Key: (1) language to be deleted (2) new language
Laws of Minnesota 1993
CHAPTER 186-S.F.No. 697
An act relating to water; requiring criteria for water
deficiency declarations; prohibiting the use of
groundwater for surface water level maintenance;
requiring review of water appropriation permits;
requiring contingency planning for water shortages;
changing water appropriation permit requirements;
requiring changes to the metropolitan area water
supply plan; requiring reports to the legislature;
amending Minnesota Statutes 1992, sections 103G.261;
103G.265, subdivision 3; 103G.271, subdivision 7, and
by adding subdivisions; 103G.291, by adding a
subdivision; 103G.301, subdivision 1; 115.03,
subdivision 1; 473.156, subdivision 1; 473.175,
subdivision 1; 473.851; and 473.859, subdivisions 3,
4, and by adding a subdivision.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.261, is
amended to read:
103G.261 [WATER ALLOCATION PRIORITIES.]
(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules for allocation of
waters based on the following priorities for the consumptive
appropriation and use of water:
(1) first priority, domestic water supply, excluding
industrial and commercial uses of municipal water supply, and
use for power production that meets the contingency planning
provisions of section 103G.285, subdivision 6;
(2) second priority, a use of water that involves
consumption of less than 10,000 gallons of water per day;
(3) third priority, agricultural irrigation, and processing
of agricultural products involving consumption in excess of
10,000 gallons per day;
(4) fourth priority, power production in excess of the use
provided for in the contingency plan developed under section
103G.285, subdivision 6; and
(5) fifth priority:, uses, other than agricultural
irrigation, processing of agricultural products, and power
production, involving consumption in excess of 10,000 gallons
per day and nonessential uses of public water supplies as
defined in section 103G.291; and
(6) sixth priority, nonessential uses.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "consumption" means
water withdrawn from a supply that is lost for immediate further
use in the area.
(c) Appropriation and use of surface water from streams
during periods of flood flows and high water levels must be
encouraged subject to consideration of the purposes for use,
quantities to be used, and the number of persons appropriating
water.
(d) Appropriation and use of surface water from lakes of
less than 500 acres in surface area must be discouraged.
(e) The treatment and reuse of water for nonconsumptive
uses shall be discouraged encouraged.
(f) Diversions of water from the state for use in other
states or regions of the United States or Canada must be
discouraged.
Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.265,
subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Subd. 3. [CONSUMPTIVE USE OF MORE THAN 2,000,000 GALLONS
PER DAY.] (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a water use
permit or a plan that requires a permit or the commissioner's
approval, involving a consumptive use of more than 2,000,000
gallons per day average in a 30-day period, may not be granted
or approved until:
(1) a determination is made by the commissioner that the
water remaining in the basin of origin will be adequate to meet
the basin's water resources needs during the specified life of
the consumptive use; and
(2) approval of the consumptive use is given by the
legislature.
(b) Legislative approval under paragraph (a), clause (2),
is not required for a consumptive use in excess of 2,000,000
gallons per day average in a 30-day period for:
(1) a domestic water supply, excluding industrial and
commercial uses of a municipal water supply;
(2) agricultural irrigation and processing of agricultural
products;
(3) construction and mineland dewatering; and
(4) pollution abatement or remediation; and
(5) fish and wildlife enhancement projects using surface
water sources.
Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.271, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 5a. [MAINTENANCE OF SURFACE WATER LEVELS.] Except as
provided in subdivision 5, paragraph (c), the commissioner
shall, by January 31, 1994, revoke all existing permits, and may
not issue new permits, for the appropriation or use of
groundwater in excess of 10,000,000 gallons per year for the
primary purpose of maintaining or increasing surface water
levels in the seven-county metropolitan area and in other areas
of concern as determined by the commissioner. This subdivision
does not apply until January 1, 1998, to a municipality that, by
January 1, 1994, submits a plan acceptable to the commissioner
for maintaining or increasing surface water levels using sources
other than groundwater.
Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.271, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 6a. [PAYMENT OF FEES FOR PAST UNPERMITTED
APPROPRIATIONS.] An entity that appropriates water without a
required permit under subdivision 1 must pay the applicable
water use permit processing fee specified in subdivision 6 for
the period during which the unpermitted appropriation occurred.
This fee is in addition to any other fee or penalty assessed.
Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.271,
subdivision 7, is amended to read:
Subd. 7. [TRANSFER OF PERMIT.] A water use permit may be
transferred to a successive owner of real property if the
permittee conveys the real property where the source of water is
located. The new owner must notify the commissioner immediately
after a water use permit is transferred under this section the
conveyance and request transfer of the permit.
Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.291, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 3. [EMERGENCY PLANS; DEMAND REDUCTION.] (a) Every
public water supplier serving more than 1,000 people must submit
an emergency and conservation plan to the commissioner for
approval by January 1, 1996. The plan must address supply and
demand reduction measures and allocation priorities and must
identify alternative sources of water for use in an emergency.
Public water suppliers must update the plan and submit it to the
commissioner for approval every ten years.
(b) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people
must employ water use demand reduction measures before
requesting approval from the commissioner of health under
section 144.383, paragraph (a), to construct a public water
supply well or requesting an increase in the authorized volume
of appropriation. Demand reduction measures must include
evaluation of conservation rate structures and a public
education program that may include a toilet and showerhead
retrofit program.
(c) Public water suppliers serving more than 1,000 people
must submit records that indicate the number of connections and
amount of use by customer category and volume of water
unaccounted for with the annual report of water use required
under section 103G.281, subdivision 3.
(d) For the purposes of this subdivision, "public water
supplier" means an entity that owns, manages, or operates a
public water supply, as defined in section 144.382, subdivision
4.
Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 103G.301,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. [APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION.] (a) An
application for a permit must be accompanied by:
(1) maps, plans, and specifications describing the proposed
appropriation and use of waters;
(2) the changes, additions, repairs, or abandonment
proposed to be made;
(3) the public water waters of the state affected; and
(4) other data the commissioner may require.
(b) The commissioner may require a statement of the effect
the actions proposed in the permit application will have on the
environment, including:
(1) anticipated changes in water and related land
resources;
(2) unavoidable but anticipated detrimental effects; and
(3) alternatives to the actions proposed in the
permit application, including conservation measures to improve
water use efficiencies and reduce water demand.
Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 115.03,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. [GENERALLY.] The agency is hereby given and
charged with the following powers and duties:
(a) To administer and enforce all laws relating to the
pollution of any of the waters of the state;
(b) To investigate the extent, character, and effect of the
pollution of the waters of this state and to gather data and
information necessary or desirable in the administration or
enforcement of pollution laws, and to make such classification
of the waters of the state as it may deem advisable;
(c) To establish and alter such reasonable pollution
standards for any waters of the state in relation to the public
use to which they are or may be put as it shall deem necessary
for the purposes of this chapter and, with respect to the
pollution of waters of the state, chapter 116;
(d) To encourage waste treatment, including advanced waste
treatment, instead of stream low-flow augmentation for dilution
purposes to control and prevent pollution;
(e) To adopt, issue, reissue, modify, deny, or revoke,
enter into or enforce reasonable orders, permits, variances,
standards, rules, schedules of compliance, and stipulation
agreements, under such conditions as it may prescribe, in order
to prevent, control or abate water pollution, or for the
installation or operation of disposal systems or parts thereof,
or for other equipment and facilities;
(1) Requiring the discontinuance of the discharge of
sewage, industrial waste or other wastes into any waters of the
state resulting in pollution in excess of the applicable
pollution standard established under this chapter;
(2) Prohibiting or directing the abatement of any discharge
of sewage, industrial waste, or other wastes, into any waters of
the state or the deposit thereof or the discharge into any
municipal disposal system where the same is likely to get into
any waters of the state in violation of this chapter and, with
respect to the pollution of waters of the state, chapter 116, or
standards or rules promulgated or permits issued pursuant
thereto, and specifying the schedule of compliance within which
such prohibition or abatement must be accomplished;
(3) Prohibiting the storage of any liquid or solid
substance or other pollutant in a manner which does not
reasonably assure proper retention against entry into any waters
of the state that would be likely to pollute any waters of the
state;
(4) Requiring the construction, installation, maintenance,
and operation by any person of any disposal system or any part
thereof, or other equipment and facilities, or the
reconstruction, alteration, or enlargement of its existing
disposal system or any part thereof, or the adoption of other
remedial measures to prevent, control or abate any discharge or
deposit of sewage, industrial waste or other wastes by any
person;
(5) Establishing, and from time to time revising, standards
of performance for new sources taking into consideration, among
other things, classes, types, sizes, and categories of sources,
processes, pollution control technology, cost of achieving such
effluent reduction, and any nonwater quality environmental
