Bill Text: TX HB2577 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to water well recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including the production, use, and withdrawal of groundwater.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-05-02 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2577 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2577-Comm_Sub.html
By: Larson, Burnam | H.B. No. 2577 |
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relating to water well recordkeeping and reporting requirements, | ||
including the production, use, and withdrawal of groundwater. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 36.111, Water Code, is amended to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 36.111. RECORDS AND REPORTS. (a) The district shall | ||
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drilling, equipping, and completing of water wells and of the | ||
production and use of groundwater. | ||
(b) In implementing Subsection (a), a district may adopt | ||
rules, consistent with rules adopted by the Texas Water Development | ||
Board under Subsection (c), that require an owner or operator of a | ||
water well that is required to be registered with or permitted by | ||
the district[ |
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report groundwater withdrawals [ |
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(c) The Texas Water Development Board, after consulting | ||
with representatives of districts regarding reasonable and | ||
appropriate reporting methods and frequency of reporting, shall | ||
adopt rules requiring the owner or operator of a well to report | ||
groundwater withdrawals to the district in which the well is | ||
located. In adopting rules under this subsection, the Texas Water | ||
Development Board: | ||
(1) must consider all methods of tracking groundwater | ||
withdrawals, including metering and formulas; | ||
(2) must provide for the exemption of a well that is | ||
exempt from permit requirements under Section 36.117(b)(1); | ||
(3) may not discriminate based on well type, but may | ||
provide for the exemption of: | ||
(A) domestic wells; | ||
(B) livestock wells; | ||
(C) wells that have a capacity of less than 100 | ||
gallons per minute; and | ||
(D) wells that produce less than 10 acre feet | ||
annually; and | ||
(4) regarding wells that are not located in a | ||
district, must require the owner or operator of the well to report | ||
groundwater withdrawals to the Texas Water Development Board. | ||
SECTION 2. The Texas Water Development Board shall adopt | ||
the rules required by Subsection (c), Section 36.111, Water Code, | ||
as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective | ||
date of this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |