Bill Text: MN SF243 | 2013-2014 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Water supply demand reduction measures conservation rate structures requirement
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-05-06 - Chief author added Stumpf [SF243 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2013-SF243-Introduced.html
1.2relating to water; requiring conservation rate structures under certain conditions;
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivisions 3, 4.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivision 3, is amended to
1.6read:
1.7 Subd. 3. Water supply plans; demand reduction. (a) Every public water supplier
1.8serving more than 1,000 people must submit a water supply plan to the commissioner
1.9for approval by January 1, 1996. In accordance with guidelines developed by the
1.10commissioner, the plan must address projected demands, adequacy of the water supply
1.11system and planned improvements, existing and future water sources, natural resource
1.12impacts or limitations, emergency preparedness, water conservation, supply and demand
1.13reduction measures, and allocation priorities that are consistent with section103G.261 .
1.14Public water suppliers must update their plan and, upon notification, submit it to the
1.15commissioner for approval every ten years.
1.16 (b) The water supply plan in paragraph (a) is required for all communities in the
1.17metropolitan area, as defined in section473.121 , with a municipal water supply system
1.18and is a required element of the local comprehensive plan required under section473.859 .
1.19Water supply plans or updates submitted after December 31, 2008, must be consistent
1.20with the metropolitan area master water supply plan required under section473.1565 ,
1.21subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2).
1.22 (c) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people must encourage
1.23water conservation by employing water use demand reduction measures, as defined in
1.24subdivision 4, paragraph (a), before requesting approval from the commissioner of health
2.1under section144.383, paragraph (a) , to construct a public water supply well or requesting
2.2an increase in the authorized volume of appropriation. The demand reduction measures
2.3must include a conservation rate structure, as defined in subdivision 4, unless the recharge
2.4rates for all groundwater sources being utilized by the public water supplier are known. The
2.5commissioner of natural resources and the water supplier shall use a collaborative process
2.6to achieve demand reduction measures as a part of a water supply plan review process.
2.7 (d) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people must submit records
2.8that indicate the number of connections and amount of use by customer category and
2.9volume of water unaccounted for with the annual report of water use required under
2.10section103G.281, subdivision 3 .
2.11 (e) For the purposes of this section, "public water supplier" means an entity that owns,
2.12manages, or operates a public water supply, as defined in section144.382, subdivision 4 .
2.13 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.14 Subd. 4. Demand reduction measures. (a) For the purposes of this section,
2.15"demand reduction measures" means measures that reduce water demand, water losses,
2.16peak water demands, and nonessential water uses. Demand reduction measures must
2.17include a conservation rate structure, or a uniform rate structure with a conservation
2.18program that achieves demand reduction. A "conservation rate structure" means a rate
2.19structure that encourages conservation and may include increasing block rates, seasonal
2.20rates, time of use rates, individualized goal rates, or excess use rates. If a conservation
2.21rate is applied to multifamily dwellings, the rate structure must consider each residential
2.22unit as an individual user.
2.23 (b) To encourage conservation, a public water supplier serving more than 1,000
2.24people must implement demand reduction measures by January 1, 2015. The demand
2.25reduction measures must include a conservation rate structure unless the recharge rates for
2.26all groundwater sources being utilized by the public water supplier are known.
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivisions 3, 4.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivision 3, is amended to
1.6read:
1.7 Subd. 3. Water supply plans; demand reduction. (a) Every public water supplier
1.8serving more than 1,000 people must submit a water supply plan to the commissioner
1.9for approval by January 1, 1996. In accordance with guidelines developed by the
1.10commissioner, the plan must address projected demands, adequacy of the water supply
1.11system and planned improvements, existing and future water sources, natural resource
1.12impacts or limitations, emergency preparedness, water conservation, supply and demand
1.13reduction measures, and allocation priorities that are consistent with section
1.14Public water suppliers must update their plan and, upon notification, submit it to the
1.15commissioner for approval every ten years.
1.16 (b) The water supply plan in paragraph (a) is required for all communities in the
1.17metropolitan area, as defined in section
1.18and is a required element of the local comprehensive plan required under section
1.19Water supply plans or updates submitted after December 31, 2008, must be consistent
1.20with the metropolitan area master water supply plan required under section
1.21subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2).
1.22 (c) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people must encourage
1.23water conservation by employing water use demand reduction measures, as defined in
1.24subdivision 4, paragraph (a), before requesting approval from the commissioner of health
2.1under section
2.2an increase in the authorized volume of appropriation. The demand reduction measures
2.3must include a conservation rate structure, as defined in subdivision 4, unless the recharge
2.4rates for all groundwater sources being utilized by the public water supplier are known. The
2.5commissioner of natural resources and the water supplier shall use a collaborative process
2.6to achieve demand reduction measures as a part of a water supply plan review process.
2.7 (d) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people must submit records
2.8that indicate the number of connections and amount of use by customer category and
2.9volume of water unaccounted for with the annual report of water use required under
2.10section
2.11 (e) For the purposes of this section, "public water supplier" means an entity that owns,
2.12manages, or operates a public water supply, as defined in section
2.13 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 103G.291, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.14 Subd. 4. Demand reduction measures. (a) For the purposes of this section,
2.15"demand reduction measures" means measures that reduce water demand, water losses,
2.16peak water demands, and nonessential water uses. Demand reduction measures must
2.17include a conservation rate structure, or a uniform rate structure with a conservation
2.18program that achieves demand reduction. A "conservation rate structure" means a rate
2.19structure that encourages conservation and may include increasing block rates, seasonal
2.20rates, time of use rates, individualized goal rates, or excess use rates. If a conservation
2.21rate is applied to multifamily dwellings, the rate structure must consider each residential
2.22unit as an individual user.
2.23 (b) To encourage conservation, a public water supplier serving more than 1,000
2.24people must implement demand reduction measures by January 1, 2015. The demand
2.25reduction measures must include a conservation rate structure unless the recharge rates for
2.26all groundwater sources being utilized by the public water supplier are known.