impact and energy requirements. Said standards of performance
for new sources shall encompass those standards for the control
of the discharge of pollutants which reflect the greatest degree
of effluent reduction which the agency determines to be
achievable through application of the best available
demonstrated control technology, processes, operating methods,
or other alternatives, including, where practicable, a standard
permitting no discharge of pollutants. New sources shall
encompass buildings, structures, facilities, or installations
from which there is or may be the discharge of pollutants, the
construction of which is commenced after the publication by the
agency of proposed rules prescribing a standard of performance
which will be applicable to such source. Notwithstanding any
other provision of the law of this state, any point source the
construction of which is commenced after May 20, 1973, and which
is so constructed as to meet all applicable standards of
performance for new sources shall, consistent with and subject
to the provisions of section 306(d) of the Amendments of 1972 to
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, not be subject to any
more stringent standard of performance for new sources during a
ten-year period beginning on the date of completion of such
construction or during the period of depreciation or
amortization of such facility for the purposes of section 167 or
169, or both, of the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954,
whichever period ends first. Construction shall encompass any
placement, assembly, or installation of facilities or equipment,
including contractual obligations to purchase such facilities or
equipment, at the premises where such equipment will be used,
including preparation work at such premises;
(6) Establishing and revising pretreatment standards to
prevent or abate the discharge of any pollutant into any
publicly owned disposal system, which pollutant interferes with,
passes through, or otherwise is incompatible with such disposal
system;
(7) Requiring the owner or operator of any disposal system
or any point source to establish and maintain such records, make
such reports, install, use, and maintain such monitoring
equipment or methods, including where appropriate biological
monitoring methods, sample such effluents in accordance with
such methods, at such locations, at such intervals, and in such
a manner as the agency shall prescribe, and providing such other
information as the agency may reasonably require;
(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
and with respect to the pollution of waters of the state,
chapter 116, requiring the achievement of more stringent
limitations than otherwise imposed by effluent limitations in
order to meet any applicable water quality standard by
establishing new effluent limitations, based upon section
115.01, subdivision 13, clause (b), including alternative
effluent control strategies for any point source or group of
point sources to insure the integrity of water quality
classifications, whenever the agency determines that discharges
of pollutants from such point source or sources, with the
application of effluent limitations required to comply with any
standard of best available technology, would interfere with the
attainment or maintenance of the water quality classification in
a specific portion of the waters of the state. Prior to
establishment of any such effluent limitation, the agency shall
hold a public hearing to determine the relationship of the
economic and social costs of achieving such limitation or
limitations, including any economic or social dislocation in the
affected community or communities, to the social and economic
benefits to be obtained and to determine whether or not such
effluent limitation can be implemented with available technology
or other alternative control strategies. If a person affected
by such limitation demonstrates at such hearing that, whether or
not such technology or other alternative control strategies are
available, there is no reasonable relationship between the
economic and social costs and the benefits to be obtained, such
limitation shall not become effective and shall be adjusted as
it applies to such person;
(9) Modifying, in its discretion, any requirement or
limitation based upon best available technology with respect to
any point source for which a permit application is filed after
July 1, 1977, upon a showing by the owner or operator of such
point source satisfactory to the agency that such modified
requirements will represent the maximum use of technology within
the economic capability of the owner or operator and will result
in reasonable further progress toward the elimination of the
discharge of pollutants; and
(10) Requiring that applicants for wastewater discharge
permits evaluate in their applications the potential reuses of
the discharged wastewater;
(f) To require to be submitted and to approve plans and
specifications for disposal systems or point sources, or any
part thereof and to inspect the construction thereof for
compliance with the approved plans and specifications thereof;
(g) To prescribe and alter rules, not inconsistent with
law, for the conduct of the agency and other matters within the
scope of the powers granted to and imposed upon it by this
chapter and, with respect to pollution of waters of the state,
in chapter 116, provided that every rule affecting any other
department or agency of the state or any person other than a
member or employee of the agency shall be filed with the
secretary of state;
(h) To conduct such investigations, issue such notices,
public and otherwise, and hold such hearings as are necessary or
which it may deem advisable for the discharge of its duties
under this chapter and, with respect to the pollution of waters
of the state, under chapter 116, including, but not limited to,
the issuance of permits, and to authorize any member, employee,
or agent appointed by it to conduct such investigations or,
