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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring owners of sanitary sewer systems to report |
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the current condition of a system's infrastructure to the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 13.150 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.150. SEWER UTILITY SERVICE SYSTEM REPORT. (a) A |
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retail public utility that provides sewer utility service shall |
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report to the commission the current condition of the utility's |
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sewer system. |
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(b) The retail public utility must report to the commission |
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not later than the 10th anniversary of the date the utility last |
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filed a report under this section. |
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(c) The report must rate the condition of all sewer |
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collection infrastructure components of the system in accordance |
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with commission rules as: |
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(1) functioning without signs of deterioration or |
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leaks and in a good condition that requires no repairs; |
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(2) needing minor repairs to restore minor damage or |
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to fix leaks or cracks; |
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(3) needing to be rehabilitated to restore lost |
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structural integrity soon or to fix active leaks and cracks |
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allowing inflow and outflow; or |
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(4) requiring a full replacement because the system |
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component is near to or in a condition of failure. |
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(d) The condition assignment described by Subsection (c) |
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must be signed by: |
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(1) an engineer; and |
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(2) the governing body of the retail public utility. |
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(e) The commission shall compile information from the |
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report required by this section and post the information on the |
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commission's Internet website. |
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SECTION 2. A retail public utility, as defined by Section |
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13.002, Water Code, that provides sewer utility service must submit |
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the initial report required by Section 13.150, Water Code, as added |
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by this Act, on or before December 1, 2018. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |