| 1 | 1 | | By: Gerdes H.B. No. 4445 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to water loss in water delivery systems for certain |
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| 7 | 7 | | municipally owned water utilities. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 552, Local Government |
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| 10 | 10 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 552.025 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 552.025. ACCEPTABLE DELIVERY SYSTEM WATER LOSS FOR |
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| 12 | 12 | | CERTAIN MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITIES. (a) In this section, |
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| 13 | 13 | | "municipally owned utility" and "utility" have the meanings |
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| 14 | 14 | | assigned by Section 13.002, Water Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) This section applies only to a municipally owned utility |
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| 16 | 16 | | with more than 150,000 service connections; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (c) A municipally owned utility with a Texas Water |
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| 18 | 18 | | Development Board Water Loss Audit indicating water loss equal to |
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| 19 | 19 | | or more than 15 percent shall: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) within 180 days, enact Stage 2 water restrictions, |
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| 21 | 21 | | as specified in the utility's drought contingency plan, for a |
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| 22 | 22 | | maximum of two years until a new Texas Water Development Board Water |
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| 23 | 23 | | Loss Audit indicates water loss of less than 15 percent; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) after two years, enact Stage 3 water restrictions, |
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| 25 | 25 | | as specified in the utility's drought contingency plan, until a new |
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| 26 | 26 | | Texas Water Development Board Water Loss Audit indicates water loss |
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| 27 | 27 | | of less than 15 percent. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 29 | 29 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 30 | 30 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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