Sec. 25-33. Water company: Reporting and record retention requirements. Plan required for construction or expansion of water supply system or a proposed new source of water supply. Regulations. Approval of location of replacement public well. (a) On or before January first, annually, each water company shall file with the Department of Public Health, in such form as the Commissioner of Public Health shall prescribe, a written statement containing the following information: (1) The business name and address of the water company; (2) the name and residence address of the proprietor thereof or, if a partnership, the name and residence address of each partner or, if an association or corporation, the name and residence address of each officer and director; (3) the number and types of its consumers and a description of the area which the company serves; (4) an identification and description of its source of water supply; and (5) such other information as the Commissioner of Public Health may require.
(b) No public water system, as defined in section 19a-37f, or lessee thereof, or individual, partnership, association, corporation, municipality or other entity shall construct, expand or utilize any system that provides water for drinking from a water supply source, as defined in section 25-32, except a private well or semipublic well, as such terms are defined in section 19a-37, unless approved by the department in accordance with the provisions of this subsection and upon a showing that the applicant shall comply with all the applicable requirements of this chapter and the regulations of Connecticut state agencies. Before granting approval to construct, expand or utilize any such system, the department shall require an applicant to submit to the department for approval a plan of such proposed public water system that includes, but need not be limited to, the location of the system, the location of any disposal system or other source of pollution on the property on which such system is located and the proposed sanitary radius as set forth in the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, any potential effects such system may have on any nearby water supply sources and documentation demonstrating an applicant's ownership or control of such system and the proposed sanitary radius. If the department determines, based upon investigation, inspection or documentation provided, an applicant does not own or control the proposed sanitary radius of the well, the department shall require the applicant to submit additional documentation to the department that adequately demonstrates the alternative methods that will be utilized to ensure the proposed water supply source's long-term purity and adequacy. In reviewing any plan or application, the department may conduct an investigation and inspection for compliance with all the applicable requirements of this chapter and the regulations of Connecticut state agencies. A proposed water system approved pursuant to this subsection shall be used, constructed or expanded in accordance with the approval issued by the department unless the department has issued prior written approval of any changes. The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this subsection and subsection (c) of this section. Such regulations shall include (1) procedures and requirements for granting approval for the construction, expansion or utilization of a proposed water system, (2) requirements for the content and procedures for submitting applications pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, (3) department inspections prior to and after an application is submitted or approved, (4) water quality testing, monitoring and treatment methods to ensure the purity and adequacy of drinking water, (5) requirements for construction of the proposed water system, (6) location restrictions of a proposed water system and minimum setback requirements for disposal sources or other sources of pollution, and (7) any other requirements necessary to ensure the purity and adequacy of the drinking water of the proposed water system. No approval shall be required for distribution water main installations that are constructed in accordance with sound engineering standards and all applicable laws and regulations. For purposes of this subsection and subsection (c) of this section, “distribution water main installations” means installations, extensions, replacements or repairs of public water supply system mains from which water is or will be delivered to one or more service connections and which do not require construction or expansion of pumping stations, storage facilities, treatment facilities or sources of supply. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the department may approve any location of a replacement public well, if such replacement public well is (A) necessary for the water company to maintain and provide to its consumers a safe and adequate water supply, (B) located in an aquifer of adequate water quality determined by historical water quality data from the source of water supply it is replacing, and (C) in a more protected location when compared to the source of water supply it is replacing, as determined by the department. For purposes of this subsection, “replacement public well” means a public well that (i) replaces an existing public well, and (ii) does not meet the sanitary radius and minimum setback requirements as specified in the regulations of Connecticut state agencies.
(c) Each water company shall report to the Department of Public Health, annually in an electronic format prescribed by the department, the number and location of all new distribution water main installations.
(d) Each petition to the General Assembly for authority to develop or introduce any system of public water supply shall be accompanied by a copy of the recommendation and advice of said department thereon.
(e) Each water company shall maintain (1) a list of the names and addresses of its customers, and (2) the results of water purity tests conducted under this chapter. Such list and results shall be retained for a period of three years and be available for inspection and copying by the Department of Public Health and municipal and district health departments, for the purpose of public health investigations.
(1949 Rev., S. 4016; 1967, P.A. 691, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 80-157; P.A. 81-358, S. 5; P.A. 85-336, S. 5, 6; P.A. 88-253, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 06-98, S. 1; P.A. 08-137, S. 1; P.A. 19-117, S. 74; P.A. 21-121, S. 2; P.A. 25-96, S. 19.)
History: 1967 act divided section into Subsecs., made filing of information by water companies mandatory where previously information required only upon health department's request and specified contents of statement to be filed, required submission and approval of company expansion or use of new water supply and added reference to department's advisory role re methods of assuring adequacy of supply; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-157 required submission and approval of abandonment of water source in Subsec. (b); P.A. 81-358 added provision in Subsec. (b) requiring department consideration of a proposed new water supply's effect on nearby supply systems; P.A. 85-336 amended Subsec. (b) by eliminating the requirement that plans for abandonment of a water supply source be filed with the commissioner prior to abandonment; P.A. 88-253 added Subsec. (d) re maintenance and availability of list of names and addresses of water company customers and results of water purity tests; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 06-98 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b) by exempting certain distribution water main installations from Department of Public Health's review and approval process and defining “distribution water main installations”, added new Subsec. (c) establishing reporting requirements re number and location of new distribution water main installations, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), respectively, and made a technical change in said Subsec. (e); P.A. 08-137 amended Subsec. (b) by restructuring provision re submission of plan for proposed new source of water supply, by specifying required plan content and department's authority to request additional documentation from water company, by permitting commissioner to adopt regulations to carry out provisions of Subsecs. (b) and (c) and by making technical changes; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re department's authority to approve location of replacement public well and definition of “replacement public well”; P.A. 21-121 amended Subsec. (b) to redefine “replacement public well”; P.A. 25-96 amended Subsec. (b) by substantially revising provisions re requirements for construction, expansion or utilization of sources of water supply, including replacing existing provisions re such requirements with provisions prohibiting public water systems and others from constructing, expanding or utilizing systems that provide water for drinking without department approval, describing application and approval process and the conduct of investigations, specifying the content of regulations and making conforming and technical changes throughout, effective June 24, 2025.
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