HB0110 - Safe Drinking Water Act.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0403.E1

ENGROSSED

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0110

 

 

Safe Drinking Water Act.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to public health and safety; providing for
 2  the Wyoming Safe Drinking Water Act; providing for
 3  authority, administration and enforcement of the act as
 4  specified; providing definitions; making conforming
 5  amendments; and providing for an effective date.

 6 

 7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 8 

 9         Section 1.  W.S. 35-11-1901 through 35-11-1908 are
10  created to read:

11 

12                         ARTICLE19

13                   SAFE DRINKING WATER

14 

15         35-11-1901.  Short title.

16 

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1  This article is known and may be cited as the "Wyoming Safe
 2  Drinking Water Act".

 3 

 4         35-11-1902.  Coverage.

 5 

 6  The requirements of this article shall apply to each public
 7  water supply as defined in W.S. 35-11-103(h)(vii).

 8 

 9         35-11-1903.  Prohibited acts.

10 

11  No person, except when authorized by a permit, variance,
12  exemption or compliance schedule issued pursuant to the
13  provisions of this article, shall operate a public water
14  supply as defined in W.S. 35-11-103(h)(vii) which is not in
15  compliance with the primary drinking water regulation as
16  defined in W.S. 35-11-103(h)(v) and the requirements of
17  this section.

18 

19         35-11-1904.  Administrator's authority to recommend
20  standards, rules, regulations or permits.

21 

22         (a)  The administrator, after receiving public comment
23  and after consultation with the advisory board created by
24  W.S. 35-11-113, shall recommend to the director rules,

Page  2

 

 

 

 1  regulations, standards and permit systems to promote the
 2  purposes of this article and meet the requirements of the
 3  National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. The rules,
 4  regulations, standards and permit systems shall prescribe:

 5 

 6              (i)  Drinking water standards which are no less
 7  stringent than the National Primary Drinking Water
 8  Regulations promulgated in 40 C.F.R. § 141;

 9 

10              (ii)  Standards for the issuance of variances and
11  exemptions and opportunities for public input and hearings
12  as authorized by W.S. 35-11-1905;

13 

14              (iii)  Standards for the development and
15  implementation of a source water assessment program to
16  address all public water supplies;

17 

18              (iv)  Standards for water quality sampling,
19  record keeping and reporting;

20 

21              (v)  Standards for public notice requirements for
22  public water supplies;

23 

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1              (vi)  Standards for community water systems to
 2  provide consumer confidence reports;

 3 

 4              (vii)  Standards for the determination of
 5  capacity development capabilities to ensure that all new or
 6  modified community water systems and new or modified
 7  nontransient noncommunity water systems commencing
 8  operation after July 1, 2001, demonstrate capacity
 9  development capabilities and by July 1, 2002, develop a
10  strategy to assist all community and noncommunity water
11  systems in acquiring and maintaining capacity development
12  by adopting procedures governing capacity development in
13  compliance with § 1420 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42
14  U.S.C. § 300g-9). The department shall have the authority
15  to require new systems in noncompliance of capacity
16  development capabilities to take corrective actions to
17  correct inadequacies or cease water system operations;

18 

19              (viii)  Standards for the development of
20  emergency response plans by public water supplies pursuant
21  to W.S. 35-11-1908;

22 

23              (ix)  Standards for the establishment of
24  administrative penalties pursuant to W.S. 35-11-1906; and

 

Page  4

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (x)  Standards for the certification of
 3  laboratories servicing public water supplies.

 4 

 5         35-11-1905.  Variances and exemptions.

 6 

 7         (a)  The director may grant a variance or exemption
 8  from the primary drinking water regulations after
 9  documenting all findings that are required under sections
10  1415 and 1416 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § §
11  300g-4 and 300g-5) and 40 C.F.R. § 142.20.

12 

13         (b)  Before a variance or exemption is granted, the
14  director shall:

15 

16              (i)  Find that the variance or exemption will not
17  result in an unreasonable risk to public health;

18 

19              (ii)  Provide an opportunity for public input and
20  a hearing on the proposed variance; and

21 

22              (iii)  Establish a compliance schedule for the
23  public water supply to install the best technology,

Page  5

 

 

 

 1  treatment techniques or other means available to the
 2  system.

 3 

 4         35-11-1906.  Administrative penalties.

 5 

 6  Notwithstanding and in lieu of W.S. 35-11-901 through
 7  35-11-904, the department shall have the authority to
 8  assess administrative penalties. For public water supplies
 9  serving a population of more than ten thousand (10,000)
10  individuals, the department shall have the authority to
11  impose a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to ten
12  thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per day per violation. For
13  public water supplies serving a population of ten thousand
14  (10,000) or fewer individuals the department shall
15  establish a penalty that is adequate to ensure compliance
16  with the regulations pursuant to this article, but in no
17  case shall the penalty exceed one thousand dollars
18  ($1,000.00) per day.

19 

20         35-11-1907.  Duties of department.

