Senator Maralyn Chase receives award from State Association of Sewer and Water Districts

Sen. Maralyn Chase, 32nd District

The Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts has recognized Senator Maralyn Chase for her Outstanding Support of Special Purpose Sewer and Water Districts.

Senator Chase was the prime sponsor of ESSB 5048, which provides for a vote of the ratepayers in the event of an assumption of a water-sewer district by a city. Until the passage of this law, these special purpose districts were the only form of local government that was subject to a “hostile takeover” without consent of their duly elected governing body or the citizens affected by the takeover. Through her leadership, the bill passed the Senate 28-21, and passed the House of Representatives 96-1. Sen. Chase was also recognized for her continuing support of infrastructure funding through the Public Works Assistance Account, which provides low cost loans for water-sewer districts, cities, and counties. This model program has been the subject of numerous “budget raids” over the past several sessions.

A plaque recognizing Senator Chase was presented on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at the Annual Conference held in Wenatchee, Washington.

Founded in 1995, the Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts represents the state’s special purpose sewer and water districts. These districts provide services to 25% of the citizens of Washington. There are 176 special purpose sewer and water districts in the state.

One of the Association’s roles is to provide education and training to elected district commissioners and continuing education classes for general managers and certified operators of water and wastewater treatment plants. It also fosters increased communication between members and encourages standardization of water and sewer methods and services bringing benefits to ratepayers. The Association represents the interests of special purpose districts in the Washington legislature and with state and local regulatory agencies.