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| SPONSOR: | King | DATE TYPED: | 02/27/01 | HB | 679 | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | "Public Water Supply System" Defined | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Belmares | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| See Fiscal Implications section below. | |||||
Duplicates SB 519
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Department of Environment (DOE)
New Mexico Utility Operators Certification Act
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 679 amends the definition of "public water system" in the Utility Operators Certification Act (61-33-1 through 61-33-10 NMSA 1978). The definition is expanded to include suppliers of water for human consumption that use constructed conveyances that are not pipes.
Significant Issues
Before the 1996 amendments, the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) defined "public water system" as a system that provided piped water for human consumption. The 1996 amendments to the SDWA expanded the definition of "public water supply" to include systems providing water for human consumption that deliver this water by "constructed conveyances" such as irrigation canals.
The Department of Environment asserts the following: (1) amendment to the New Mexico Utility Operators Certification Act contained in the bill is necessary to track the changes in the federal act; (2) the definition of "public water supply" is central to delineating the scope of many SDWA requirements; and, (3) the change in definition of "public water supply" will also protect the federal grant "set-aside" of approximately $1,500.0. and allow the Department of Environment retain its primary of the Safe Drinking Water Act program.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The Department of Environment asserts the change in definition of "public water supply" will also protect the federal grant "set-aside" of approximately $1,500.0. This federal funding is the state "set-aside" used to develop technical and managerial capacity in local water systems.
DUPLICATION
House Bill 679 duplicates Senate Bill 519.
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