21 

22         (a)  The department shall:

23 

 

Page  6

 

 

 

 1              (i)  Maintain an inventory of public water
 2  supplies;

 3 

 4              (ii)  Conduct periodic sanitary surveys of
 5  potable water systems and sources, take water samples and
 6  inspect records to ensure the system is not creating an
 7  unreasonable risk to public health. The department shall
 8  provide written reports of sanitary surveys to the water
 9  supplier;

10 

11              (iii)  Require public water supplies to correct
12  any deficiency identified by a sanitary survey;

13 

14              (iv)  Require regular water sampling, record
15  keeping and reporting by public water supplies. These
16  samples shall be analyzed in a laboratory approved by the
17  department;

18 

19              (v)  Investigate any public water supply that
20  fails to meet the drinking water standards and maximum
21  contaminant levels established by the department;

22 

23              (vi)  Develop and implement a source water
24  assessment program to address all public water supplies.

Page  7

 

 

 

 1  The department may establish a program to assist public
 2  water supplies in developing and implementing source water
 3  protection plans and programs pursuant to § 1454 of the
 4  Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 300j-14) including the
 5  use of set asides authorized by § 1452(k) of the Safe
 6  Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 300j-12(k));

 7 

 8              (vii)  Require every public supply system to
 9  provide public notice that is no less stringent than the
10  applicable federal regulations;

11 

12              (viii)  Establish and maintain a program for the
13  certification of laboratories conducting analytical
14  measurements of drinking water contaminants pursuant to the
15  primary drinking water regulations;

16 

17              (ix)  Require community water systems to provide
18  consumer confidence reports required by applicable federal
19  regulations.

20 

21         35-11-1908.  Emergency response.

22 

23         (a)  The department shall adopt and implement a plan
24  for the provision of safe drinking water under emergency

Page  8

 

 

 

 1  circumstances including, but not limited to, earthquakes,
 2  floods and other natural disasters.

 3 

 4         (b)  The department shall require each supplier of
 5  water to compile an emergency plan.

 6 

 7         (c)  The director shall have the authority, in
 8  coordination with the department of health, to require boil
 9  orders or other appropriate actions when contaminant levels
10  in a public water supply threaten public health and safety.

11 

12         Section 2.  W.S. 35-11-103(a)(xiii) and by creating a
13  new subsection (h), 35-11-105(a) by creating a new
14  paragraph (vii), 35-11-108, 35-11-109(a) by creating new
15  paragraphs (xvi) and (xvii), 35-11-110(a)(intro) and by
16  creating a new subsection (f), 35-11-112(a)(intro) and
17  35-11-601 by creating a new subsection (s) are amended to
18  read:

19 

20         35-11-103.  Definitions.

21 

22         (a)  For the purpose of this act, unless the context
23  otherwise requires:

24 

 

Page  9

 

 

 

 1              (xiii)  "This act" means W.S. 35-11-101 through
 2  35-11-403, 35-11-405, 35-11-406, 35-11-408 through
 3  35-11-1106, 35-11-1414 through 35-11-1428,
35-11-1601
 4  through 35-11-1613, 35-11-1701, and 35-11-1801 through
 5  35-11-1803 and 35-11-1901 through 35-11-1908.

 6 

 7         (h)  Specific definitions applying to drinking water:

 8 

 9              (i)  "Community water system" means a public
10  water supply that has at least fifteen (15) service
11  connections used year-round by residents or that regularly
12  provides water to at least twenty-five (25) residents year-
13  round, including, but not limited to, municipalities and
14  water and sewer districts;

15 

16              (ii)  "Contaminant" means any physical, chemical,
17  biological or radiological substance or matter;

18 

19              (iii)  "Maximum contaminant level" means the
20  maximum permissible level of a contaminant in water that is
21  delivered to any user of a public water supply;

22 

23              (iv)  "Nontransient noncommunity water system"
24  means a public water supply which is not a community water

Page 10

 

 

 

 1  system and which regularly provides service to at least
 2  twenty-five (25) of the same persons for more than six (6)
 3  months of the year where those persons are not full-time
 4  residents, including, but not limited to, schools,
 5  factories and office buildings;

 6 

 7              (v)  "Primary drinking water regulation" means a
 8  regulation that:

 9 

10                   (A)  Applies to public water supplies;

11 

12                   (B)  Specifies contaminants that may have an
13  adverse effect on the health of persons;

14 

15                   (C)  Specifies for each contaminant either:

16 

17                         (I)  A maximum contaminant level as
18  determined by the environmental protection agency; or

19 

20                         (II)  If it is determined by the
21  environmental protection agency that it is not economically
22  or technologically feasible to ascertain the level of the
23  contaminant, each treatment technique known to the
24  environmental protection agency that leads to a reduction

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 1  in the levels of the contaminant sufficient to satisfy the
 2  requirements of the Wyoming Safe Drinking Water Act; and

 3 

 4                   (D)  Contains criteria and procedures to
 5  assure a supply of potable water that dependably complies
 6  with maximum contaminant levels, including quality control
 7  and testing procedures to ensure compliance with maximum
 8  contaminant levels and ensure proper operation and
 9  maintenance of the public water supply, and requirements
10  for the minimum quality of water that may be taken into the
11  supply and siting for new facilities for public water
12  supplies.

