| 1 | 1 | | By: Jackson S.B. No. 1073 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (King of Zavala) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to rainwater harvesting systems that are connected to |
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| 8 | 8 | | public water supply systems. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 341.042, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1), |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b-2), (b-3), and (b-4) to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) The commission by rule shall provide that if a structure |
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| 14 | 14 | | is connected to a public water supply system and has a rainwater |
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| 15 | 15 | | harvesting system for indoor use,[: |
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| 16 | 16 | | [(1)] the structure must have appropriate |
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| 17 | 17 | | cross-connection safeguards[; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | [(2) the rainwater harvesting system may be used only |
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| 19 | 19 | | for nonpotable indoor purposes]. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b-1) The commission shall work with the department to |
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| 21 | 21 | | develop rules regarding the installation and maintenance of |
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| 22 | 22 | | rainwater harvesting systems that are used for indoor potable |
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| 23 | 23 | | purposes and connected to a public water supply system. The rules |
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| 24 | 24 | | must contain criteria that are sufficient to ensure that: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) safe sanitary drinking water standards are met; |
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| 26 | 26 | | and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) harvested rainwater does not come into |
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| 28 | 28 | | communication with a public water supply system's drinking water at |
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| 29 | 29 | | a location off of the property on which the rainwater harvesting |
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| 30 | 30 | | system is located. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b-2) A person who installs and maintains rainwater |
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| 32 | 32 | | harvesting systems that are connected to a public water supply |
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| 33 | 33 | | system and are used for potable purposes must be licensed by the |
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| 34 | 34 | | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners as a master plumber or |
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| 35 | 35 | | journeyman plumber and hold an endorsement issued by the board as a |
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| 36 | 36 | | water supply protection specialist. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b-3) A person who intends to connect a rainwater harvesting |
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| 38 | 38 | | system to a public water supply system for use for potable purposes |
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| 39 | 39 | | must give written notice of that intention to the municipality in |
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| 40 | 40 | | which the rainwater harvesting system is located or the owner or |
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| 41 | 41 | | operator of the public water supply system before connecting the |
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| 42 | 42 | | rainwater harvesting system to the public water supply system. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (b-4) A municipally owned water or wastewater utility, a |
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| 44 | 44 | | municipality, or the owner or operator of a public water supply |
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| 45 | 45 | | system may not be held liable for any adverse health effects |
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| 46 | 46 | | allegedly caused by the consumption of water collected by a |
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| 47 | 47 | | rainwater harvesting system that is connected to a public water |
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| 48 | 48 | | supply system and is used for potable purposes if the municipally |
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| 49 | 49 | | owned water or wastewater utility, municipality, or public water |
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| 50 | 50 | | supply system is in compliance with the sanitary standards for |
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| 51 | 51 | | drinking water applicable to the municipally owned water or |
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| 52 | 52 | | wastewater utility, municipality, or public water supply system. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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