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Bill Title: Water and wastewater utilities and runoff. Establishes a storm water management task force to study issues related to storm water management systems. Provides for the task force to consist of: (1) two members of the senate; (2) two members of the house; and (3) other members appointed by the governor. Requires the task force to issue a report setting forth its findings and recommendations not later than December 1, 2019. Provides that the Indiana finance authority (IFA) shall coordinate the executive branch activities related to the state's water programs. Prescribes the duties of the authority in serving in this role. Requires the IFA to divide Indiana into study areas and to hold annual meetings with the officers and employees of the water and wastewater utilities located in each study area. Authorizes the utilities within a study area to meet voluntarily to determine area water and wastewater priorities, promote cooperation among the utilities, and consider other matters. Requires biennial reports from the utilities of each study area and from the IFA on the cooperative activities of the utilities. Provides that a utility applying to the IFA for a loan, a grant, or other financial assistance must demonstrate that its officers and employees have participated in study area activities. Requires every water utility, at least once in each calendar year, to perform an audit of its water distribution system to determine the causes of the water utility's "non-revenue water" (the difference between the amount of water entering the utility's distribution system and the amount of water received by the water utility's customers). In even-numbered years, requires the results of the annual audit to be verified by an independent evaluator and reported to the IFA and requires the IFA to issue a report concerning the audit results. Specifies that: (1) customer specific data, including information excluded from public access under Indiana's access to public records act; and (2) a required cybersecurity plan; submitted in connection with an application for a permit for a public water system or a wastewater treatment plant is exempt from the requirement that certain required analyses and plans must be made publicly available. Amends the definition of "customer lead service line improvement".

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 14-7)

Status: (Passed) 2019-04-10 - Public Law 15 [SB0004 Detail]

Download: Indiana-2019-SB0004-Enrolled.pdf

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