will help ensure consistency and clarity in how we apply these rules moving forward.

Note: This new law does not change the requirements for designing Group B water systems.

Do you need funding? We may have what you need!

We are actively seeking applicants for our Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for:

Consolidation feasibility studies grants.
Planning and engineering (preconstruction) grants and loans.
Construction project loans.

The current funding cycle ends November 30. We will pull and review applications beginning December 1. You can find detailed information on our Drinking Water State Revolving Fund webpage.

We estimate that we'll have approximately $150 million in funding available for the upcoming funding cycle. A significant amount of subsidy is available for systems that qualify as disadvantaged communities.

We updated the guidelines for each funding program. We are accepting comments on these guidelines through September 19 and will publish the final guidelines prior to October 1 for the next funding cycle. You can find the draft guidelines on our DWSRF webpage. Submit all comments to dwsrf@doh.wa.gov.

We continue to solicit requests for technical assistance through our technical assistance request online form. Find more information in our technical assistance flyer or contact Sam Delmer, the DWSRF Technical Assistance Coordinator, at Samantha.delmer@doh.wa.gov. Technical assistance is FREE and is assigned and used to help small and disadvantaged systems facing:

Technical, managerial, or fiscal challenges.
Meeting regulatory requirements.
Starting system planning.
Accessing DWSRF funding for planning or construction projects.

In addition to free technical assistance, we provided outreach and education workshops around the state. Webinar attendees earn .7 CEUs (see letter of assignment). The final two workshops are scheduled for Spokane on September 16 at the Spokane Central Library; and at the Chelan PUD in Leavenworth on September 23. More information, as well as the presentations given at the workshops, are available on our DWSRF webpage.

We continue to target emerging contaminants throughout the state. Short-term mitigation of contamination is available through our Alternative Drinking Water program and the Emerging Contaminants for Small and Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC). We recently expanded this grant program to cover individual wells and Group B systems. DWSRF offers funding assistance for:

Sampling and testing.
Technical assistance and planning.
Funding for long term remediation projects.

For more information, please see the Alternative Drinking Water webpage or the EC-SDC Grant Guidelines 331-765 (PDF).

For additional information on Drinking Water Funding Opportunities 331-782 (PDF), or questions about our DWSRF program, please contact Chris Pettit, DWSRF Program Manager, at chris.pettit@doh.wa.gov or 564-233-1408.

Group B SMA Requirements Update

Did you know that last legislative session a new bill passed that changes Satellite Management Agency requirements for Group B water systems?
See House Bill 1947 Implementation 331-780 (PDF) for more information!

Updated WFI Guidance—New Tools to Estimate Water System Population

WFI Update Reminder

It’s almost time to update your Water Facilities Inventory (WFI) for the largest systems in the state. Starting October 27, 2025, we will reach out to all Group A community systems with one hundred or more non-residential connections. Please check out the updated guidance and the link to our new Web App (like SWAP, but for population updates). All updates are due by December 15, 2025, so please set aside time in the upcoming months to review, update, and send it to us. Email updates to wfi@doh.wa.gov.

Background

The population reported on your WFI is used to determine monitoring requirements for DBP, LCR, PFAS, SOC, coliform, and surface water. It’s also used to figure out WDM operator certification level, consumer confidence report requirements, as well as EPA deadlines for RRAs and ERPs.

In 2023, we reviewed the population numbers we currently had in Sentry. About half of our community systems reported no visitors (31A on the WFI) or commuters (32A on the WFI) despite having hundreds or thousands of non-residential connections.

Systems told us that estimating populations—especially employees, students, and visitors—is time consuming and difficult. We made these tools to help you identify the minimum level of monitoring currently required under federal law. The new Web App gives you multiple resources to estimate populations all in one spot.

New Tools

Keep an eye out for our October 27 email reminder. We will include a link to the Web App and updated guidance.

Included in the Web App

Built in Guidance link.
Basic System Information.
Current Reported Population.
Current Monitoring Population.
Residential Population Estimates and Resources.
Visitor Population Estimates and Resources.
Commuter Population Resources.
Service Area Map Information.
Links to download your WFI and WQMS.

Included in the Guidance

Step-by-step instructions with screen shots on how to use the Web App.
Links to additional residential, visitor, and commuter resources not included in the Web App.
Source data, tables, and calculations so systems can review their details.

If you already have a process in place for calculating these numbers, we’d love to hear about it and share it with other systems. The more tools in the toolbox, the easier it is for everyone. Please reach out and let us know.

