WAC 173-503-025
Definitions. For the purposes of this
chapter, the following definitions shall be used:
"Agricultural irrigation" means the application of water
to crops grown for commercial agricultural purposes.
"Allocation" means the designation of specific amounts of
water for specific beneficial uses.
"Appropriation" means the process of legally acquiring
the right to use specific amounts of water for beneficial
uses, as consistent with the ground and surface water codes
and other applicable water resource statutes. This term
refers to both surface and ground water right permits and to
ground water withdrawals otherwise exempted from permit
requirements under RCW 90.44.050.
"Commercial/industrial use" means use of water for the
purpose of business activities, including human domestic needs
within the business property, manufacturing or production
activities and maintenance of vegetated areas on the business
property. For permit exempt commercial/industrial water
ground water uses, it also means irrigation of agricultural
products.
"Consumptive use" means a use of water whereby there is a
diminishment of the water source.
"Department" means the Washington state department of
ecology.
"Domestic water use" means, for the purposes of
administering WAC 173-503-073 and 173-503-074 only, potable
water to satisfy the human domestic needs of a household,
including water used for drinking, bathing, sanitary purposes,
cooking, laundering, maintenance of vegetation, care of
household pets and incidental livestock, and other incidental
uses. For permit-exempt domestic water use of ground water
sources, total outdoor watering for multiple residences shall
be consistent with the ground water permit exemption
provisions in RCW 90.44.050.
"Incidental stock water use" means, for the purposes of
administering WAC 173-503-073 and 173-503-074 only, sufficient
water to care for small scale domestic livestock operations.
"Instream flow" means a stream flow level set in rule
that is needed to protect and preserve fish, wildlife, scenic,
aesthetic, recreational, water quality, and other
environmental values, and navigational values. The term
"instream flow" means a base flow under chapter 90.54 RCW, a
minimum flow under chapter 90.03 or 90.22 RCW, or a minimum
instream flow under chapter 90.82 RCW.
"Maximum average consumptive daily use" means the use of
water measured over the highest period of use divided by the
number of days in that period, less any applicable return flow
recharge credit.
"Mitigation plan" means a scientifically sound plan
voluntarily submitted by a proponent to offset the impacts of
a proposed water use and must be approved by the department.
"Municipal water supplier" means an entity that supplies
water for municipal water supply purposes. (RCW 90.03.015)
"Municipal water supply purposes" means a beneficial use
of water as defined in RCW 90.03.015, including:
(a) For residential purposes through fifteen or more
residential service connections or for providing residential
use of water for a nonresidential population that is, on
average, at least twenty-five people for at least sixty days a
year;
(b) For governmental or governmental proprietary purposes
by a city, town, public utility district, county, sewer
district, or water district; or
(c) Indirectly for the purposes in (a) or (b) of this
subsection through the delivery of treated or raw water to a
public water system for such use.
"Nonconsumptive use" means a type of water use where
either there is no diversion from a source body, or where
there is no diminishment of the source.
"Permit-exempt withdrawals" or "permit exemption" means a
ground water withdrawal exempted from permit requirements
under RCW 90.44.050, but which is otherwise subject to the
ground water code.
"Public water system" means any system defined in RCW 70.119.020(8) which provides water for human consumption
through pipes or other constructed conveyances, excluding a
system serving only one single-family residence and excluding
a system with four or fewer connections all of which serve
residences on the same farm. This term includes group
domestic systems.
"Reservation" means an allocation of water for future
beneficial uses. The priority date of a given allocation from
the reservation is the same as the effective date of
rulemaking that established the reservation.
"Retail service area" means the area where a municipal
water supplier currently provides direct water service and has
documented plans to provide new water service.
"Scientifically sound" means adhering to the requirements
of best available science as defined in WAC 365-195-905 (5)(a)
and (b).
"Stream management unit" means a stream segment, reach,
or tributary used to describe the part of the relevant stream
to which a particular instream flow level applies. Most of
these units contain a control station.
"Stock water" means drinking water supply for the raising
of livestock animals and associated uses of water related to
care of stock animals.
"Subbasin management unit" means a stream segment, reach,
or tributary basin, used to describe where a particular
instream flow level, water reservation budget, or water
diversion or withdrawal limit applies.
"Timely and reasonable manner" means the way in which
potable water service can be provided by a public water system
to a property as defined in local coordinated water system
plans, or by public water systems, or by local legislative
authorities.
"Withdrawal" means the extraction and use of ground
water, or the diversion and use of surface water.
[Statutory Authority: Chapters 43.27A, 90.54, 90.22, and 90.82 RCW. 06-11-070 (Order 05-15), § 173-503-025, filed
5/15/06, effective 6/15/06.]