the Public Water System Coordination Act of 1977 created Critical Water Supply Service Areas (CWSSA). All of Pierce County was declared a CWSSA in 1983. The first Pierce County Coordinated Water System Plan (CWSP) was created in 1988, and was updated in 2001.
Many water resource, supply and land use changes have occurred since the CWSP was last updated. The Water Utility Coordinating Committee is working to update the plan. They will make a recommendation to the Pierce County Council in 2019.
The Public Water System Coordination Act requires each purveyor in a CWSSA to develop a water system plan for their service area. The boundaries of the service area must be established in accordance with provisions of RCW 70.116.070.
The Washington State Department of Health is primarily responsible for water system plan approval; however, prior to that approval there are a number of plan review functions that are within the purview of local government.
In Pierce County, the Planning and Land Services Department has been tasked to ensure consistency of water system documents with local growth management plans and development policies and provisions of the CWSP.