If you have any questions, please contact wfi@doh.wa.gov. Please do not reach out to the engineers, planners, or monitoring programs if you have questions about the updated guidance, Web App, or additional resources. They are focused on other high priority tasks and will refer systems to the WFI team for follow up. The WFI team will loop them in as needed depending on which programs are impacted based on the update submitted.

Drinking Water Advisory Group (DWAG) December 1 Meeting

We hold all our meetings through Microsoft Teams video, so you can join our meeting with your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone from wherever you are. You can find the Teams links and meeting agenda on our DWAG Meeting webpage. After the meeting we post any handouts or presentations and, within a month, we post the meeting notes.

Do you want to receive advance notice of meetings and their agendas? Join our advisory group email list.

Do you have questions or topics you want to discuss? Email John Freitag or DWInfo@doh.wa.gov with your ideas and questions.

Staying Resilient: Preparing for Floods

Flooding is a recurring reality in Washington State. From atmospheric rivers pounding the Pacific Coast to snowmelt swelling rivers east of the Cascades, nearly every part of the state faces some degree of flood risk. For public water systems, floods are more than a weather event, they are an operational emergency that can threaten infrastructure, water quality, and public trust.

While many systems are experienced in managing droughts or wildfires, floods often bring unique and complex challenges. Heavy rainfall and fast-moving water can erode soils, damage pump houses and treatment plants, inundate wellheads, and introduce contaminants into source water. Roads may be cut off, power may fail, and system staff may be stretched thin just as demand for safe water increases. Preparing for these events in advance is one of the most important investments a utility can make.

Why Flood Preparedness Matters

Floods may have both immediate and long-term effects on drinking water systems. In the short term, contaminated floodwaters can overwhelm treatment capacity and increase turbidity, requiring more intensive monitoring and disinfection. Longer-term, repeated flooding can damage infrastructure foundations, weaken distribution systems, and increase maintenance costs.

Washington’s experience with atmospheric rivers in 2021 is a reminder of the cascading impacts floods can create. In Whatcom and Skagit counties, floodwaters contaminated private wells, damaged water treatment facilities, and forced emergency advisories. Communities in the Chehalis Basin continue to experience repetitive flood losses, straining both local systems and operators.

For smaller systems, these impacts can be especially disruptive. A single flooded wellhead, compromised chlorine tank, or inaccessible pump station can put the entire system at risk. Flood preparedness, therefore, is not just a regulatory expectation, it is a cornerstone of resilience.

Building Flood Resilience into System Operations

The starting point for any system is an accurate vulnerability assessment. This goes beyond checking whether a well is near a river. Systems should map their infrastructure against local floodplain maps, review historical flooding events, and consider projected changes to precipitation patterns due to climate change. Vulnerability assessments are increasingly incorporated into water system plans, as required under recent climate resilience guidance.

Once vulnerabilities are understood, utilities can update their Emergency Response Plans (ERP) with flood-specific procedures. An effective ERP should anticipate:
Alternate water supply strategies if your primary source is compromised, including interties or mobile treatment units.

Roles and responsibilities for staff before, during, and after flooding.

Coordination pathways with local emergency management and health jurisdictions.

Communication templates for boil water advisories and public notifications.

While ERPs often exist on paper, the true value comes from exercising them. Systems that conduct tabletop scenarios or drills on flood events are more likely to identify gaps, such as missing contact numbers, inadequate backup equipment, or unclear staff roles.

Protecting Infrastructure BEFORE Waters Rise

Physical protection of assets is one of the most cost-effective steps systems can take. Elevating electrical panels, sealing wellheads, and installing barriers around chemical storage tanks can prevent contamination and costly damage. Some utilities have relocated critical facilities outside floodplains entirely, often with the help of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) financing.

Even small adjustments make a difference. Ensuring back-up generators are stored above flood level, protecting access roads with gravel or drainage improvements, and securing portable equipment help minimize downtime. Flood sensors tied into SCADA systems give operators early warning when water levels rise near vulnerable facilities.

Safeguarding Water Quality

Floodwater almost always increases turbidity and introduces microbial risks. Systems should be ready to adjust treatment processes quickly, which may include increasing chlorine dosage or switching to alternate treatment methods. Post-flood sampling is critical to confirm water safety before lifting advisories.

Portable disinfection equipment, such as chlorination skids or mobile UV systems, can serve as valuable backups. Some utilities in flood-prone areas have pre-positioned sampling kits and portable test equipment so operators can verify water quality even if labs are not immediately accessible.

Communication and Customer Confidence

Public confidence can erode quickly during a flood event if water quality is uncertain. Customers often turn to social media for information, which makes it essential for utilities to communicate clearly, quickly, and consistently. Preparing messages in advance, in multiple languages where possible, reduces delays when every minute counts.

