S. 9499 - Public Water Justice Act Summary

• Prohibits withdrawal, diversion, or transfer of New York State waters across watersheds for sale in any container size, with limited exceptions for bottled water operations.

• Authorizes the Department of Environmental Conservation to issue licenses for bottled water production (containers of 5.7 gallons or less) from existing facilities only, subject to strict environmental and public health standards.

• Establishes a minimum royalty fee of 25 cents per gallon for bottled water licenses, with quarterly payments required; department may set higher rates based on fair market value evaluation.

• Creates the Public Water Justice Fund to receive royalty fees and fines, with up to 25% of net proceeds allocated to community water supplies and remainder dedicated to water affordability programs, infrastructure repairs, and environmental protection.

• Requires minimum 60-day public notice, 45-day comment period, and consultation with local governments and tribal nations before license approval; limits spring water extraction to 50,000 gallons per day unless hydrological data proves no measurable environmental harm.