13 

14              (vi)  "Potable water" means water that is
15  sufficiently free from biological, chemical, radiological
16  or physical impurities to the extent that individuals will
17  not be exposed to disease or harmful physiological effects;

18 

19              (vii)  "Public water supply" means the system for
20  the provision to the public of piped water for human
21  consumption, if the system has at least fifteen (15)
22  service connections or regularly serves at least twenty-
23  five (25) individuals including:

24 

 

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 1                   (A)  Any collection, treatment, storage and
 2  distribution facility under control of the operator of the
 3  system and used primarily in connection with the system;
 4  and

 5 

 6                   (B)  Any collection or pretreatment storage
 7  facility not under control of the operator which is used
 8  primarily in connection with the system.

 9 

10              (viii)  "Secondary drinking water regulation"
11  means a regulation that applies to public water supplies
12  and that specifies the maximum contaminant levels which, in
13  the judgment of the director, are required to protect the
14  public welfare. A regulation may apply to any contaminant
15  in drinking water that may adversely affect the odor or
16  appearance of the water and consequently may cause a
17  substantial number of the persons served by the public
18  water supply providing the water to discontinue its use, or
19  that may otherwise adversely affect the public welfare;

20 

21              (ix)  "Service connection" means the connection
22  between a public water supply and a customer that enables
23  the customer to receive potable water from the public water
24  supply;

 

Page 13

 

 

 

 1 

 2              (x)  "Supplier of water" or "water supplier"
 3  means any person who owns or operates a public water
 4  supply.

 5 

 6         35-11-105.  Divisions enumerated.

 7 

 8         (a)  The department shall consist of the following
 9  divisions:

10 

11              (vii)  Drinking water division.

12 

13         35-11-108.  Appointment of director and division
14  administrators; qualifications of director; term; salaries;
15  employment of assistants.

16 

17  The governor with the advice and consent of the senate
18  shall appoint a director of the department who is the
19  department's executive and administrative head. The
20  director shall possess technical qualifications and
21  administrative and other experience sufficient to fulfill
22  the duties of his position. The director shall appoint
23  administrators for each of the divisions of abandoned mine
24  land, industrial siting, solid and hazardous waste

Page 14

 

 

 

 1  management, air quality, water quality, and land quality
 2  and drinking water, who are the executive and
 3  administrative heads of their respective divisions. The
 4  administrators shall serve at the pleasure of the director
 5  and are responsible to and under the control and
 6  supervision of the director. The salary and qualifications
 7  of each administrator shall be determined by the human
 8  resources division. The director, with the advice of the
 9  respective administrators, may employ professional,
10  technical and other assistants, along with other employees
11  as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
12  The governor may remove the director as provided in W.S.
13  9-1-202.

14 

15         -11-109.  Powers and duties of director.

16 

17         (a)  In addition to any other powers and duties
18  imposed by law, the director of the department shall:

19 

20              (xvi)  Issue variance and exemptions for primary
21  drinking water regulations pursuant to W.S. 35-11-1905;

22 

23              (xvii)  Designate authorized officers, employees
24  or representatives to enter and inspect any public water

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 1  supply including the right to sample, whether or not the
 2  department has evidence that the system is in violation of
 3  any applicable legal requirement.

 4 

 5         35-11-110.  Powers of administrators of the divisions.

 6 

 7         (a)  The administrators of the air quality, land
 8  quality, and water quality, solid and hazardous waste
 9  management and drinking water divisions, under the control
10  and supervision of the director, shall enforce and
11  administer this act and the rules, regulations and
12  standards promulgated hereunder. Each administrator shall
13  have the following powers:

14 

15         (f)  The administrator of the drinking water division
16  shall enforce and administer the provisions of W.S.
17  35-11-1901 through 35-11-1908. He shall have the powers set
18  forth in subsection (a) of this section.

19 

20         35-11-112.  Powers and duties of the environmental
21  quality council.

22 

23         (a)  The council shall act as the hearing examiner for
24  the department and shall hear and determine all cases or

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 1  issues arising under the laws, rules, regulations,
 2  standards or orders issued or administered by the
 3  department or its air quality, land quality, solid and
 4  hazardous waste management, or water quality or drinking
 5  water divisions. Notwithstanding any other provision of
 6  this act, including this section, the council shall have no
 7  authority to promulgate rules or to hear or determine any
 8  case or issue arising under the laws, rules, regulations,
 9  standards or orders issued or administered by the
10  industrial siting or abandoned mine land divisions of the
11  department. The council shall:

12 

13         35-11-601.  Applications; authority to grant; hearing;
14  limitations; renewals; judicial review; emergencies.

15 

16         (s)  Any application for a variance or exemption from
17  the primary drinking water regulations shall be made solely
18  under the provisions of W.S. 35-11-1905.

19 

20         Section 3.  W.S. 35-11-103(c)(xvii) and (xviii) is
21  repealed.

22 

 

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 1         Section 4.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

 2 

 3                         (END)

 

Page 18