§ 46-13.1-2. Legislative findings. The general assembly hereby recognizes and declares that:

(1) Water is vital to life and comprises an invaluable natural resource which is not to be abused by any segment of the state's population or its economy. It is the policy of this state to restore, enhance, and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of its waters, to protect public health, to safeguard fish and aquatic life and scenic and ecological values, and to enhance the domestic, municipal, recreational, industrial, and other uses of water;

(2) The groundwaters of this state are a critical renewable resource which must be protected to insure the availability of safe and potable drinking water for present and future needs;

(3) It is a paramount policy of the state to protect the purity of present and future drinking water supplies by protecting aquifers, recharge areas, and watersheds;

(4) It is the policy of the state to restore and maintain the quality of groundwater to a quality consistent with its use for drinking supplies and other designated beneficial uses without treatment as feasible. All groundwaters of the state shall be restored to the extent practicable to a quality consistent with this policy;

(5) It is the policy of the state not to permit the introduction of pollutants into the groundwaters of the state in concentrations which are known to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic. To the maximum extent practical, efforts shall be made to require the removal of those pollutants from discharges where such discharges are shown to have already occurred;

(6) Existing and potential sources of groundwater shall be maintained and protected. Where existing quality is inadequate to support certain uses, the quality shall be upgraded, if feasible, to protect the present and potential uses of the resource;

(7) The groundwaters of the state are to be protected for use as agricultural, industrial, and potable water supplies, and other reasonable uses, and as a supplement to surface waters for recreation, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life, agriculture, industry, and potable water supply;

(8) Discharges to groundwater which subsequently discharge into surface waters and which would cause a contravention of surface water quality or standards shall not be permitted.

(9) No degradation of the state's groundwaters shall be permitted unless the state chooses to allow lower water quality as a result of the essential, desirable, and justifiable economic, commercial, industrial, or social development.

History of Section. (P.L. 1985, ch. 494, § 1.)