issue such notices and hold such hearings;
(i) For the purpose of water pollution control planning by
the state and pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act, as amended, to establish and revise planning areas, adopt
plans and programs and continuing planning processes, including,
but not limited to, basin plans and areawide waste treatment
management plans, and to provide for the implementation of any
such plans by means of, including, but not limited to,
standards, plan elements, procedures for revision,
intergovernmental cooperation, residual treatment process waste
controls, and needs inventory and ranking for construction of
disposal systems;
(j) To train water pollution control personnel, and charge
such fees therefor as are necessary to cover the agency's
costs. All such fees received shall be paid into the state
treasury and credited to the pollution control agency training
account;
(k) To impose as additional conditions in permits to
publicly owned disposal systems appropriate measures to insure
compliance by industrial and other users with any pretreatment
standard, including, but not limited to, those related to toxic
pollutants, and any system of user charges ratably as is hereby
required under state law or said Federal Water Pollution Control
Act, as amended, or any regulations or guidelines promulgated
thereunder;
(l) To set a period not to exceed five years for the
duration of any National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit;
(m) To require each governmental subdivision identified as
a permittee for a wastewater treatment works to annually
evaluate the condition of its existing system and identify
future capital improvements that will be needed to attain or
maintain compliance with a national pollutant discharge
elimination system or state disposal system permit; and
(n) To train individual sewage treatment system personnel,
including persons who design, construct, install, inspect,
service, and operate individual sewage treatment systems, and
charge fees as necessary to pay the agency's costs. All fees
received must be paid into the state treasury and credited to
the agency's training account. Money in the account is
appropriated to the agency to pay expenses related to training.
The information required in clause (m) must be submitted
annually to the commissioner on a form provided by the
commissioner. The commissioner shall provide technical
assistance if requested by the governmental subdivision.
Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.156,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. [PLAN COMPONENTS.] The metropolitan council
shall develop a short-term and long-term plan for existing and
expected water use and supply in the metropolitan area. The
plan shall be submitted to and reviewed by the commissioner of
natural resources for consistency with the statewide drought
plan under section 103G.293. At a minimum, the plans must:
(1) update the data and information on water supply and use
within the metropolitan area and develop a water use and
availability data base;
(2) identify and evaluate alternative courses of action,
including water conservation initiatives and economic
alternatives, in case of drought or contamination conditions;
(3) develop regional surface water and use projection
models for resource evaluation;
(4) recommend long-term approaches to resolving problems
that may develop because of water use and supply with
consideration given to problems that occur outside of the
metropolitan area, but which have an effect within the area; and
(4) (5) be consistent with the statewide drought plan under
section 103G.293.
Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.175,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. The council shall review the comprehensive
plans of local governmental units and the capital improvement
programs of school districts, prepared and submitted pursuant to
Laws 1976, chapter 127, sections 1 to 23, to determine their
compatibility with each other and conformity with metropolitan
system plans. The council shall review and comment on the
apparent consistency of the comprehensive plans and capital
improvement programs with other adopted chapters plans of the
metropolitan development guide council. The council may require
a local governmental unit to modify any comprehensive plan or
part thereof which may have a substantial impact on or contain a
substantial departure from metropolitan system plans.
Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.851, is
amended to read:
473.851 [LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.]
The legislature finds and declares that the local
governmental units within the metropolitan area are
interdependent, that the growth and patterns of urbanization
within the area create the need for additional state,
metropolitan and local public services and facilities and
increase the danger of air and water pollution and water
shortages, and that developments in one local governmental unit
may affect the provision of regional capital improvements for
sewers, transportation, airports, water supply, and regional
recreation open space. Since problems of urbanization and
development transcend local governmental boundaries, there is a
need for the adoption of coordinated plans, programs and
controls by all local governmental units and school districts in
order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents
of the metropolitan area and to ensure coordinated, orderly and
economic development. Therefore, it is the purpose of sections
462.355, subdivision 4, 473.175, and 473.851 to 473.871 to (1)
establish requirements and procedures to accomplish
comprehensive local planning with land use controls consistent
with planned, orderly and staged development and the
metropolitan system plans, and (2) to provide assistance to
local governmental units and school districts within the
metropolitan area for the preparation of plans and official
controls appropriate for their areas and consistent with
metropolitan system plans.
Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.859,
subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Subd. 3. [PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN.] A public facilities
plan shall describe the character, location, timing, sequence,
function, use and capacity of existing and future public
facilities of the local governmental unit. A public facilities
plan must be in at least such detail as may be necessary to
establish existing or potential effects on or departures from
metropolitan system plans and to protect metropolitan system
plans. A public facilities plan shall contain at least the
following parts:
(a) (1) a transportation plan describing, designating and
scheduling the location, extent, function and capacity of
existing and proposed local public and private transportation
services and facilities;
(b) (2) a sewer policy plan describing, designating and
scheduling the areas to be sewered by the public system, the
existing and planned capacities of the public system, the
standards and conditions under which the installation of private
sewer systems will be permitted, and to the extent practicable,
the areas not suitable for public or private systems because of
public health, safety and welfare considerations;
(c) (3) a parks and open space plan describing, designating
and scheduling the existing and proposed parks and recreation
open spaces within the jurisdiction.; and
(4) a water supply plan including:
(i) a description of the existing water supply system,
including the source of water, well and treatment plant
locations, and major supply lines; an inventory of commercial
and industrial users; an indication of the community's intent to
make future changes or additions to the system, including
projections for population and industrial and commercial use and
the methods by which this growth will be served;
(ii) a statement of the community's objectives, policies,
and standards for operating the water supply system;
(iii) a conservation program that contains the goals of the
program, demand and supply conservation techniques to be used,
an evaluation of pricing methods that could be used to reduce
demand, the conditions under which conservation actions would
occur, a process for reducing nonessential uses according to the
priority system under section 103G.261, and the education
program that will be used to inform the public of the need to
conserve and the methods available to achieve conservation;
(iv) an emergency preparedness or contingency plan, as
described in section 103G.291, subdivision 3;
(v) an indication of the possibility for joint efforts with
neighboring communities or other public entities for sharing
water sources and treatment, interconnection for routine or
emergency supply, pursuit of alternative supplies, and water
source protection;
(vi) a statement of the water supply problems that the
community experiences or expects to experience and any proposed
solutions, especially those that would impact other communities
or the region; and
(vii) a wellhead protection plan prepared in accordance
with rules adopted by the commissioner of health under section
103I.101, subdivision 5, clause (9).
Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.859,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. [IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.] An implementation
program shall describe public programs, fiscal devices and other
specific actions to be undertaken in stated sequence to
implement the comprehensive plan and ensure conformity with
metropolitan system plans. An implementation program must be in
at least such detail as may be necessary to establish existing
or potential effects on or departures from metropolitan system
plans and to protect metropolitan system plans. An
implementation program shall contain at least the following
parts:
(a) (1) A description of official controls, addressing at
least the matters of zoning, subdivision, water supply, and
private sewer systems, and a schedule for the preparation,
adoption, and administration of such controls.;
(b) (2) A capital improvement program for transportation,
sewers, parks, water supply, and open space facilities.; and
(c) (3) A housing implementation program, including
official controls to implement the housing element of the land
use plan, which will provide sufficient existing and new housing
to meet the local unit's share of the metropolitan area need for
low and moderate income housing.
Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 473.859, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 6. [PLAN REVIEW.] The council shall, by January 1,
1994, prepare guidelines for the preparation of the water supply
plans required in subdivision 3, clause (4). The plans must be
submitted to the council by January 1, 1996. The council shall
review the plans under section 473.175, subdivision 1, after
submitting them to affected counties that have adopted
groundwater plans under section 103B.255 for their review and
comment.
Sec. 15. [REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE.]
(a) The metropolitan council, the commissioner of natural
resources, and the commissioner of agriculture shall jointly
prepare an emergency response program for the Mississippi river
and shall report to the appropriate committees and commissions
of the legislature by January 1, 1996. The program must address
accidental spills, installation of a contaminant detection
system, implementation of emergency response and cleanup
measures, and cooperation of jurisdictions affecting and
affected by the river.
(b) The metropolitan council and appropriate state agencies
shall report to the appropriate committees and commissions of
the legislature by March 1, 1996, on the status of
implementation of sections 8 to 14 and may propose methods of
further financing and implementation.
Sec. 16. [INSTRUCTIONS TO REVISOR.]
In the next publication of Minnesota Statutes, the revisor
of statutes shall change "public waters" to "waters of the
state" in sections 103G.125, subdivision 3; 103G.251,
subdivisions 1 and 2; 103G.255; 103G.295, subdivisions 1 and 2;
and 103G.305, subdivision 2, clause (1).
Presented to the governor May 12, 1993
Signed by the governor May 14, 1993, 10:01 p.m.
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes