130A-326. Powers of the Secretary.

To carry out the provisions of this Article, the Secretary is authorized to:

(1) Administer and enforce the provisions of this Article, the drinking water rules and orders issued under this Article;

(2) Enter into agreements or cooperative arrangements with, or participate in related programs of other states, other state agencies, federal or interstate agencies, units of local government, educational institutions, local health departments or other organizations or individuals;

(3) Receive financial and technical assistance from the federal government and other public or private agencies;

(4) Require public water systems to take actions or make modifications as necessary to comply with the requirements of this Article or the drinking water rules;

(5) Prescribe policies and procedures necessary or appropriate to carry out the Secretary's function under this Article;

(6) Establish and collect fees to recover the costs of laboratory analyses performed for compliance with this Article. The fees shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each analysis; and

(7) Establish and collect fees for certification and certification renewal of laboratories to perform analyses for compliance under this Article. The fees shall not exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) per analyte certified. The minimum fee for certification or certification renewal shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per analyte category. The maximum fee for certification or certification renewal shall be six hundred dollars ($600.00) per analyte category. The fees collected under this subdivision shall be used to administer blind performance evaluation samples to certified laboratories to determine compliance with certification requirements.