Bill > HB143

This bill modifies Georgia's water resource management regulations concerning water-measuring devices for agricultural water use, focusing on both surface and ground water permits. The bill revises existing provisions to streamline permit processes and water use measurement for farmers, particularly in the Flint River basin. Key changes include allowing 25-year permit terms with automatic renewals, simplifying permit transfer and modification procedures, and establishing a more comprehensive water measurement program. The bill gives the state division broader authority to install, maintain, and read water-measuring devices at no cost to farmers, with the goal of obtaining accurate data about water usage patterns. Additionally, the bill removes previous language that required farmers to install water-measuring devices within a specific timeframe and replaces it with more flexible provisions. The division can now use its own staff for device installations if no contractors are available and can undertake repairs or replacements of measuring devices to ensure regulatory compliance. The bill also includes provisions for potential enforcement actions if water-measuring devices are willfully damaged or removed, and requires separate reporting for recreational and other farm water uses.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69565