Bill Text: CT SB01111 | 2013 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Requiring Certain Water Pollution Control Authorities To Operate Pursuant To An Interlocal Agreement And Concerning The Liability Of Water Companies For Damages Caused By A Leak Or Break In A Water Main.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-24 - Referred by Senate to Committee on Judiciary [SB01111 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2013-SB01111-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 1111 | ||
January Session, 2013 |
LCO No. 4154 | ||
*04154_______PD_* | |||
Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
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Introduced by: |
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(PD) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING RATE INCREASES BY WATER POLLUTION CONTROL AUTHORITIES RECEIVING STATE GRANTS FOR WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PROJECTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 7-255 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
(a) The water pollution control authority may establish and revise fair and reasonable charges for connection with and for the use of a sewerage system. Except as required by section 7-256, any water pollution control authority that, through a municipality, receives a grant pursuant to section 22a-478 for a water pollution control project involving a sewerage system that serves customers in more than one municipality shall obtain the approval of a majority of the chief elected officials of such municipalities before revising such charges. The owner of property against which any such connection or use charge is levied shall be liable for the payment thereof. Municipally-owned and other tax-exempt property which uses the sewerage system shall be subject to such charges under the same conditions as are the owners of other property, but nothing herein shall be deemed to authorize the levying of any property tax by any municipality against any property exempt by the general statutes from property taxation. No charge for connection with or for the use of a sewerage system shall be established or revised until after a public hearing before the water pollution control authority at which the owner of property against which the charges are to be levied shall have an opportunity to be heard concerning the proposed charges. Notice of the time, place and purpose of such hearing shall be published at least ten days before the date thereof in a newspaper having a general circulation in the municipality. A copy of the proposed charges shall be on file in the office of the clerk of the municipality and available for inspection by the public for at least ten days before the date of such hearing. When the water pollution control authority has established or revised such charges, it shall file a copy thereof in the office of the clerk of the municipality and, not later than five days after such filing, shall cause the same to be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the municipality. Such publication shall state the date on which such charges were filed and the time and manner of paying such charges and shall state that any appeals from such charges must be taken within twenty-one days after such filing. In establishing or revising such charges the water pollution control authority may classify the property connected or to be connected with the sewer system and the users of such system, including categories of industrial users, and may give consideration to any factors relating to the kind, quality or extent of use of any such property or classification of property or users including, but not limited to, (1) the volume of water discharged to the sewerage system, (2) the type or size of building connected with the sewerage system, (3) the number of plumbing fixtures connected with the sewerage system, (4) the number of persons customarily using the property served by the sewerage system, (5) in the case of commercial or industrial property, the average number of employees and guests using the property and (6) the quality and character of the material discharged into the sewerage system. The water pollution control authority may establish minimum charges for connection with and for the use of a sewerage system. Any person aggrieved by any charge for connection with or for the use of a sewerage system may appeal to the superior court for the judicial district wherein the municipality is located and shall bring any such appeal to a return day of said court not less than twelve or more than thirty days after service thereof. The judgment of the court shall be final.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2013 |
7-255(a) |
Statement of Purpose:
To require water pollution control authorities receiving certain state grants for water pollution control projects to obtain the approval of a majority of chief elected officials of all municipalities served by a sewerage system before raising rates, except to the extent such rates must be raised to fulfill obligations to bondholders.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]