Sec. 341.033. PROTECTION OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. (a) A person may not furnish drinking water to the public for a charge unless the production, processing, treatment, and distribution are at all times under the supervision of a water supply system operator holding a license issued by the commission under Chapter 37, Water Code.

(a-1) The licensed operator of a water supply system may be a volunteer. The owner or manager of a water supply system that is operated by a volunteer shall maintain a record of each volunteer operator showing the name of the volunteer, contact information for the volunteer, and the time period for which the volunteer is responsible for operating the water supply system.

(b) An owner, agent, manager, operator, or other person in charge of a water supply system that furnishes water for public or private use may not knowingly furnish contaminated drinking water to a person or allow the appliances of the water supply system to become unsanitary.

(c) The owner or manager of a water supply system furnishing drinking water to at least 25,000 persons shall have the water tested at least once daily to determine its sanitary quality and shall submit monthly reports of the tests to the commission.

(d) The owner or manager of a water supply system furnishing drinking water to less than 25,000 persons shall submit to the commission during each monthly period of the system's operation at least one specimen of water taken from the supply for bacteriological analysis. The population under this subsection shall be determined according to the most recent federal census or other population-determining methods if a federal census is not taken for the area served by the water supply system.

(e) The distribution system of a public drinking water supply and that of any other water supply may not be physically connected unless the other water is of a safe and sanitary quality and the commission approves the connection.

(f) A public drinking water supply may not be connected to a sprinkling, condensing, cooling, plumbing, or other system unless the connection is designed to ensure against a backflow or siphonage of sewage or contaminated water into the drinking water supply.

(g) On discovery of a connection in violation of Subsection (e) or (f), the local health authority shall give written notice to the owner or agent maintaining the condition. The owner or agent shall make the necessary corrections to eliminate the condition.

(h) Subsections (a)-(d) do not apply to the production, distribution, or sale of raw, untreated surface water.

(i) An owner, agent, manager, operator, or other person in charge of a public water supply system that furnishes water for public or private use or a wastewater system that provides wastewater services for public or private use shall maintain internal procedures to notify the commission immediately of the following events, if the event may negatively impact the production or delivery of safe and adequate drinking water:

(1) an unusual or unexplained unauthorized entry at property of the public water supply or wastewater system;

(2) an act of terrorism against the public water supply or wastewater system;

(3) an unauthorized attempt to probe for or gain access to proprietary information that supports the key activities of the public water supply or wastewater system;

(4) a theft of property that supports the key activities of the public water supply or wastewater system; or

(5) a natural disaster, accident, or act that results in damage to the public water supply or wastewater system.

(j) An owner, agent, manager, operator, or other person in charge of a public water supply system that furnishes for public or private use drinking water containing added fluoride may not permanently terminate the fluoridation of the water unless the owner, agent, manager, operator, or person provides written notice to the customers of the system and the commission of the termination at least 60 days before the termination.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 11.13, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 880, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1337 (S.B. 9), Sec. 18, eff. June 18, 2005.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 392 (H.B. 1146), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 386 (H.B. 3552), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.