Community Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Act; create.

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To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Powell

HOUSE BILL NO. 1306

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "COMMUNITY DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 1
SUSTAINABILITY ACT"; PROVIDE A STATEWIDE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY 2
FOR COMMUNITY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS; TO PROVIDE FOR RULEMAKING BY 3
THE MISSISSIPPI BOARD OF HEALTH; TO PROVIDE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A 4
LETTER GRADE SCHEDULE REFLECTIVE OF COMMUNITY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM 5
QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE; TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLICATION OF QUALITY AND 6
PERFORMANCE SCORES AND LETTER GRADES; TO AMEND SECTION 19-5-151, 7
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN UTILITY DISTRICTS 8
TO DISSOLVE WHENEVER A MAJORITY OF THE LANDOWNERS OF ANY SUCH 9
DISTRICT SIGN AND FILE WITH THE CLERK OF THE CHANCERY COURT BY 10
WHICH SUCH DISTRICT WAS ORGANIZED, OR IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH SUCH 11
DISTRICT WAS ORGANIZED, A PETITION FOR THE DISSOLUTION OF SUCH 12
DISTRICT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 19-5-165, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 13
1972, WHICH RELATES TO NEWLY FORMED WATER DISTRICT ASSETS AND 14
LIABILITIES, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD 15
SECTIONS 41-3-15 AND 41-26-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH 16
RELATE TO THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE 17
AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 18
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 19
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 20
"Community Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Act". 21
SECTION 2. For purposes of this act, the following words and 22
phrases have the meanings as provided in this section unless the 23
context clearly indicates otherwise: 24
(a) "Community Public Water System" means a public 25
water system serving at least fifteen (15) individual service 26
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connections used by year-round consumers or regularly servicing at 27
least twenty-five (25) individual consumers year-round. 28
(b) "Board" means the Mississippi State Board of 29
Health. 30
(c) "Person" means an individual, corporation, company, 31
association, partnership, municipality or federal agency. 32
SECTION 3. There is established a community public water 33
system accountability process to: 34
(a) Support drinking water infrastructure 35
sustainability for the citizens of Mississippi. 36
(b) Promote the protection of the citizens of 37
Mississippi from poor water quality and deficient service by 38
assuring the drinking water provided by Community Public Water 39
Systems remains consistently at levels essential for health, 40
safety, welfare, and long-term sustainability. 41
(c) Establish a transparent accountability process that 42
creates clear standards and expectations for Community Public 43
Water Systems so that assessment of their quality, performance, 44
and sustainability will be understood. 45
SECTION 4. The Mississippi Board of Health shall create and 46
administer a statewide framework of accountability for community 47
public water systems. The framework shall include a letter grade 48
schedule based on, at minimum, the following criteria: 49
(a) Federal water quality violation history. 50
(b) State violation history. 51
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(c) Water system financial sustainability. 52
(d) Operation and maintenance performance history. 53
(e) Infrastructure condition and compliance. 54
(f) Customer satisfaction. 55
(g) Levels of secondary contaminants. 56
SECTION 5. (1) The board shall promulgate rules and 57
regulations to establish and implement the community public water 58
system letter grade schedule provided for in this act. The rules 59
and regulations shall provide clear and appropriate point values 60
for each standard set forth in this section and other assessed 61
criteria as determined by the board that is used to calculate the 62
community public water system's letter grade. Point values shall 63
be based on objective criteria so that each community public water 64
system is assessed equally and fairly. Community Public Water 65
Systems shall be assigned a letter grade of "A", "B", "C", "D", or 66
"F". A consolidated score and letter grade shall be calculated on 67
a weighted-average basis for any person owning more than one (1) 68
community public water system in the state. 69
(2) For each community public water system, the board shall 70
publish on its website an annual report summarizing the board's 71
assessment, scores and letter grade. Every community public water 72
system shall provide notification to its customers of the board's 73
published score and letter grade within thirty (30) days following 74
publication by the board in a manner to be established by 75
regulation by the board. 76
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SECTION 6. The board shall publish the first letter grades 77
issued pursuant to this act no later than January 1, 2028. 78
SECTION 7. Section 19-5-151, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 79
amended as follows: 80
19-5-151. (1) Any contiguous area situated within any 81
county of the state, and not being situated within the corporate 82
boundaries of any existing municipality, and having no adequate 83
