General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5543
February Session, 2014 LCO No. 2389
*02389_______PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 5543
February Session, 2014
LCO No. 2389
*02389_______PH_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING WATER QUALITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (g) of section 25-32 of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(g) (1) As used in this section, [(1)] (A) "water supply source" includes all springs, streams, watercourses, brooks, rivers, lakes, ponds, wells or underground waters from which water is taken, and all springs, streams, watercourses, brooks, rivers, lakes, ponds, wells or aquifer protection areas, as defined in section 22a-354h, thereto and all lands drained thereby; [and (2)] (B) "watershed land" means land from which water drains into a public drinking water supply; and (C) "change in use" means a change or alteration in a land use activity that is likely to cause or allow watershed lands to be used in a manner that is inconsistent with the use of such land for public water supply purposes and may negatively affect the purity and adequacy of the public drinking water supply.
(2) Routine maintenance, repair or replacement of public water supply system components that is (A) necessary for normal operation of the public water system, and (B) undertaken by a water company serving one thousand persons or more that has an approved water supply plan in accordance with section 25-32d shall not be deemed to be a change in use.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) (a) The Department of Public Health may use licensed water professionals, at the expense of the party submitting the application or other request, to review and certify the sufficiency of applications and other submittals to the department for approval or to comply with any orders of the department, or effectuate the department's discharge of the provisions of section 25-32 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and sections 25-33 and 25-34 of the general statutes. As used in this section "licensed water professional" means any person who is qualified by reason of his or her knowledge, as specified by the Department of Public Health, to assist the department in carrying out the provisions of section 25-32 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and sections 25-33 and 25-34 of the general statutes.
(b) The Department of Public Health shall identify activities that a licensed water professional may perform as an agent of the department or such applications or submittals that, upon filing by a licensed water professional, require no further review and approval by the department. For any other application or submittal, the department shall notify the party, in writing, not later than fifteen days after receipt of a request for a determination whether review and approval of an application or submittal by the department is required, or whether a licensed water professional may verify that the application or submittal was prepared in accordance with standards established by the department. In determining whether review and approval of the application or submittal by the department is required, or whether a licensed water professional may verify that the application or submittal was prepared in accordance with the standards established by the department, the department shall consider the potential risk to public health and water quality posed by such application or submittal.
(c) The Commissioner of Public Health may issue a water professional license, for the purpose of performing the duties described in subsection (a) of this section, upon receipt of a completed application, on a form as prescribed by the commissioner. Any such license shall be valid for a period of three years from the date of issuance. Any such application shall require the submission of an application fee, as established by the commissioner. The commissioner may renew any such license for an additional three years upon receipt of a completed renewal application, on a form prescribed by the commissioner. Any such renewal application shall require the submission of a renewal fee, as established by the commissioner.
(d) The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement the provisions of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2014 25-32(g)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2014 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2014
25-32(g)
Sec. 2
October 1, 2014
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To define a change in use as it relates to the use of land that may affect a public drinking water supply and to allow the Department of Public Health to issue licenses to certain water professionals.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]