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Senate Bill 343 |
Senate Author: Brimer |
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Effective: 9-1-05 |
House Sponsor: Geren |
Senate Bill 343 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the commissioners court of a county with a population of 1.4 million or more to regulate private water well placement in unincorporated areas to prevent drilling of a domestic well into a contaminated groundwater plume or aquifer, prevent well contamination from an on-site sewage disposal system, and prevent a preexisting on-site sewage disposal system from being rendered legally noncompliant because of the well placement. The bill establishes related county rulemaking requirements pertaining to drilling notice and approval, authorizes the county to impose on the well driller a placement review fee up to $50, grants the county well-site inspection authority, and includes compliance and misdemeanor penalty provisions. The bill also amends the Occupations Code to provide that the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act does not apply to the installation, maintenance, alteration, or repair of well pumps and equipment in accordance with requirements applicable to water well pump installers and does not apply to electric work performed on a building, structure, or equipment in agricultural use other than commodity processing.