water system, sewer system, garbage and waste collection and 84
disposal system, or fire protection facilities serving such area, 85
may become incorporated as a water district, as a sewer district, 86
as a garbage and waste collection and disposal district, as a fire 87
protection district, as a combined water and sewer district, as a 88
combined water and garbage and waste collection and disposal 89
district, as a combined water and fire protection district, or as 90
a combined water, sewer, garbage and waste collection and disposal 91
and fire protection district, in the manner set forth in the 92
following sections. 93
(2) If the certificated area of a nonprofit, nonshare 94
corporation chartered under the Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation 95
Act for the purpose of owning and operating rural waterworks lies 96
in one (1) county, the corporation may become incorporated as a 97
water district in the manner set forth in Section 19-5-153(3). If 98
the nonprofit, nonshare corporation's certificated area lies in 99
more than one (1) county, the procedure in Section 19-5-164 shall 100
be used. 101
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(3) (a) Whenever a majority of the landowners of any such 102
district, excluding lands owned by the state, shall sign and file 103
with the clerk of the chancery court by which such district was 104
organized, or in the county in which such district was organized, 105
a petition for the dissolution of such district, it shall be the 106
duty of the clerk to give notice thereof by publishing the notice 107
for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper published in the 108
county, or in each of the counties in which lands of the district 109
lie. 110
Such notice shall be addressed to all persons interested in 111
the district and shall command them to appear before the chancery 112
court at a place named within the chancery court district on a day 113
certain in term time, or before the chancellor in vacation, not 114
earlier than twenty (20) days nor more than sixty (60) days after 115
the date of the first publication of the notice, and show cause, 116
if any they can, why the district should not be dissolved. Upon 117
the first publication of such notice, all proceedings of every 118
kind of the district and of the commissioners of the district 119
shall be discontinued until the hearing of such cause as herein 120
provided. 121
Such chancery court, or the chancellor thereof in vacation, 122
shall take jurisdiction of such cause and shall hear the same on 123
the return day thereof in the same manner as other causes in 124
chancery. 125
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If upon the hearing of such cause it appears that it is to 126
the best interests of the landowners of the district that such 127
district be dissolved, such court or chancellor shall enter an 128
order dissolving the district, decreeing that no further expenses 129
or indebtedness be incurred or contracted by the commissioners of 130
such district. 131
The commissioners of such district shall immediately and 132
within ten (10) days thereafter deposit with the clerk of the 133
court in which the proceedings are pending all papers, records, 134
and documents of the district. 135
If it appears that it is not to the best interests of the 136
landowners of the such district that it be dissolved, the 137
chancellor or chancery court shall so decree. 138
If it appears to the chancery court or chancellor that it is 139
to the best interests of the district that it be dissolved and the 140
decree is entered accordingly, the costs of the proceeding, 141
including solicitors fees as might be allowed by the court, shall 142
be assessed and taxed by the court to be collected on an acreage 143
basis on the lands within the district; and thereafter the 144
district shall be dissolved and shall have no further powers or 145
authorities under the law whatsoever. 146
If such district is not dissolved, such costs, attorneys 147
fees, and expenses as may be involved shall be assessed against 148
the petitioners; and the district shall be absolved from any 149
liability on account thereof. 150
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Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to impair or 151
affect any contract or other obligation of any such district, but 152
persons holding claims against such district shall, on notice of 153
the dissolution thereof as provided herein, file any such claims 154
as they may have against such district. If the court should 155
decree that such district should be liquidated, all of the claims 156
shall be passed upon by the chancery court or chancellor, as the 157
case may be, and if found just, a levy shall be made upon the 158
lands upon an acreage basis as hereinabove provided, in order to 159
liquidate and pay such indebtedness as may be found due and owing 160
by the district. 161
(b) If the commissioners of the water district wish to 162
establish a water association, the court order of dissolution 163
shall also decree that commissioners incorporate as a water 164
association under Sections 79-11-101 through 79-11-407 of the 165
Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Act. 166
SECTION 8. Section 19-5-165, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 167
brought forward as follows: 168
19-5-165. (1) Beginning on the date of the adoption of the 169
resolution creating any district, the district shall be a public 170
corporation in perpetuity under its corporate name and shall, in 171
that name, be a body politic and corporate with power of perpetual 172
succession. 173
(2) If the creation of the district is initiated in 174
accordance with Section 19-5-153(3), all assets and liabilities of 175
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the nonprofit, nonshare corporation shall become the assets and 176
liabilities of the newly organized district without any further 177
meetings, voting, notice to creditors or actions by members of the 178
board beginning on the date of adoption of the resolution of the 179
board of supervisors creating the district. 180
SECTION 9. Section 41-3-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 181
brought forward as follows: 182
41-3-15. (1) (a) There shall be a State Department of 183
Health. 184
(b) The State Board of Health shall have the following 185
powers and duties: 186
(i) To formulate the policy of the State 187
Department of Health regarding public health matters within the 188
jurisdiction of the department; 189
(ii) To adopt, modify, repeal and promulgate, 190
after due notice and hearing, and enforce rules and regulations 191
implementing or effectuating the powers and duties of the 192
department under any and all statutes within the department's 193
jurisdiction, and as the board may deem necessary; 194
(iii) To apply for, receive, accept and expend any 195
federal or state funds or contributions, gifts, trusts, devises, 196
bequests, grants, endowments or funds from any other source or 197
transfers of property of any kind; 198
(iv) To enter into, and to authorize the executive 199
officer to execute contracts, grants and cooperative agreements 200
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with any federal or state agency or subdivision thereof, or any 201
public or private institution located inside or outside the State 202
of Mississippi, or any person, corporation or association in 203
connection with carrying out the provisions of this chapter, if it 204
finds those actions to be in the public interest and the contracts 205
or agreements do not have a financial cost that exceeds the 206
amounts appropriated for those purposes by the Legislature; 207
(v) To appoint, upon recommendation of the 208
Executive Officer of the State Department of Health, a Director of 209
Internal Audit who shall be either a Certified Public Accountant 210
or Certified Internal Auditor, and whose employment shall be 211
continued at the discretion of the board, and who shall report 212
directly to the board, or its designee; and 213
(vi) To discharge such other duties, 214
responsibilities and powers as are necessary to implement the 215
provisions of this chapter. 216
(c) The Executive Officer of the State Department of 217
Health shall have the following powers and duties: 218
(i) To administer the policies of the State Board 219
of Health within the authority granted by the board; 220
(ii) To supervise and direct all administrative 221
and technical activities of the department, except that the 222
department's internal auditor shall be subject to the sole 223
supervision and direction of the board; 224
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(iii) To organize the administrative units of the 225
department in accordance with the plan adopted by the board and, 226
with board approval, alter the organizational plan and reassign 227
responsibilities as he or she may deem necessary to carry out the 228
policies of the board; 229
(iv) To coordinate the activities of the various 230
offices of the department; 231
(v) To employ, subject to regulations of the State 232
Personnel Board, qualified professional personnel in the subject 233
matter or fields of each office, and such other technical and 234
clerical staff as may be required for the operation of the 235
department. The executive officer shall be the appointing 236
authority for the department, and shall have the power to delegate 237
the authority to appoint or dismiss employees to appropriate 238
subordinates, subject to the rules and regulations of the State 239
Personnel Board; 240
(vi) To recommend to the board such studies and 241
investigations as he or she may deem appropriate, and to carry out 242
the approved recommendations in conjunction with the various 243
offices; 244
(vii) To prepare and deliver to the Legislature 245
and the Governor on or before January 1 of each year, and at such 246
other times as may be required by the Legislature or Governor, a 247
full report of the work of the department and the offices thereof, 248
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including a detailed statement of expenditures of the department 249
and any recommendations the board may have; 250
(viii) To prepare and deliver to the Chairmen of 251
the Public Health and Welfare/Human Services Committees of the 252
Senate and House on or before January 1 of each year, a plan for 253
monitoring infant mortality in Mississippi and a full report of 254
the work of the department on reducing Mississippi's infant 255
mortality and morbidity rates and improving the status of maternal 256
and infant health; and 257
(ix) To enter into contracts, grants and 258
cooperative agreements with any federal or state agency or 259
subdivision thereof, or any public or private institution located 260
inside or outside the State of Mississippi, or any person, 261
corporation or association in connection with carrying out the 262
provisions of this chapter, if he or she finds those actions to be 263
in the public interest and the contracts or agreements do not have 264
a financial cost that exceeds the amounts appropriated for those 265
purposes by the Legislature. Each contract or agreement entered 266
