Bill > H0746

Introduced Session

This bill proposes to amend multiple provisions of the potable water supply and wastewater system requirements in statute and in rule in order to enable additional housing development in the State. The bill also would allow a permitted potable water supply used for a public benefit, such as a school, child or elder care, or a government building, to change to another use for a public benefit with a similar number of users without redesign of the supply or required additional capacity for the supply. The bill would require the potable water supply and wastewater system rules to be amended to provide design standards for the construction of wastewater systems underneath land used for parking, car parks, or other similar paved surfaces. The bill would also require the rules to be amended to reduce design flows to allow for compact housing and other H.746 appropriate development. In addition, the bill would provide that the minimum horizontal isolation distance between all components of a wastewater system and a potable water supply shall be 75 feet unless, based on the specific site conditions, the Secretary of Natural Resources determines that a greater isolation distance or larger isolation zone is necessary due to designated criteria. The bill would provide that when issuing a permit for an indirect discharge system, the Secretary shall require an easement or other permanent legal access only to the indirect discharge system and the disposal area and not for all potential service connections. The bill would provide that no wetlands permit would be required for the siting of a leachfield in the buffer zone of a Class II wetland when the leachfield is part of a permitted wastewater system. The bill also would provide that no Act 250 permit or permit amendment is required for the construction of improvements for water or wastewater infrastructure serving a village and downtown center. In addition, the bill would exempt from the land use change tax the construction on or development of land enrolled in the Use Value Appraisal Program for the purpose of permitting a potable water supply or wastewater system for residential housing.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Herb Olson (D)*,  Mollie Burke (D),  Emily Carris-Duncan (D),  Thomas Charlton (R),  Abbey Duke (D),  Leanne Harple (D),  Kate Lalley (D),  Monique Priestley (D), 

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Environment (on 01/22/2026)

Official Document