CT SB00456

Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may issue orders requiring persons or municipalities responsible for groundwater pollution to provide potable drinking water to affected persons, including through repair or replacement of contaminated private wells.

Commissioner of Public Health must determine whether pollution creates an unacceptable health or safety risk by balancing all relevant facts and considering evidence related to human health risks, not limited to statistical analysis alone.

If multiple parties are responsible for pollution, the commissioner shall attempt to apportion responsibility; if not apportioned, all responsible parties are jointly and severally liable for providing potable water.

When responsible parties cannot be identified or lack sufficient assets to secure reasonable-rate loans for water provision, the state may provide an engineering report and long-term water supply, or order municipalities to provide short-term water to residential buildings and schools with long-term provision to all affected persons.

"Residential building" is defined as houses, apartments, trailers, mobile manufactured homes, or similar structures occupied as dwellings, excluding non-owner-occupied hotels, motels, or correctional institutions.

Effective date: October 1, 2022.