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S.B. 58

             1     

COLLECTION AND USE OF PRECIPITATION

             2     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Scott D. McCoy

             5     
House Sponsor: Patrick Painter

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill authorizes a public water supplier to allow a person in its service area to
             10      capture and beneficially use precipitation under certain circumstances.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    authorizes a public water supplier to allow a person in its service area to capture and
             14      beneficially use precipitation under certain circumstances;
             15          .    establishes reporting requirements;
             16          .    provides for construction standards designed to prevent water contamination; and
             17          .    makes technical corrections.
             18      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             24          73-3-20, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1985, Chapter 140
             25      ENACTS:
             26          73-3-20.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             27     


             28      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             29          Section 1. Section 73-3-20 is amended to read:
             30           73-3-20. Right to divert appropriated waters into natural streams --
             31      Requirements -- Storage in reservoir -- Information required by state engineer -- Lapse
             32      of application.
             33          [(1) Upon application in writing and approval of the state engineer, any appropriated
             34      water may, for the purpose of preventing waste and facilitating distribution, be turned from the
             35      channel of any stream or any lake or other body of water, into the channel of any natural stream
             36      or natural body of water or into a reservoir constructed across the bed of any natural stream,
             37      and commingled with its waters, and a like quantity less the quantity lost by evaporation and
             38      seepage may be taken out, either above or below the point where emptied into the stream, body
             39      of water or reservoir. In so doing, the original water in such stream, body of water, or reservoir
             40      must not be deteriorated in quality or diminished in quantity for the purpose used, and the
             41      additional water turned in shall bear its share of the expense of maintenance of such reservoir
             42      and an equitable proportion of the cost of the reservoir site and its construction. Any person
             43      having stored his appropriated water in a reservoir for a beneficial purpose shall be permitted to
             44      withdraw the water at the times and in the quantities as his necessities may require if the
             45      withdrawal does not interfere with the rights of others.]
             46          (1) As used in this section:
             47          (a) "Body of water" means a lake, groundwater aquifer, or stream channel.
             48          (b) "Exchange appropriated waters" means:
             49          (i) (A) to turn and commingle water from one body of water into:
             50          (I) another natural body of water; or
             51          (II) a reservoir constructed across the bed of a natural stream; and
             52          (B) to take out, above or below the point where the water is emptied into the natural
             53      body of water or reservoir, the same quantity of water, less the quantity lost by:
             54          (I) evaporation; and
             55          (II) seepage; or
             56          (ii) (A) to reduce the amount of water diverted by a public water supplier under a water
             57      right; and
             58          (B) to allow a person in the public water supplier's service area to capture and


             59      beneficially use precipitation in an amount equal to the reduction in the diversion.
             60          (2) The state engineer may approve a written application to exchange appropriated
             61      waters to:
             62          (a) prevent waste;
             63          (b) facilitate distribution; and
             64          (c) as provided in Section 73-3-20.5 , authorize a public water supplier to allow a
             65      person in its service area to capture and beneficially use precipitation under the public water
             66      supplier's water right.
             67          (3) In an exchange of appropriated waters:
             68          (a) the original water into which the additional water is turned or commingled may not
             69      be deteriorated in quality or diminished in quantity for the purpose used; and
             70          (b) the owner of the additional water turned or commingled shall bear the proportionate
             71      share of the cost of the reservoir's site and construction.
             72          (4) A person who stores appropriated water in a reservoir for a beneficial purpose may
             73      withdraw that water at the times and in the quantities the person chooses if the withdrawal does
             74      not interfere with the water rights of another person.
             75          [(2)] (5) The state engineer may require the owner of record of an approved exchange
             76      application to provide information concerning:
             77          (a) the diverting works constructed[,];
             78          (b) the extent to which the development under the exchange has occurred[,]; and
             79          (c) other information the state engineer considers necessary to [insure]:
             80          (i) ensure the exchange is taking place[, to];
             81          (ii) establish that the owner of the exchange [still] has a legal interest in the underlying
             82      water right used as the basis for the exchange[, or to arrive at]; and
             83          (iii) determine the quantity of water being exchanged. [This information shall be
             84      provided by the owner of record of an approved exchange]
             85          (6) The owner of record of an approved exchange shall provide the information
             86      required under Subsection (5) within 60 days of notification by the state engineer.
             87          [(3)] (7) The state engineer may lapse an application made [pursuant to] under this
             88      section [under the following conditions] if the:
             89          (a) [the] applicant [has lost] does not have a legal interest in the underlying right used


             90      to facilitate the exchange;
             91          (b) [the] exchange can no longer be carried out as stated in the application;
             92          (c) [the] applicant has not complied with the conditions established in approving the
             93      exchange; or
             94          (d) [the] applicant fails to provide the information as [outlined in] required by
             95      Subsection [ 73-3-20 (2)] (5).
             96          Section 2. Section 73-3-20.5 is enacted to read:
             97          73-3-20.5. Right to collect precipitation.
             98          (1) A public water supplier, as defined in Section 73-1-4, may allow a person in its
             99      service area to capture and beneficially use precipitation under the public water supplier's
             100      approved exchange application as provided in Section 73-3-20 .
             101          (2) The public water supplier shall:
             102          (a) report annually to the state engineer on the total amount of precipitation captured as
             103      authorized by the exchange application;
             104          (b) establish construction standards designed to prevent contamination of a public
             105      water system by a precipitation collection system; and
             106          (c) review a precipitation collection system plan submitted under Subsection (3)(a) to
             107      determine if the plan complies with the construction standards established under Subsection
             108      (2)(b).
             109          (3) A person who has received authorization from a public water supplier to capture
             110      and beneficially use precipitation under the public water supplier's water right and approved
             111      exchange application shall:
             112          (a) submit a plan for a precipitation collection system to the public water supplier; and
             113          (b) comply with construction standards established under Subsection (2)(b).




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-4-09 11:19 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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