Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 40 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 39I the following section:-

Section 39J. In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, either by a vote of the city council, board of selectmen, board of water commissioners, or by vote of said city or town in a general election or town meeting, said city or town shall for the purposes of water conservation, water resource management, water resource planning and comprehensive financial management, adopt a pricing system which includes the costs of the provision of water and sewer services to the residents and industrial and commercial users of said city or town receiving said services. The definition of costs as used in this section shall include, but not be limited to, costs of pipe and related appurtenances, replacement stock for water and sewer, costs relating to the replacement and repair thereof including street work, maintenance of all equipment and related appurtenances necessary for the provision of water or the removal of wastewater services, all costs relating to the metering of water, all related costs of police and fire protection, all administrative costs relating to the collection of said water and sewer fees, all costs of chemicals relating to the treatment of water and wastewater, all costs relating to the personnel of the departments, as well as any long term planning costs for the continued provision of said services, and any costs of land acquisition relating to long range planning and future water supply development or wastewater treatment facilities.

SECTION 2. The method of accounting to be used by any city or town adopting section thirty-nine J of chapter forty of the General Laws, shall conform to the principals and guidelines established by the state bureau of accounts and known as the Universal Massachusetts Accounting System Handbook.

SECTION 3. Any city or town of the commonwealth, or any city or town whose residents and industrial and commercial users are served by a district or a water and sewer commission, otherwise eligible to receive state assistance for any project involving water or sewer works of any kind, administered by any agency of the executive office of environmental affairs shall be given priority consideration if such a city or town has a pricing system which reflects the costs of water and sewer service as defined in section thirty-nine J of chapter forty of the General Laws.