(a) Not more than six months after July 1, 1985, the Commissioner of Public Health, in consultation with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall delineate the preliminary boundaries of public water supply management areas and establish preliminary priorities for initiation in such areas of the planning process established in sections 25-33f to 25-33h, inclusive. Not more than one year after July 1, 1985, the commissioner, after a hearing, shall delineate the final boundaries of such areas. In making such delineation, the commissioner shall consider the following: (1) The similarity of water supply problems among water companies operating in the preliminary management area; (2) population density and distribution in the area; (3) the location of existing sources of public water supply, service areas or franchise areas; (4) existing interconnections between public water systems; (5) municipal and regional council of governments boundaries; (6) natural drainage basins; (7) topographic and geologic characteristics; and (8) any other factor he deems relevant.

(b) Not more than one year after July 1, 1985, the commissioner, after hearing, shall establish the final priorities, for initiation of the planning process. In establishing such priorities, the commissioner shall consider the existence and severity of the following in each management area: (1) Uncoordinated planning, (2) inadequate water supply, (3) unreliable water service, and (4) any other factor he deems relevant.

(P.A. 85-535, S. 3, 13; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-247, S. 312.)

History: P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” and “Department of Public Utility Control” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” and “Public Utilities Regulatory Authority”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “regional planning agency” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “regional council of governments” in Subsec. (a)(5), effective January 1, 2015.