A. The Legislature finds that a moratorium is necessary on the issuance of certain temporary permits on certain sensitive sole source groundwater basins or subbasins to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of Oklahoma.

B. 1. A moratorium is hereby established on the issuance of any temporary permit that would lead to any municipal or public water supply use of groundwater from a sensitive sole source groundwater basin or subbasin outside of any county that overlays in whole or in part said basin or subbasin. “Sensitive sole source groundwater basin” means a major groundwater basin or subbasin all or a portion of which has been designated as a “Sole Source Aquifer” by the United States Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act as of the effective date of this act, including any portion of any contiguous aquifer located within five (5) miles of the known areal extent of the surface out-crop of the sensitive sole source groundwater basin.

2. Said moratorium shall be in effect until such time as the Oklahoma Water Resources Board conducts and completes a hydrological study and approves a maximum annual yield that will ensure that any permit for the removal of water from a sensitive sole source groundwater basin or subbasin will not reduce the natural flow of water from springs or streams emanating from said basin or subbasin.

3. The provisions of this act shall be applicable to groundwater permit applications for which no final adjudication has been made by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board before the effective date of this act.

4. Any revalidation of a temporary permit, in effect upon the effective date of this act, that allows for any municipal or public water supply use of groundwater from a sensitive sole source groundwater basin outside of any county that overlays in whole or in part said basin shall be considered a new permit application and subject to the provisions of this act.

Added by Laws 2003, c. 365, § 1.