Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires communities to develop water shortage conservation plans and gives emergency powers to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for the purpose of conserving water during droughts.

Highlights:

- Requires individuals who transfer 100,000 gallons or more per day of surface or ground water to register with the Environmental Review Commission two months after the initiation of the withdrawal, except for individuals who withdraw less than a million gallons of water per day for exclusively agricultural purposes (Sec. 1). - Changes the penalty for not registering on time to a fine of $100 and allows the Commission to consider each day the penalty goes unpaid as a separate violation (Sec.1). - Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to collect information on persons who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons of water per day, as well as the uses of the withdrawals, and annually submit a report regarding this information to the Commission (Sec. 2). - Requires all local government units that provide public water service and all community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to develop tiered levels of water conservation measures to implement in cases of droughts and have these measures approved by the Department Environment and Natural Resources, provided that the plan does not regulate private drinking water wells (Sec. 5). - Allows local government units and community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to establish water conservation measures more stringent than required by the state (Sec. 5). - Provides that when the governor declares a water shortage emergency, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources may obtain emergency powers to require water systems that have an excess to supply water to those who are experiencing shortage, establish rules to conserve the water in the shortage emergency area and the service area, and authorize a water system affected by the shortage to lay temporary waterlines across or under properties to connect to the emergency water source (Sec.8). - Exempts temporary waterlines from needing to be approved by a board of commissioners before being placed on properties (Sec. 8). - Allows local governments and community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to require separate meters for all new in-ground irrigation systems (Sec. 9). - Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $10,000 per month against a local government or community water system that serve at least 3,000 people that fails to implement an approved water shortage response plan (Sec. 11). - Establishes a fine of between $100 and $500 against individuals who fail to file a monthly report of their water transfers from surface streams, lakes, and underground water sources with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Sec. 11). - Prohibits any unit of local government or public water supply system from regulating water use from a well outside of its jurisdiction or any other private well (Sec. 20).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires communities to develop water shortage conservation plans and gives emergency powers to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for the purpose of conserving water during droughts.

Highlights:

- Requires individuals who transfer 100,000 gallons or more per day of surface or ground water to register with the Environmental Review Commission two months after the initiation of the withdrawal, except for individuals who withdraw less than a million gallons of water per day for exclusively agricultural purposes (Sec. 1). - Changes the penalty for not registering on time to a fine of $100 and allows the Commission to consider each day the penalty goes unpaid as a separate violation (Sec.1). - Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to collect information on persons who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons of water per day, as well as the uses of the withdrawals, and annually submit a report regarding this information to the Commission (Sec. 2). - Requires all local government units that provide public water service and all community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to develop tiered levels of water conservation measures to implement in cases of droughts and have these measures approved by the Department Environment and Natural Resources, provided that the plan does not regulate private drinking water wells (Sec. 5). - Allows local government units and community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to establish water conservation measures more stringent than required by the state (Sec. 5). - Provides that when the governor declares a water shortage emergency, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources may obtain emergency powers to require water systems that have an excess to supply water to those who are experiencing shortage, establish rules to conserve the water in the shortage emergency area and the service area, and authorize a water system affected by the shortage to lay temporary waterlines across or under properties to connect to the emergency water source (Sec.8). - Exempts temporary waterlines from needing to be approved by a board of commissioners before being placed on properties (Sec. 8). - Allows local governments and community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to require separate meters for all new in-ground irrigation systems (Sec. 9). - Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $10,000 per month against a local government or community water system that serve at least 3,000 people that fails to implement an approved water shortage response plan (Sec. 11). - Establishes a fine of between $100 and $500 against individuals who fail to file a monthly report of their water transfers from surface streams, lakes, and underground water sources with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Sec. 11). - Prohibits any unit of local government or public water supply system from regulating water use from a well outside of its jurisdiction or any other private well (Sec. 20).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires communities to develop water shortage conservation plans and gives emergency powers to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources for the purpose of conserving water during droughts.

Highlights:

- Requires individuals who transfer 100,000 gallons or more per day of surface or ground water to register with the Environmental Review Commission two months after the initiation of the withdrawal, except for individuals who withdraw less than a million gallons of water per day for exclusively agricultural purposes (Sec. 1). - Changes the penalty for not registering on time to a fine of $100 and allows the Commission to consider each day the penalty goes unpaid as a separate violation (Sec.1). - Authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to collect information on persons who withdraw more than 10,000 gallons of water per day, as well as the uses of the withdrawals, and annually submit a report regarding this information to the Commission (Sec. 2). - Requires all local government units that provide public water service and all community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to develop tiered levels of water conservation measures to implement in cases of droughts and have these measures approved by the Department Environment and Natural Resources (Sec. 5). - Provides that when the governor declares a water shortage emergency, the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources may obtain emergency powers to require water systems that have an excess to supply water to those who are experiencing shortage, establish rules to conserve the water in the shortage emergency area and the service area, and authorize a water system affected by the shortage to lay temporary waterlines across or under properties to connect to the emergency water source (Sec.8). - Allows local governments and community water systems that serve at least 3,000 people to require separate meters for all new in-ground irrigation systems (Sec. 9). - Establishes a maximum civil penalty of $10,000 per month against a local government or community water system that serve at least 3,000 people that fails to implement an approved water shortage response plan (Sec. 11). - Establishes a fine of between $100 and $500 against individuals who fail to file a monthly report of their water transfers from surface streams, lakes, and underground water sources with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Sec. 11).

Full Bill Text