HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2281        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kristin E. Kassner

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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 relative to data collection on below threshold wells.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2281        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to data collection on below threshold wells.

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 20 of Chapter 21G shall be amended to insert the following: - Local boards of health or other permitting bodies that oversee local permitting of wells in municipalities shall provide annually by December 31st, a report of the below-threshold wells permitted to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Data should include, but not be limited to: Location/address of well; primary use (i.e., residential, irrigation, commercial, farming); and year of permit issuance.

SECTION 2. DEP shall use this data to estimate withdrawals from below-threshold wells at a sub-basin scale. Estimated below threshold well withdrawals shall be included in estimates of water withdrawals by basin and considered when DEP is issuing water withdrawal permits.

SECTION 3. Local Boards of Health or other appropriate local permitting authority shall implement water conservation measures for these below-threshold wells during drought consistent with the municipality’s current drought conditions and water use restrictions or in identified flow depleted basins.

SECTION 4. Chapter 21G Section 4 shall be amended to strike the first sentence and replace it with “The withdrawal volume threshold to be applied pursuant to sections five and seven shall be twenty thousand gallons per day.”