(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall publish a dated notice of (1) the availability of forms for the reporting of operating data for diversions pursuant to this section, and (2) a deadline for submission of such forms. Such forms shall be developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Any person or municipality maintaining a diversion that was registered in accordance with the provisions of section 22a-368 and which continues to be in use as of July 1, 2001, shall report to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection current operating data for such diversion not later than six months after the publication of notice pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and annually thereafter not later than January thirty-first. Such data shall be provided on forms developed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Public Health and Agriculture, the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the working group established pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. Such forms shall be in a format determined by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. Such data shall include the most detailed available monitoring data collected for each subsequent calendar year, provided such data shall not be required to be detailed more frequently than daily. Engineering estimates of withdrawals or discharges may be permitted in the absence of a meter. A person or municipality maintaining a diversion exclusively for agricultural purposes may report estimated water use for the reporting period. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to an owner or operator of an existing electric generating facility utilizing fossil fuel, provided the diversion is used to comply with state and federal environmental laws, and further provided such owner or operator reports to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection an estimate of future water use necessary to comply with state and federal environmental laws.

(c) Any person or municipality maintaining a diversion that was eligible for registration in accordance with section 22a-368 but failed to so register, which diversion continues to be in use as of July 1, 2001, shall report to the commissioner the operating data for such diversion not later than six months after the publication of notice pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such data shall be provided on a form developed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Public Health and Agriculture and the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Such data shall include (1) the location, capacity, frequency and rate of withdrawals or discharges of such diversion as of July 1, 1982, (2) a description of the water use and water system on or before July 1, 1982, including information to evidence its operation at that time, and (3) the monthly data for the calendar years 1997 to 2001, inclusive, (A) for the actual frequency and actual rate of water withdrawals or discharges of such diversion if such diversion is metered, or (B) that estimates the withdrawals or discharges in the absence of a meter. A person or municipality maintaining a diversion exclusively for agricultural purposes may report estimated water use for the reporting period in subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(d) Any person or municipality maintaining a diversion that was not eligible for registration in accordance with section 22a-368 and is not currently authorized by permit issued by the commissioner pursuant to said section, which diversion is in use as of July 1, 2001, shall report to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection operating data for the diversion not later than six months after the publication of notice pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such data shall be provided on a form developed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Public Health and Agriculture and the chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Such data shall include (1) information as to when the diversion was initiated, (2) a description of the water use and water system operation, and (3) the monthly data for the calendar years 1997 to 2001, inclusive, (A) for the location, capacity, actual frequency and actual rate of water withdrawals or discharges of said diversion if such diversion is metered, or (B) that estimates the withdrawals or discharges in the absence of a meter. A person or municipality maintaining a diversion used exclusively for agricultural purposes may report estimated water use for the reporting period in subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(e) Information reported by a person or municipality for the purposes of subsection (c) or (d) of this section shall not be used by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to order the payment of civil penalties pursuant to section 22a-6b and subsection (b) of section 22a-376 provided the person or municipality has filed a permit application pursuant to section 22a-368 on or before July 1, 2003. This subsection shall not apply to any information the commissioner can document independent of a submission pursuant to this section. Failure to report the information required in this section may result in civil penalties in accordance with section 22a-6b and subsection (b) of section 22a-376.

(f) The Water Planning Council shall appoint at least five persons who are required to register diversions pursuant to this section to a working group for the purpose of developing forms pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Such members shall serve at the pleasure of the council.

(P.A. 01-202, S. 1, 2; P.A. 02-102, S. 5; P.A. 04-185, S. 2; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 01-202 effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 02-202 added new Subsec. (a) re form for reporting operating data for diversions, redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (d) as Subsecs. (b) to (e), amended redesignated Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) by replacing reporting requirement of “on or before July 1, 2002,” with “not later than six months after the publication of notice pursuant to subsection (a) of this section” and made technical changes in redesignated Subsec. (e); P.A. 04-185 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) to add “and annually thereafter not later than January thirty-first”, to add working group to the list of entities to develop forms, to require forms to be in a format determined by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, to add provision re submission of the most detailed available monitoring data collected for each subsequent calendar year, to delete provisions re monthly data for calendar years 1997 to 2001, to allow engineering estimates of withdrawals or discharges absent a meter, and to make technical changes, and added Subsec. (f) re appointment of persons to working group to assist with developing forms; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011 (Revisor's note: In Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d), references to Commissioner of Public Utility Control were changed editorially by the Revisors to “chairperson of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority” to conform with changes made by P.A. 11-80).

See Sec. 25-33o re Water Planning Council.