By: Lucio III, Burnam (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 857
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013;
  April 30, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Natural Resources; May 9, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0;
  May 9, 2013, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 857 By:  Ellis
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the frequency of water audits by certain retail public
  utilities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 16.0121(b), (b-1), and (c), Water Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a retail public
  utility providing potable water [that receives from the board
  financial assistance] shall perform and file with the board an
  annual water audit computing the utility's system water loss during
  the preceding year.
         (b-1)  A retail public utility providing potable water that
  does not receive from the board financial assistance and is serving
  a population of 3,300 or less shall perform and file with the board
  every five years a water audit computing the utility's most recent
  annual system water loss.
         (c)  The board shall develop appropriate methodologies and
  submission dates for a water audit required under Subsection (b) or
  (b-1) for the following categories of retail public utilities:
               (1)  retail public utilities serving populations of
  100,000 or more;
               (2)  retail public utilities serving populations of
  50,000 or more but less than 100,000;
               (3)  retail public utilities serving populations of
  [more than] 10,000 or more but less than 50,000; [and]
               (4)  retail public utilities serving populations of
  more than 3,300 but less than 10,000; and
               (5)  retail public utilities serving populations of
  3,300 or less.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than May 1, 2014, a retail public
  utility shall submit its initial annual water audit required by
  Section 16.0121(b), Water Code, as amended by this Act.  The initial
  water audit shall compute the utility's most recent annual system
  water loss.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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