Georgia 2023-2024 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB667 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	23 LC 51 0232
2	2	H. B. 667
3	3	- 1 -
4	4	House Bill 667
5	5	By: Representatives Davis of the 87
6	6	th
7	7	, Scott of the 76
8	8	th
9	9	, and Schofield of the 63
10	10	rd
11	11
12	12	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
13	13	AN ACT
14	14	To amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia
15	15	1
16	16	Annotated, relating to general provisions of wells and drinking water, so as to establish the2
17	17	Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program; to provide for definitions;3
18	18	to provide for purpose, requirements, restrictions, and priorities of the program; to provide4
19	19	for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5
20	20	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
21	21	SECTION 1.7
22	22	Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,8
23	23	relating to general provisions of wells and drinking water, is amended by adding a new Code9
24	24	section to read as follows:10
25	25	"12-5-74.
26	26	11
27	27	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:12
28	28	(1) 'Director' means the director of the Environmental Protection Division of the13
29	29	Department of Natural Resources.14 23 LC 51 0232
30	30	H. B. 667
31	31	- 2 -
32	32	(2) 'Disadvantaged community' means any census block group in which 30 percent or15
33	33	more of the population comprises individuals with an annual household income equal to16
34	34	or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.17
35	35	(3) 'Division' means the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural18
36	36	Resources.19
37	37	(b) There is established the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance20
38	38	Program to be administered by the division.21
39	39	(c) The purpose of the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program22
40	40	shall be to provide financial assistance, as shall be appropriated to the division, to23
41	41	disadvantaged communities that have experienced a significant decline in quantity or24
42	42	quality of drinking water and to obtain or maintain adequate quantities of water that meets25
43	43	the standards set by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 300f, et seq.26
44	44	(d) Grants provided pursuant to this Code section may be used for the following purposes:27
45	45	(1) Point-of-use treatment and point-of-entry systems;28
46	46	(2) Wellhead treatment and distributed treatment facilities;29
47	47	(3) Blending systems in compliance with state regulations;30
48	48	(4) Costs related to the consolidation of a small rural water system or multiple small rural31
49	49	water systems with a larger system;32
50	50	(5) Construction of new water source facilities including wells and connections to33
51	51	existing systems;34
52	52	(6) Water distribution facilities;35
53	53	(7) Water capacity fees, water supply development fees, water connections fees, and36
54	54	similar fees that are assessed when a new connection is added to an existing public water37
55	55	system as part of a consolidation;38
56	56	(8) Assistance to households to connect to water facilities;39
57	57	(9) Emergency water supplies; and40 23 LC 51 0232
58	58	H. B. 667
59	59	- 3 -
60	60	(10) Application and technical assistance costs associated with the activities described41
61	61	in paragraphs (1) through (9) of this subsection.42
62	62	(e) In determining priorities for funding projects, the director shall take into consideration:43
63	63	(1) Disadvantaged communities that are currently operating under notices of violation44
64	64	for failing to provide potable water that meets primary drinking water standards;45
65	65	(2) Whether the applicant has the ability to qualify for alternative funding sources that46
66	66	do not result in water rate increases unable to be absorbed by the residential ratepayers;47
67	67	(3) Disadvantaged communities deemed vulnerable to water shortage conditions because48
68	68	the systems serving such disadvantaged communities are located in critically over-drafted49
69	69	groundwater basins and the systems have only a single water supply source;50
70	70	(4) Rural disadvantaged communities served by individual, on-site domestic wells that51
71	71	have documented dry well conditions or contaminated well conditions; and52
72	72	(5) Public water systems that desire to consolidate with each other, or with a larger urban53
73	73	system, to increase economies of scale to reduce cost of service and increase the level and54
74	74	quality of water service delivery.55
75	75	(f) A grant provided under this Code section shall not be used to fund:56
76	76	(1) More than 100 percent of the costs for:57
77	77	(A) Technical assistance and other costs associated with application for assistance58
78	78	through the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program;59
79	79	(B) Initial operating costs incurred to start up, test, and place into service project60
80	80	facilities and components; and61
81	81	(C) Capital costs of construction or components to ensure such facilities and62
82	82	components are properly operational; or63
83	83	(2) More than 25 percent of operation and maintenance costs incurred subsequent to64
84	84	placing the facilities or components into service to ensure service remains efficient and65
85	85	effective.66 23 LC 51 0232
86	86	H. B. 667
87	87	- 4 -
88	88	(g) No more than 25 percent of funds made available in any fiscal year for grants under67
89	89	this Code section shall be used for operations and maintenance costs."68
90	90	SECTION 2.69
91	91	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.70