Bill > S405

This bill allows cities, towns, water districts, wastewater districts, stormwater utilities, or other statutory authorities that manage water or wastewater systems to collect a reasonable fee to address environmental impacts from increased water use or discharges. This fee, which can be based on retaining or saving between one and ten gallons for every gallon of increased demand or recharge impairment, will fund measures to protect and improve the quantity, quality, and ecological health of the Commonwealth's waters. These measures can include stormwater and wastewater management, water conservation efforts, improvements to aquatic habitats, and land acquisition for protecting water sources. The bill also specifies that these fees must be deposited into separate "Sustainable Water Resource Funds" and can only be used for the purposes outlined in the section, with provisions for designating responsible officials, accepting and revoking the section, and receiving additional funds from various sources.