Bill > HF79

This bill modifies Minnesota's water appropriation allocation priorities by adjusting the existing hierarchy of water use. Specifically, the bill expands the first priority category to include not just domestic water supply, but also water use at hospitals and nursing homes, schools, child care facilities, colleges, and universities, in addition to power production that meets certain contingency planning requirements. The existing law previously only listed domestic water supply and power production with contingency planning as first priority uses. The bill maintains the subsequent priority levels for water appropriation, which include uses consuming less than 10,000 gallons per day, agricultural irrigation, power production beyond contingency plans, other uses consuming over 10,000 gallons per day, and nonessential uses. The bill does not change the fundamental definition of water "consumption" as water withdrawn from a supply that is lost for immediate further use in the area. The underlying goal appears to be providing more explicit protection and priority for essential community services and institutions when allocating water resources.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0079&ssn=0&y=2025