FILED ON: 7/23/2012

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2370

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

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An Act relative to water conservation.

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. Section 2 of chapter 21G of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of "Existing withdrawal" the following definition:-

"Irrigation system", any assemblage of components, materials or special equipment which is constructed and installed underground or on the surface for controlled dispersion of water from any safe and suitable source, for the purpose of irrigating landscape vegetation or the control of dust and erosion on landscaped areas, including integral pumping systems and required wiring within that system and connections to a public or private water supply system; provided however, that  an irrigation system shall not include plumbing or a plumbing system as defined in chapter 142.

SECTION 2. Said chapter 21G of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 21.  (a) The department shall adopt, and may amend, regulations that require system interruption devices for newly installed or renovated irrigation systems to override and suspend the programmed operation of the irrigation system during periods of sufficient moisture.  The department shall specify the criteria that devices are required to meet under this section. Said regulations shall: (i) be in accordance with generally accepted standards of irrigation practice; (ii) include a requirement that all such devices be inspected at least every 3 years by a watersense partner of the United States Environmental Protection Agency; and (iii) require each irrigation contractor to complete and submit documentation, along with a reasonable fee, to the municipality or the municipality’s board of water commissioners for each newly installed or renovated irrigation system in that municipality.  The department may impose reasonable fines for a violation of the regulations promulgated under this section.

(b) This section shall not apply to systems operating on golf courses or agricultural lands.