RCW 70.119A.150 Authority to enter premises—Search warrants—Investigations.

(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (b) of this subsection, the secretary or his or her designee shall have the right to enter a premises under the control of a public water system at reasonable times with prior notification in order to determine compliance with laws and rules administered by the department of health to test, inspect, or sample features of a public water system and inspect, copy, or photograph monitoring equipment or other features of a public water system, or records required to be kept under laws or rules regulating public water systems. For the purposes of this section, "premises under the control of a public water system" does not include the premises or private property of a customer of a public water system past the point on the system where the service connection is made.

(b) The secretary or his or her designee need not give prior notification to enter a premises under (a) of this subsection if the purpose of the entry is to ensure compliance by the public water system with a prior order of the department or if the secretary or the secretary's designee has reasonable cause to believe the public water system is violating the law and poses a serious threat to public health and safety.

(2) The secretary or his or her designee may apply for an administrative search warrant to a court official authorized to issue a criminal search warrant. An administrative search warrant may be issued for the purposes of inspecting or examining property, buildings, premises, place, books, records, or other physical evidence, or conducting tests or taking samples. The warrant shall be issued upon probable cause. It is sufficient probable cause to show any of the following:

(a) The inspection, examination, test, or sampling is pursuant to a general administrative plan to determine compliance with laws or rules administered by the department; or

(b) The secretary or his or her designee has reason to believe that a violation of a law or rule administered by the department has occurred, is occurring, or may occur.

(3) The local health officer or the designee of a local health officer of a local board of health that is enforcing rules regulating public water systems under an agreement with the department allocating state and local responsibility is authorized to conduct investigations and to apply for, obtain, and execute administrative search warrants necessary to perform the local board's agreed-to responsibilities under the same limitations and requirements imposed on the department under this section.

[ 1993 c 305 § 4.]