(a) The Water Resources Agency (“WRA”), the Delaware Geological Survey (“DGS”), the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“DNREC”), and the Division of Public Health (DPH) shall assist the Water Supply Coordinating Council (“WSCC”) to help ensure the timely implementation of the projects identified in the WSCC report dated January 17, 2003.

(b) The WRA, DGS, DNREC, and DPH shall prepare periodic reports on behalf of the Water Supply Coordinating Council (WSCC) for the Governor and the General Assembly summarizing the progress towards completion of the projects identified in the report. The first report shall be submitted on or before December 31, 2003, with additional reports submitted at least annually.

(c) The principal duty of the Council shall be to work cooperatively with WRA, DGS, DNREC, and DPH to continue to achieve water supply self sufficiency in northern New Castle County, and to develop and publish water supply plans for southern New Castle County, Kent County and Sussex County. These plans shall identify and describe uses, localities or areas where water supply issues exist and identify and describe localities or areas where future water supply issues may occur. These areas and uses should include, but not be limited to Middletown-Odessa-Townsend, Dover and central Kent County, Coastal Sussex County and agricultural irrigation uses. These plans shall contain an estimate of existing and future public and private water supplies and water demands through 2030. Private demands shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable, all domestic, industrial and irrigation uses. Additional duties of the Council shall consist of performing the following specific functions:

(1) The WSCC may explore development of an appropriate funding mechanism to facilitate timely completion of necessary tasks to provide technical input in conducting hydraulic field tests and/or modeling to optimize and expand, where appropriate, water utility connections; and

(2) To work with water utilities to develop cost and capacity agreements subject to approval by the applicable rate-setting authority for the purchase of water supplies during drought and other times emphasizing the need for providers with supply deficiencies to enter agreements which assure adequate supply to customers;

(3) [Repealed.]

72 Del. Laws, c. 409, § 2; 74 Del. Laws, c. 184, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 107, §§ 2-7.