1999 Minnesota Statutes

     103G.291 Public water supply appropriation during 
  deficiency. 

    Subdivision 1.    Declaration and conservation.  (a) If 
 the governor determines and declares by executive order that 
 there is a critical water deficiency, public water supply 
 authorities appropriating water must adopt and enforce water 
 conservation restrictions within their jurisdiction that are 
 consistent with rules adopted by the commissioner. 

    (b) The restrictions must limit lawn sprinkling, vehicle 
 washing, golf course and park irrigation, and other nonessential 
 uses, and have appropriate penalties for failure to comply with 
 the restrictions.  

    Subd. 2.    Modification of appropriation for 
 noncompliance.  Disregard of critical water deficiency orders, 
 even though total appropriation remains less than that 
 permitted, is adequate grounds for immediate modification of a 
 public water supply authority's water use permit.  

    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. 

    HIST: 1990 c 391 art 7 s 31; 1993 c 186 s 6