SB1024: Drinking water community confidence reports; publication.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 32.1-170 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 32.1-170. Regulations.

A. The regulations of the Board governing waterworks, water supplies, and pure water shall be designed to protect the public health and promote the public welfare and shall include criteria and procedures to accomplish these purposes.

The regulations may include, without limitation:

1. Requirements and procedures for the issuance of permits required by this article;

2. Minimum health and aesthetic standards for pure water;

3. Minimum standards for the quality of water which may be taken into a waterworks;

4. Criteria for the siting, design, and construction of water supplies and waterworks;

5. Requirements for inspections, examinations, and testing of raw or finished water;

6. A requirement that owners submit (i) regular samples of water for bacteriological, chemical, radiological, physical, or other tests or (ii) the results of such tests from such laboratory as may be acceptable to the Commissioner;

7. Requirements for record keeping and reporting;

8. Methodology for determining the waterworks operation fee authorized by § 32.1-171.1;

9. Requirements and criteria for the development and maintenance of an emergency management plan for each community public water supply for the provision of pure water during any extended power outage; and

10. Such other provisions as may be necessary to guarantee a supply of pure water.

B. The regulations of the Board governing waterworks, water supplies, and pure water shall include a procedure whereby waterworks serving fewer than 10,000 people may seek and the Board may grant a waiver of the requirement that the waterworks mail copies of its consumer confidence report to each customer of the waterworks at least once annually. In such cases, the waterworks owner shall publish, by July 1 of each year, in a newspaper of general circulation serving the area served by the waterworks, and by such other means as the Board may deem appropriate, (i) a copy of the consumer confidence report, (ii) notice that copies of the consumer confidence report will not be mailed to customers of the waterworks, and (iii) notice that copies of the consumer confidence report shall be made available to the public upon request. The waterworks owner shall certify compliance with the requirements of this subsection to the Board no later than October 1 of each year.