House Bill 935

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-26-8, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, RELATING TO THE MISSISSIPPI SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT TO REQUIRE THOSE PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS PROVIDING CORROSION CONTROL TREATMENT TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM'S FACILITIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 41-26-8, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-26-8. (1) The director shall exercise general supervision over the construction and operation of public water systems throughout the state. The general supervision shall include all of the features of construction and operation of public water systems which do or may affect the sanitary quality or the quantity of the water supply.

(2) (a) No person shall construct or change any community public water system or nontransient, noncommunity public water system until the plans for that construction or change have been submitted to and approved by the director. Plans for the construction or change must be prepared by a professional engineer registered in this state.

(b) In addition, each applicant for a new community public water system or nontransient, noncommunity public water system shall submit an operation and maintenance plan for review and approval by the director. The plan must be approved before beginning construction.

(c) In granting any approval under this section, the director may specify any modifications, conditions or limitations as may be required for the protection of the public health and welfare.

(d) The director may also review the source of the water and the quantity of water to be withdrawn.

(e) Records of construction, including plans and descriptions of existing portions of a public water system, shall be made available to the department upon request.

(f) Each applicant for a new community public water system or nontransient, noncommunity public water system shall submit financial and managerial information as required by the public utilities staff. Following review of that information, the executive director of the public utilities staff shall certify in writing to the director the financial and managerial viability of the system if the executive director determines the system is viable. The director shall not approve the construction until that certification is received.

(g) The director shall not approve any plans for changes to an existing community public water system or nontransient, noncommunity public water system, if the director determines the changes would threaten the viability of the system or if the changes may overload the operational capabilities of the system.

(h) Those public water systems determined by the director to be appropriately providing corrosion control treatment shall effectively operate and maintain the system's water treatment facilities in order to continuously provide the optimum pH of the treated water or optimum dosage of corrosion inhibitor.

(3) Each semi-public water system shall notify the department of its location, a responsible party and the number of connections served. The department shall, to the extent practicable, take appropriate actions to ensure that records on semi-public water systems are up-to-date. The board may require water well drillers to provide information on wells drilled for use by semi-public water systems. The department shall at least annually collect a sample from each semi-public water system and shall analyze that sample at no cost to the semi-public water system for microbiological contaminants and any other contaminants deemed appropriate by the department. If the department finds levels of contaminants exceeding the Mississippi Primary Drinking Water Standards, the department shall notify the responsible party and shall provide technical assistance to the system to correct the problem. No semi-public water system shall be subject to the penalty provided under Section 41-26-31, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2002.