SF 2935

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/25/2025 10:05 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to environment; requiring public water supplies and publicly owned
treatment works to annually report on water access policies; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 115.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [115.85] WATER ACCESS REPORT REQUIRED.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
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new text begin (b) "Appropriate agency" means:
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new text begin (1) the commissioner of health for a public water supply; and
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new text begin (2) the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency for a publicly owned treatment
works.
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new text begin (c) "Public water supply" has the meaning given to public water system in the federal
Safe Drinking Water Act, United States Code, title 42, section 300f, clause (4).
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new text begin (d) "Water access report" means a report containing the information described in
subdivision 2.
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new text begin (e) "Water utility" means any of the following operating in this state:
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new text begin (1) a public water supply; or
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new text begin (2) a publicly owned treatment works.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Report required. new text end

new text begin Each year by March 1, a water utility must submit to the
appropriate agency a water access report that:
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new text begin (1) explains the policies the water utility had in place during the previous calendar year
with respect to each of the following, including information about the method, content, and
frequency with which information about each was communicated to customers:
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new text begin (i) late payments and termination of service and related fees and charges;
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new text begin (ii) payment plan options;
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new text begin (iii) any alternative rate structures or available financial assistance; and
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new text begin (iv) local ordinances that control any of the policies described in items (i) to (iii);
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new text begin (2) includes the following information for the previous calendar year, stated separately
for residential, commercial, and industrial accounts:
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new text begin (i) total number of accounts;
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new text begin (ii) total number of accounts terminated or suspended for nonpayment; and
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new text begin (iii) number of accounts terminated or suspended for nonpayment, stated separately for
nonpayment of water bill, nonpayment of wastewater bill, and nonpayment of both and
broken out by month of termination or suspension; and
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new text begin (3) includes the following additional information:
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new text begin (i) contact information for the water utility that customers can use to discuss bills, seek
assistance, or address termination of service;
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new text begin (ii) a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement for the most recently
concluded fiscal year; and
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new text begin (iii) when applicable, an explanation of the reason that the water utility is unable to
supply any of the information required by this subdivision.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Posting required. new text end

new text begin The appropriate agency must post a water access report
received from a water utility on the agency's website.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Providing information. new text end

new text begin Any person that possesses information that must be
included in a report required under subdivision 2 must provide that information to the
reporting water utility upon request.
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