Utilities should also establish relationships with local media and emergency managers, who can help amplify advisories. After an event, transparent communication about what happened, what was done to protect public health, and what comes next builds long-term trust.

Training, Exercises, and Partnerships

Flood preparedness is not a one-time project. It requires continuous investment in people as well as infrastructure. Training operators on how to respond to floods, conducting drills with neighboring systems, and maintaining mutual aid agreements all build resilience.

Washington’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WAWARN) is an invaluable tool for connecting systems during emergencies. Participation ensures that when a flood impacts one community, others can provide support with equipment, staff, or supplies.

Partnerships with the Department of Health, Department of Ecology, and federal agencies such as EPA Region 10 also provide technical and financial support. The more connected a system is before a disaster, the more options it has when response is needed.

Resources

Call to Action

Floods will always be part of Washington’s natural landscape, but you can reduce their impacts on your drinking water systems through preparation. By assessing vulnerabilities, protecting infrastructure, planning for water quality challenges, and investing in communication and training, utilities can ensure their communities have safe, reliable water even during the most severe storms.

We are here to support you in this work. Contact your county-assigned ODW staff for technical assistance or funding information. Visit the ODW newsletter archive for tools and resources.

Together, we can build stronger, more resilient water systems, ready for whatever the next flood brings.

Celebrating Our 2024 TOP Award Winners

Meeting and beating expectations for 24 years—and counting!

For nearly 25 years, Washington’s Rapid Rate Filtration Plants have been steadily raising the bar in water quality. These filters are critical for removing particles—called turbidity—from drinking water. Lower turbidity means stronger protection from harmful microbes and better public health for everyone.

Every month, treatment plants across the state submit turbidity data through their operations reports. We review the results and then enter the highest daily values into a computer program called the Optimization Assessment Software. This tool lets us compare systems statewide and track performance improvements over time.

And the 2024 Results are In!

Surface water treatment plants using conventional and direct filtration are once again exceeding regulatory standards. In other words, they’re not just meeting the minimum—they’re going above and beyond to deliver safer water to Washington communities. The latest graph of Rapid Rate Treatment Plant Performance Trends 2001–2024, shows steady progress overall as a group. Improved turbidity results mean cleaner water, stronger public health protection, and more resilient systems.

Congratulations to Our 2024 Award Recipients

By optimizing water quality produced by their existing facilities, these systems are achieving higher-quality water, providing a bigger margin of safety, and building greater resilience for the future.

Twenty-Year Award

Arlington Water Department (2001-2024)
Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District—South Shore Water System (2001-2024)
Pasco Water Department (2001-2024)
Skagit County PUD #1—Judy Reservoir System (2001-2024)

Platinum Award Recipients (15 or more years)

City of Kelso (2006-2024)
River Bend Water System (2009-2024)
City of Yakima (2010-2024)*

Gold Award Recipients (10 to 14 years of continuously optimized performance)

City of Bellingham (2011-2024)
Castle Rock Municipal Water (2012-2024)
Town of Metaline Falls (2012-2024)
Department of Energy/200 W (2015-2024)*
Hoquiam Water Department (2015-2024)*
Lake Chelan Reclamation District (2015-2024)*

Silver Award Recipients (Five to nine years of continuously optimized performance)

City of Anacortes (2016-2024)
Friday Harbor (2017-2024)
Raymond Water Department (2017-2024)
City of Port Angeles (2019-2024)
Roche Harbor Water System (2020-2024)*
City of Leavenworth (2020-2024)*
Water District 19 (2020-2024)*

Bronze Award Recipients (Three or four years of continuously optimized performance)

City of Everett Public Works Department (2021-2023)
City of Ilwaco Water Department (2021-2023)
Island View LUD 9 (2022-2024)*
Carbonado Water Department (2022-2024)*
City of Tacoma (2022-2024)*

*Consecutive certificate award recipient for 2024.

Congratulations to all water treatment plants that were optimized in 2024!

Visit our Performance of Rapid Rate Filtration Plants in Washington webpage.

What is Turbidity?

Turbidity is a measure of how cloudy water looks. The cloudiness comes from tiny particles like silt, clay, and organic matter. While turbidity itself isn’t dangerous, high levels can make it harder to remove or disinfect microbes that could cause illness. That’s why keeping turbidity as low as possible is a key step in protecting public health.

If you're unable to print the newsletter, please contact your regional office and they will print and mail you a copy.

Archived Issues of ODW Now

2025

2024

2023

2022

Archived Issues of Water Tap

2020

Spring 2020 (PDF)

2019

2018

2017

Note: The documents on this page were published on the dates specified. The internet links and other resources cited in the document were current as of those dates.