(a) For the purpose of safeguarding the public health, the board shall promote and encourage cooperation among well drillers and governmental agencies in the development and protection of records of underground water formations and resources. The board shall prepare and print such bulletins as may be necessary for the benefit of the industry and furnish copies to the industry and to the public upon request.

(b) (1) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, with the advice and assistance of the board, shall promulgate, in accordance with chapter 54, regulations for the well drilling industry in cooperation with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, with due regard for the preservation of public health, the preservation, allocation and management of the groundwater of the state, the protection of the consuming public and the maintenance of geological and other scientific data. Such regulations, together with the regulatory provisions of this chapter and the section of the Public Health Code relating to wells, shall be collectively known as the Connecticut Well Drilling Code. From time to time, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, with the advice and assistance of the board, shall similarly adopt such amendments or additions to such regulations as are necessary and proper governing the construction, repair and abandonment of wells. (2) Said Well Drilling Code shall be enforced and violations thereof shall be punished in the same manner as is provided for the Public Health Code of the state by sections 19a-36 and 19a-207.

(1969, P.A. 659, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 140; P.A. 75-567, S. 16, 80; P.A. 77-614, S. 180, 323, 610; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-17, S. 2; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: 1971 act replaced water resources commission with department of environmental protection; P.A. 75-567 substituted chapter “54” for chapter “48” in Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-614 transferred board's regulatory power to commissioner of consumer protection, retaining board in an advisory capacity, and substituted department of health services for department of health, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department 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; P.A. 96-17 amended Subsec. (b) to change reference to “water wells” to simply “wells”; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (b)(1), effective July 1, 2011.