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MA H976
Bill
Status
2/27/2025
Primary Sponsor
Kristin Kassner
Click for details
AI Summary
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Redefines "safe yield" in Chapter 21G as the maximum dependable water withdrawals that can be made continuously from ground or surface water sources without depleting them beyond natural replenishment capacity, factoring in storage and drought probability
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Requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to recalculate safe yield for each basin in Massachusetts based on seasonal summer water supply and reservoir storage availability
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Mandates safe yield recalculations at intervals determined by DEP, but at minimum every 10 years
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Requires DEP to calculate safe yield at the sub-basin level and consider sub-basin scale withdrawals when issuing water permits, using USGS stream flow data for analysis
Legislative Description
To protect water supplies and the environment
Last Action
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
2/26/2026