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Bill > H0722
VT H0722
VT H0722An act relating to authorizing municipalities to regulate the surface water use of public waters used as drinking water supplies
summary
Introduced
01/20/2026
01/20/2026
In Committee
01/20/2026
01/20/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2025-2026 Session
Bill Summary
This bill proposes to authorize municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate the surface water use of a public water used as a public drinking water supply, excluding any transboundary lake or pond.
AI Summary
This bill grants municipalities in Vermont the authority to create local rules, called ordinances, to manage how people use the surface water of bodies of water that serve as their public drinking water supply, as long as the municipality owns all the land around that water source. This new power is in addition to existing state regulations, and if there's a conflict between a local ordinance and a state rule, the local ordinance will take precedence. The bill clarifies that "public water" in this context refers to water used by a "public water system" (which is a system that provides water to the public, as defined in state law) but specifically excludes large, shared lakes or ponds that cross state lines.
Committee Categories
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment (on 01/20/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.722 |
| BillText | https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0722/H-0722%20As%20Introduced.pdf |
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