into by the executive officer shall be submitted to the board 267
before its next meeting. 268
(2) The State Board of Health shall have the authority to 269
establish an Office of Rural Health within the department. The 270
duties and responsibilities of this office shall include the 271
following: 272
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(a) To collect and evaluate data on rural health 273
conditions and needs; 274
(b) To engage in policy analysis, policy development 275
and economic impact studies with regard to rural health issues; 276
(c) To develop and implement plans and provide 277
technical assistance to enable community health systems to respond 278
to various changes in their circumstances; 279
(d) To plan and assist in professional recruitment and 280
retention of medical professionals and assistants; and 281
(e) To establish information clearinghouses to improve 282
access to and sharing of rural health care information. 283
(3) The State Board of Health shall have general supervision 284
of the health interests of the people of the state and to exercise 285
the rights, powers and duties of those acts which it is authorized 286
by law to enforce. 287
(4) The State Board of Health shall have authority: 288
(a) To make investigations and inquiries with respect 289
to the causes of disease and death, and to investigate the effect 290
of environment, including conditions of employment and other 291
conditions that may affect health, and to make such other 292
investigations as it may deem necessary for the preservation and 293
improvement of health. 294
(b) To make such sanitary investigations as it may, 295
from time to time, deem necessary for the protection and 296
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improvement of health and to investigate nuisance questions that 297
affect the security of life and health within the state. 298
(c) To direct and control sanitary and quarantine 299
measures for dealing with all diseases within the state possible 300
to suppress same and prevent their spread. 301
(d) To obtain, collect and preserve such information 302
relative to mortality, morbidity, disease and health as may be 303
useful in the discharge of its duties or may contribute to the 304
prevention of disease or the promotion of health in this state. 305
(e) To charge and collect reasonable fees for health 306
services, including immunizations, inspections and related 307
activities, and the board shall charge fees for those services; 308
however, if it is determined that a person receiving services is 309
unable to pay the total fee, the board shall collect any amount 310
that the person is able to pay. Any increase in the fees charged 311
by the board under this paragraph shall be in accordance with the 312
provisions of Section 41-3-65. 313
(f) (i) To establish standards for, issue permits and 314
exercise control over, any cafes, restaurants, food or drink 315
stands, sandwich manufacturing establishments, and all other 316
establishments, other than churches, church-related and private 317
schools, and other nonprofit or charitable organizations, where 318
food or drink is regularly prepared, handled and served for pay; 319
and 320
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(ii) To require that a permit be obtained from the 321
Department of Health before those persons begin operation. If any 322
such person fails to obtain the permit required in this 323
subparagraph (ii), the State Board of Health, after due notice and 324
opportunity for a hearing, may impose a monetary penalty not to 325
exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for each violation. 326
However, the department is not authorized to impose a monetary 327
penalty against any person whose gross annual prepared food sales 328
are less than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00). Money collected 329
by the board under this subparagraph (ii) shall be deposited to 330
the credit of the State General Fund of the State Treasury. 331
(g) To promulgate rules and regulations and exercise 332
control over the production and sale of milk pursuant to the 333
provisions of Sections 75-31-41 through 75-31-49. 334
(h) On presentation of proper authority, to enter into 335
and inspect any public place or building where the State Health 336
Officer or his representative deems it necessary and proper to 337
enter for the discovery and suppression of disease and for the 338
enforcement of any health or sanitary laws and regulations in the 339
state. 340
(i) To conduct investigations, inquiries and hearings, 341
and to issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the 342
production of books and records at any hearing when authorized and 343
required by statute to be conducted by the State Health Officer or 344
the State Board of Health. 345
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(j) To promulgate rules and regulations, and to collect 346
data and information, on (i) the delivery of services through the 347
practice of telemedicine; and (ii) the use of electronic records 348
for the delivery of telemedicine services. 349
(k) To enforce and regulate domestic and imported fish 350
as authorized under Section 69-7-601 et seq. 351
(5) (a) The State Board of Health shall have the authority, 352
in its discretion, to establish programs to promote the public 353
health, to be administered by the State Department of Health. 354
Specifically, those programs may include, but shall not be limited 355
to, programs in the following areas: 356
(i) Maternal and child health; 357
(ii) Family planning; 358
(iii) Pediatric services; 359
