Sec. 25-33p. Annual report on Water Planning Council. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 25-33p. Annual report on Water Planning Council. (a) The Office of Policy and Management shall conduct a study to:

      (1) Review and prioritize the recommendations and the goals of the Water Planning Council developed prior to October 1, 2007;

      (2) Compile information from other reports or studies regarding water resources planning in the state;

      (3) Establish a mechanism to perform an in-depth analysis of existing statutes and regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Public Health and the Department of Public Utility Control for areas of overlapping and conflicting or inefficient procedures;

      (4) Review and summarize other states' regulatory programs and structures, relating to water resource planning, including, but not limited to, their approaches to water allocation;

      (5) Identify processes and funding needs for the evaluation of existing water diversion data and approaches to basin planning projects and coordinate water data collection from, and analysis among, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Public Utility Control, the Office of Policy and Management and the United States Geological Survey, and recommend supplemental data collection, as appropriate;

      (6) Evaluate existing water conservation programs and make recommendations to enhance water conservation programs to promote a water conservation ethic and to provide for appropriate drought response and enforcement capabilities; and

      (7) Identify funding requirements and mechanisms for ongoing efforts in water resources planning in the state.

      (b) The Office of Policy and Management shall transfer sufficient funds, as determined by said office, to the Department of Environmental Protection for data collection and analysis conducted by said department for the purposes of this section.

      (c) Not later than February 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on its findings pursuant to the study in subsection (a) of this section, along with any recommended legislative revisions, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public utilities and appropriations and to the Water Planning Council.

      (June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 3.)