2014 -- H 7626

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LC004540

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION - PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

     Introduced By: Representatives Carnevale, Ucci, Costantino, and Fellela

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2014

     Referred To: House Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 46-13-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-13 entitled "Public

Drinking Water Supply" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     46-13-22. Cross-connection control. -- (a) The director is hereby authorized to adopt

consistent statewide regulations governing the content of cross-connection control plans and to

require that all community public water systems and all non-transient, non-community public

water systems prepare a cross-connection control plan. The purpose of these plans shall be to

protect the public water system distribution and transmission infrastructure from contamination

through cross-connections. All community public water systems and all non-transient, non-

community public water systems shall certify to the director that said plan complies with the

regulations in accordance with the following schedule:

      (1) Community and non-transient, non-community public water systems serving more

than five hundred (500) people shall submit certification of compliance no later than June 30,

2011 and implement said plan immediately thereafter.

      (2) Community and non-transient, non-community public water systems serving five

hundred (500) people or fewer shall submit certification of compliance no later than June 30,

2012 and implement said plan immediately thereafter.

      (b) The regulations governing cross-connection control plans adopted by the director

shall at a minimum include: the installation of cross-connection control valves at all newly

constructed service connections prior to the provision of water service; the installation of cross

connection control valves at all commercial and industrial service connections. The installation of

cross-connection control devices shall not be made a mandatory condition of a transfer of a

residential property that exists as of the effective date of this act [June 27, 2007].

      (c) Public water supply systems shall be authorized to terminate water service to any

customer who fails to install the appropriate cross-connection control device upon due notice.

      (d) The cross-connection control devices required to be installed shall be models

approved by the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the

University of Southern California (FCCCHR, USC), the American Water Works Association

(AWWA), and/or the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE).

      (e) The director may also adopt and enforce standards including the establishment of fees

for certification of persons engaged in cross-connection surveying or backflow prevention,

assembly training, repair and maintenance testing.

      (f) Any regulations and/or standards promulgated, amended and/or administered

pursuant to the provisions of this section shall conform to the requirements of chapter 42-35

("The Administrative Procedures Act".)

     (g) For the purposes of this section, the classification of a property as commercial,

industrial, or residential shall be based on the tax classification of said property as determined by

the municipal tax assessor's office and any record or file related thereto.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION - PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

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     This act would mandate the classification of real estate as commercial, industrial, or

residential by using the classification of said property as determined by the tax assessor's office of

the municipality.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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