SB2184 Summary

• Amends the Water Use Act of 1983 to establish definitions and requirements for high-capacity wells and high-capacity intakes, defined as water withdrawal points with capacity of 100,000 gallons or more in a 24-hour period.

• Requires land occupiers or persons proposing new high-capacity wells to notify Soil and Water Conservation Districts before construction begins, triggering a 30-day review by the District with assistance from the Illinois State Water Survey and State Geological Survey.

• Authorizes Soil and Water Conservation Districts in counties with population exceeding 100,000 through which the Iroquois or Mackinaw Rivers flow to recommend groundwater withdrawal restrictions to the Department of Agriculture when investigations confirm water supply failures caused by groundwater level lowering.

• Requires registration of existing and proposed high-capacity wells with District authorities and mandates that all persons responsible for high-capacity wells, high-capacity intakes, and public water supplies participate in the Illinois State Water Survey's Illinois Water Inventory Program, with a 5-year exemption for agricultural irrigation uses.

• Takes effect January 1, 2010.