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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON SUSTAINABLE

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MANAGEMENT OF UTAH'S WATER QUALITY

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2017 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Timothy D. Hawkes

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Senate Sponsor: Margaret Dayton

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8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10           This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor expresses support for
11     managing wastewater treatment in a holistic and sustainable manner that allows for cost
12     benefit analyses and contemplates ecological impacts associated with treatment.
13     Highlighted Provisions:
14          This resolution:
15          ▸      encourages water quality standards to be based on the best available research and
16     science to improve and protect Utah's water quality;
17          ▸     encourages the Division of Water Quality, stakeholders, and local elected officials
18     to conduct water quality research on a mutually agreed collaborative process; and
19          ▸     urges the Division of Water Quality to work in partnership with the publicly owned
20     treatment works and local elected officials to develop the best available science and
21     research regarding Utah's unique water systems.
22     Special Clauses:
23          None
24     

25     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
26          WHEREAS, the state of Utah has delegated authority from the Environmental
27     Protection Agency to implement the Clean Water Act;
28          WHEREAS, the state of Utah has a robust and protective statutory and regulatory
29     framework to oversee Utah's water quality;

30          WHEREAS, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality has the responsibility to
31     protect Utah's water, air, and land;
32          WHEREAS, the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and the Jordan River have unique water
33     quality constraints and each body of water has qualities that add value to Utah's economy,
34     recreation opportunities, and wildlife habitat;
35          WHEREAS, the publicly owned treatment works are part of the solution to water
36     pollution and play a vital role in assuring that wastewater is treated before discharge;
37          WHEREAS, the state Division of Water Quality has flexibility in setting standards for
38     nutrients and the Environmental Protection Agency supports adaptive management;
39          WHEREAS, the setting of water quality standards should be done under consideration
40     of the effectiveness of the standards to improve water quality, water quantity, and the cost
41     burden to Utah's citizens;
42          WHEREAS, standards should be set based on the best available research and science
43     and such standards should have an acceptable level of certainty to improve and protect Utah's
44     water quality;
45          WHEREAS, water quality research that informs policy should follow standard
46     scientific protocols for study development, data collection and management, modeling, and
47     analyses;
48          WHEREAS, water quality research should be conducted in a collaborative process
49     among the Division of Water Quality, stakeholders, and local elected officials, and should be
50     conducted using a mutually agreed upon collaborative process; and
51          WHEREAS, the cost of complying with potential new standards could be high for the
52     publicly owned treatment works and could impact Utah's communities if compliance requires
53     process upgrades or plant facility rebuilds, making it paramount that Utah's elected officials
54     understand and participate in the decision-making process as appropriate:
55          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
56     Governor concurring therein, finds that having the Division of Water Quality work in
57     partnership with the publicly owned treatment works and local elected officials to develop the

58     best available science and research regarding Utah's unique water systems is of paramount
59     importance.
60          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regulations to protect Utah's water quality should
61     weigh water quality benefits against any resulting negative impact to Utah's land, water, or air
62     resources.
63          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local communities and the publicly owned
64     treatment works are partners in addressing water quality through regulation, funding, and
65     oversight.
66          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the publicly owned treatment works and the
67     Division of Water Quality need to establish mutually agreeable processes for conducting
68     research.
69          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that future standards and permit requirements should be
70     based on the best research and information produced from these joint processes.
71          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when the costs of compliance with proposed
72     standards are significant, the Legislature should be informed of the prospective costs and
73     benefits of that compliance.