Bill > S2766

Introduced Session

This bill would require municipalities providing water services to property owners through either a water district or a municipal water or sewer utility, or water and sewer utility, to provide each property owner with written terms and conditions of receiving services from the water district or utility. The written terms and conditions shall include, but shall not be limited to, the financial responsibility of the property owner for payment of services from the water district or utility, and the level of responsibility of the water district or utility, and the property owner, for the maintenance, repair, or installation of new or existing service lines, or any other physical connection to the real property for receiving services from the water district or utility. The bill requires that the written terms and conditions be posted on the municipality's website, if one exists, and also be mailed to each property owner annually, together with the first billing statement of the year. Thereafter, when a property changes ownership, the written terms and conditions are to be mailed to the new owner or owners within 45 days of the date of the change in ownership. The purpose of this bill is to provide transparency for property owners in their dealings with water districts and municipal utilities. In many cases, property owners are presented with substantial bills for repairs to leaky pipes that connect their properties to these water systems and are not aware of their financial responsibility for these repairs. This bill is intended to rectify this problem through the requirement that all property owners be advised of the terms and conditions of receiving services from these municipal entities, and the financial responsibilities attendant to the receipt of these services.

Committee Categories

Linda Greenstein (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee (on 02/15/2024)

Official Document