§ 1675. Permits; conditions; duration; suspension of revocation

(a) Authority to issue, renew, or deny permit. The Secretary may issue, renew, or deny a public water system permit required by this chapter. As part of this authority, the Secretary may issue general operating permits for the operation of transient noncommunity water systems.

(b) Avoidance of public health hazard or risk. A public water system permit shall be issued or renewed only upon a finding by the Secretary, included in the permit, that operation of the system will comply with the standards adopted under this chapter and will not constitute a public health hazard or a significant public health risk.

(1) In making this finding for the issuance of a permit for a new public water source, the Secretary shall consider the probable effects of existing and likely future land use practices, including the effects of the uses of agricultural lands, that may affect the quantity or quality of the water associated with any proposed public water source, and whether such practices are likely to constitute a public health hazard relating to such source. The Secretary shall not issue a permit for a new public water source if he or she determines that such existing or likely future land use practices are likely to constitute such a public health hazard.

(2) In making this finding for the issuance of a permit for the addition of a new type of disinfectant, the Secretary shall, after consultation with the Department of Health, consider the likely effects on health from the use of the new type of disinfectant. The Secretary shall not issue a permit for a new or existing public water system if he or she determines that use of a new type of disinfectant will result in a health effect that is likely to constitute a public health hazard.

(c) Permit process; additional information. When an application is filed under this section, the Secretary shall proceed in accordance with chapter 170 of this title. The Secretary may require the applicant to submit additional information that the Secretary considers necessary in order to support the findings required in subsection (b) of this section, and may refuse to grant a permit until the information is furnished and evaluated. The Secretary may also consult with the Commissioner of Health, as necessary, in making decisions regarding health issues raised by the application. The Commissioner’s response, if any, shall be part of the public record for the application.

(d) Permit conditions. Public water system permits issued under this chapter may include conditions that:

(1) require the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of any purification, disinfection, or other water processing or treatment facility in accordance with standards and requirements established by the Secretary;

(2) require the person owning or controlling the system to adequately control and protect the public water source and source protection area;

(3) require that construction be in accordance with the Vermont standards for water system design and construction;

(4) require notification of the characteristics of the water provided by the system to the public by notice conforming with the requirements of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act;

(5) limit the number of connections to the system;

(6) limit maximum and daily output of the system;

(7) require the development and submission to the Secretary of a long-range plan for expansion, capital improvements, and future service area;

(8) require the development, submission to the Secretary, and implementation of a water conservation plan in accordance with the policy established in section 1684 of this title;

(9) require the development and submission to the Secretary of a system-level business plan and comprehensive water supply plan to ensure system capacity in the long-term; and

(10) contain any additional conditions, requirements, schedules, or restrictions, or monitoring or testing programs that are deemed necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter and the rules adopted under this chapter.

(e) [Repealed.]

(f) Suspension or revocation of permits.

(1) The Secretary may, after notice and opportunity for hearing, revoke or suspend any permit issued pursuant to the authority under this title if the Secretary finds that:

(A) the permit holder submitted materially false or inaccurate information;

(B) the permit holder has violated any material requirement, restriction, or condition of this chapter; any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter; any permit or certification issued pursuant to this chapter; or any assurance of discontinuance or order relating to the provisions of this chapter or the rules adopted pursuant to this chapter; or

(C) there is a change in any condition that requires either a temporary or permanent restriction, limitation, or elimination of the permitted use.

(2) Revocation shall be effective upon actual notice thereof to the permit holder or permit holder’s designated agent.

(g) Source permits; bottled drinking water. Beginning on July 1, 2010, the Secretary shall not issue a source permit for a bottled drinking water supply unless, in addition to all other requirements for a source permit:

(1) the permit application contains the information required by subdivisions 1418(d)(4)-(7) of this title;

(2) the Secretary finds that considerations in subdivisions 1418(e)(1)-(3) and (6)-(8) of this title have been satisfied;

(3) the permit contains the permit conditions required by subsection (f) of this section; and

(4) the permit applicant complies with the notice requirements of subsection 1418(c) of this title.

(h) Renewal of operating permit; bottled drinking water. A public water system permitted after June 9, 2008 that bottles drinking water for public distribution and sale shall obtain from the Secretary a source water permit under subsection 1672(g) of this title upon renewal of its operating permit under this section and every 10 years thereafter.

(i) Operating permit; noncompliance. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, the Secretary may issue an operating permit for an existing public water system that is unable to comply with the standards adopted under this chapter provided that:

(1) the operating permit contains a compliance schedule that is designed to achieve compliance with the applicable standards within a reasonable period of time based on the nature and extent of the applicable standards at issue;

(2) the Secretary finds that the continued operation of the public water system pursuant to the compliance schedule and associated permit conditions shall not present an unacceptable risk to public health; and

(3) the person who owns the public water system shall be responsible for informing all persons using the system of the nature and extent of the noncompliance with the applicable standards. (Added 1991, No. 71, § 2; amended 1991, No. 256 (Adj. Sess.), § 23a, eff. June 9, 1992; 1997, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 10; 2005, No. 15, § 2; 2005, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2007, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2007, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. June 9, 2008; 2011, No. 117 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2015, No. 150 (Adj. Sess.), § 23, eff. Jan. 1, 2018; 2019, No. 14, § 38, eff. April 30, 2019; 2023, No. 6, § 80, eff. July 1, 2023.)