(iv) Services to crippled and disabled children; 360
(v) Control of communicable and noncommunicable 361
disease; 362
(vi) Chronic disease; 363
(vii) Accidental deaths and injuries; 364
(viii) Child care licensure; 365
(ix) Radiological health; 366
(x) Dental health; 367
(xi) Milk sanitation; 368
(xii) Occupational safety and health; 369
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(xiii) Food, vector control and general 370
sanitation; 371
(xiv) Protection of drinking water; 372
(xv) Sanitation in food handling establishments 373
open to the public; 374
(xvi) Registration of births and deaths and other 375
vital events; 376
(xvii) Such public health programs and services as 377
may be assigned to the State Board of Health by the Legislature or 378
by executive order; and 379
(xviii) Regulation of domestic and imported fish 380
for human consumption. 381
(b) [Deleted] 382
(c) The State Department of Health may undertake such 383
technical programs and activities as may be required for the 384
support and operation of those programs, including maintaining 385
physical, chemical, bacteriological and radiological laboratories, 386
and may make such diagnostic tests for diseases and tests for the 387
evaluation of health hazards as may be deemed necessary for the 388
protection of the people of the state. 389
(6) (a) The State Board of Health shall administer the 390
local governments and rural water systems improvements loan 391
program in accordance with the provisions of Section 41-3-16. 392
(b) The State Board of Health shall have authority: 393
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(i) To enter into capitalization grant agreements 394
with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or any 395
successor agency thereto; 396
(ii) To accept capitalization grant awards made 397
under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended; 398
(iii) To provide annual reports and audits to the 399
United States Environmental Protection Agency, as may be required 400
by federal capitalization grant agreements; and 401
(iv) To establish and collect fees to defray the 402
reasonable costs of administering the revolving fund or emergency 403
fund if the State Board of Health determines that those costs will 404
exceed the limitations established in the federal Safe Drinking 405
Water Act, as amended. The administration fees may be included in 406
loan amounts to loan recipients for the purpose of facilitating 407
payment to the board; however, those fees may not exceed five 408
percent (5%) of the loan amount. 409
(7) [Deleted] 410
(8) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, the 411
State Department of Health shall have the following specific 412
powers: The State Department of Health is authorized to issue a 413
license to an existing home health agency for the transfer of a 414
county from that agency to another existing home health agency, 415
and to charge a fee for reviewing and making a determination on 416
the application for such transfer not to exceed one-half (1/2) of 417
the authorized fee assessed for the original application for the 418
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home health agency, with the revenue to be deposited by the State 419
Department of Health into the special fund created under Section 420
41-7-188. 421
(9) [Deleted] 422
(10) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, 423
the State Department of Health shall have the following specific 424
powers: The State Department of Health is authorized to extend 425
and renew any certificate of need that has expired, and to charge 426
a fee for reviewing and making a determination on the application 427
for such action not to exceed one-half (1/2) of the authorized fee 428
assessed for the original application for the certificate of need, 429
with the revenue to be deposited by the State Department of Health 430
into the special fund created under Section 41-7-188. 431
(11) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, 432
the State Department of Health shall have the following specific 433
powers: The State Department of Health is authorized and 434
empowered, to revoke, immediately, the license and require closure 435
of any institution for the aged or infirm, including any other 436
remedy less than closure to protect the health and safety of the 437
residents of said institution or the health and safety of the 438
general public. 439
(12) Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, 440
the State Department of Health shall have the following specific 441
powers: The State Department of Health is authorized and 442
empowered, to require the temporary detainment of individuals for 443
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disease control purposes based upon violation of any order of the 444
State Health Officer, as provided in Section 41-23-5. For the 445
purpose of enforcing such orders of the State Health Officer, 446
persons employed by the department as investigators shall have 447
general arrest powers. All law enforcement officers are 448
authorized and directed to assist in the enforcement of such 449
orders of the State Health Officer. 450
(13) Additionally, the State Board of Health and the State 451
Health Officer each are authorized and directed to study the 452
status of health care, in its broadest sense, throughout the 453
state. The study should include challenges such as access to 454
care; the cost of care; indigent care; providing health care to 455
the incarcerated; the availability of health care workers, 456
paraprofessionals, and professionals; the effects of unhealthy 457
lifestyle choices; the consequences of health care facilities 458
locating in affluent and urban areas to the detriment of less 459
affluent areas, small towns, and rural areas; and negative trends 460
which may cause ill effects if they continue. The study shall 461
also include opportunities to improve health care, such as greater 462
coordination among state agencies, local governments, and other 463
entities which provide various types of health care; methods of 464
increasing the health care workforce; and methods to increase the 465
location of health care facilities in distressed areas, rural 466
areas, and small towns. All state agencies, the Legislative 467
Budget Office and the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance 468
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Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) are directed to assist 469
the department in developing this study. This provision does not 470
by itself grant any additional power to the State Board of Health 471
or the State Health Officer to require any entity to operate 472
differently. It does, however, empower and direct them to obtain 473
information and make recommendations, and it does require all 474
entities to cooperate with the board and health officer as they 475
seek information. 476
SECTION 10. Section 41-26-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 477
brought forward as follows: 478
41-26-3. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms 479
shall have the meaning ascribed herein unless the context clearly 480
indicates otherwise: 481
(a) "Administrator" means the Administrator of the U.S. 482
Environmental Protection Agency or the administrator's designee. 483
(b) "Board" means the Mississippi State Board of 484
Health. 485
(c) "Community public water system" means a public 486
water system serving at least fifteen (15) individual service 487
connections used by year-round consumers or regularly servicing at 488
least twenty-five (25) individual consumers year-round. 489
(d) "Construction" means any placement, assembly or 490
installation of facilities or equipment, including contractual 491
obligations to purchase those facilities or equipment, at the 492
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location where the equipment will be used, including any 493
preparation work at any location. 494
(e) "Contaminant" means any physical, chemical, 495
biological or radiological substance or matter in water. 496
(f) "Cross connection" means any direct interconnection 497
between a public water system and a nonpublic water system or 498
other source which may result in the contamination of the drinking 499
water provided by the public water system. 500
(g) "Department" means the Mississippi State Department 501
of Health. 502
(h) "Director" means the State Health Officer or the 503
health officer's designee. 504
(i) "Federal act" means the Safe Drinking Water Act of 505
1974, as amended, principally codified as 42 USCS Section 300(f) 506
et seq. 507
(j) "Federal agency" means any department, agency or 508
instrumentality of the United States. 509
(k) "Interested party" means any person claiming an 510
interest in the water system operation that is the subject of the 511
hearing and who may be affected by the water system. 512
(l) "Maximum contaminant level" means the maximum 513
permissible level of a contaminant in water which is delivered to 514
any user of a public water system. 515
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(m) "Municipality" means a city, town, village or other 516
public body created by state law, or an Indian tribal organization 517
authorized by law. 518
(n) "National primary drinking water regulations" means 519
primary drinking water regulations promulgated by the 520
administrator under the federal act. 521
(o) "Nontransient, noncommunity public water system" 522
means a public water system that is not a community water system 523
and that regularly serves at least twenty-five (25) of the same 524
persons over six (6) months per year. 525
(p) "Person" means an individual, corporation, company, 526
association, partnership, municipality or federal agency. 527
(q) "Public water system" means a system for providing 528
to the public piped water for human consumption through pipes or 529
other constructed conveyances if the system has at least fifteen 530
(15) service connections or regularly serves at least twenty-five 531
(25) individuals. The term includes but is not limited to: 532
(i) Any collection, treatment, storage and 533
distribution facilities under control of the operator of the 534
system and used primarily in connection with the system; and 535
(ii) Any collection or pre-treatment storage 536
facilities not under the control which are used primarily in 537
connection with the system. 538
(r) "Semi-public water system" means a system for the 539
provision to the public of water for human consumption through 540
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ST: Community Drinking Water Infrastructure
Sustainability Act; create.
pipes or other constructed conveyances if the system has more than 541
one (1) but less than fifteen (15) service connections. 542
(s) "Supplier of water" means any person who owns, or 543
controls a public water system. 544
(t) "Violator" means a public water system, an officer 545
or director of a public water system, an operator, certified or 546
otherwise, or any other person designated by a public water system 547
or the department as the official responsible for the operation of 548
a public water system. 549
SECTION 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from 550
and after July 1, 2026. 551