There is new legislation concerning ADUs that impacts how rural water systems manage ADU connections. Here’s a quick summary of some of the main takeaways of the new ADU rules for rural areas under Chapter 36.70A.696. In rural areas…

• No parcel may have NO More than 1 Accessory dwelling unit, whether attached or detached;
• The detached ADU must be subject to water supply requirements of RCW 19.27.097 and any groundwater mitigation requirements adopted by the County;
• The combined water withdrawal for the detached ADU, the principal unit, and any other domestic uses on the parcel may not exceed the use limitations in RCW 90.44.050 for domestic use;
• Withdrawals of water by each dwelling unit on the parcel must be metered;
• Applicant must provide documentation that the existing or proposed septic system is capable of handling the additional demand placed on it by the ADU;
• The gross floor area of the detached ADU may not be greater the 1,296 square feet (floor areas exclude garages, porches, unfinished basements);
• Rural counties may allocate no more than 10% of its rural population target to detached ADU.

This does require a separate meter for these connections.

For all the details, check out these links to the HB 1345 Summary and the HB 1345 Full Text.

This may be a topic at a future Member’s Meeting.