The environmental protection agency shall do all of the following:

(A) Primarily with regard to water quality, collect, study, and interpret all available information, statistics, and data pertaining to the supply, use, conservation, and replenishment of the ground and surface waters in the state in coordination with other agencies of this state;

(B) Primarily with regard to water quality, be authorized to cooperate with and negotiate for the state with any agency of the United States government, of this state, or of any other state pertaining to the water resources of the state;

(C) Be authorized to perform stream gauging and contract with the United States government or any other agency for the gauging of any streams within the state;

(D) Have authority to furnish information to all public officials, offices, and agencies of and in the state, and to farmers, well drillers, water consumers, industries, and any other persons seeking information regarding water resources;

(E) Adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells that are determined to be necessary by the director of environmental protection to prevent the contamination of the ground waters in the state, except that the rules shall not apply to wells for the provision of water for human consumption unless they are used, or are for use, by a public water system as defined in section 6109.01 of the Revised Code. No person shall violate a rule adopted under this division.

(F) Have access to all information and statistics that any public authority within the state has available and that the director determines are pertinent to its duties;

(G) Have authority to prepare an accurate map and description of the territorial boundaries of proposed watershed districts within the state. The map and description shall follow the property line, section line, half section line, or patent line that is nearest to the hydrologic boundary of the proposed watershed district. There shall be not less than fifteen nor more than eighteen proposed watershed districts in the state, and each shall be composed of one or more major river watersheds. When a map and a description of a proposed watershed district has been completed, the director shall cause a copy of them to be filed with the secretary of state and the board of county commissioners of each county contained in whole or in part within the territorial boundaries of the proposed watershed district.

Effective Date: 03-18-1999 .