HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2403        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2116

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Carolyn C. Dykema

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act providing for the establishment of sustainable water resource funds.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

1/19/2017

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Richard J. Ross

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

 

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

 

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

 

Carmine L. Gentile

13th Middlesex

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

 

F. Jay Barrows

1st Bristol

 

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

 

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

 

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

 

Brian Murray

10th Worcester

 

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

 

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

 

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

 

Natalie Higgins

4th Worcester

 

Christopher M. Markey

9th Bristol

 

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Mathew Muratore

1st Plymouth

 

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

 

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2403        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2116

By Ms. Dykema of Holliston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2116) of Carolyn C. Dykema and others for legislation to establish a sustainable water resource fund to mitigate water shortages.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 657 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act providing for the establishment of sustainable water resource funds.

 

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, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 39L the following new section:

Section 39N. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a city, town, water district, wastewater district, stormwater utility or statutory authority created to operate a water distribution or wastewater collection system or stormwater system which accepts this section may collect a reasonable fee to be used exclusively for measures to remedy and offset the impacts on the natural environment of  new and/or increased water withdrawals, sewering, wastewater discharges, stormwater discharges or impairment of recharge of groundwater through depletion of ground or surface waters, and to sustain the quantity, quality and ecological health, of waters of the commonwealth. Such measures to remedy and offset these impacts include without limitation, local recharge of stormwater and wastewater; redundant water sources; reductions in loss from drinking water systems, treatment of drinking water or interconnections with other systems for the purposes of optimizing water supply sources for environmental benefit;  expansion of stormwater treatment and wastewater treatment systems; reuse of water; removal of sewer infiltration and inflow; water conservation; retrofits of existing buildings and parking lots with low impact development methods; removal of dams; improvements to aquatic habitat; development of integrated water resources management plans, studies and planning to mitigate environmental impacts; and, land acquisition for the protection of public water supply sources, siting of decentralized wastewater facilities, stormwater recharge sites or for riparian habitat. The fee, which may be based on retaining within the basin or saving at least one gallon, but no more than ten gallons, for every gallon of increased water or sewer demand, or net impairment of recharge shall be assessed in a fair and equitable manner and separate fees may be established for different types of uses, such as residential and commercial uses.

(b) When adopting this section, the city, town, district or statutory authority shall designate the board, commission, or official responsible for assessing, collecting, and expending such fee. Fees assessed pursuant to this section shall be deposited by the designated board, commission, or official in separate accounts classified as "Sustainable Water Resource Funds" for drinking water, wastewater or stormwater. The principal and interest thereon shall be expended at the direction of the designated board, commission, or official without further appropriation. These Funds shall not be used for any purpose not provided in this section. These Funds may also receive monies from public and private sources as gifts, grants, and donations to further water conservation, water return or water loss prevention; from the federal government as reimbursements, grants-in-aid or other receipts on account of water infrastructure improvements; or fines, penalties or supplemental environmental projects. Any interest earned from whatever source shall be credited to and become part of said Fund.

(c) A city, town, district, or authority that has accepted this section may in the same manner revoke its acceptance. Monies remaining in the fund shall be expended in a manner consistent with this section.