Sec. 25-32b. Public drinking water supply emergency.
Sec. 25-32b. Public drinking water supply emergency. The Commissioner of
Public Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and
the Public Utilities Control Authority, may declare a public drinking water supply emergency upon receipt of information that a public water supply emergency exists or is
imminent. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes or regulations
adopted thereunder, or special act or municipal ordinance, the Commissioner of Public
Health may authorize or order the sale, supply or taking of any waters, including waters
into which sewage is discharged, or the temporary interconnection of water mains for
the sale or transfer of water among water companies. The Public Utilities Control Authority shall determine the terms of the sale of any water sold pursuant to this section
if the water companies that are party to the sale cannot determine such terms or if one
of such water companies is regulated by the authority. The authorization or order may
be implemented prior to such determination. Any authorization or order shall be for an
initial period of not more than thirty days but may be extended for additional periods
of thirty days up to one hundred fifty days, consistent with the contingency procedures
for a public drinking water supply emergency in the plan approved pursuant to section
25-32d to the extent the Commissioner of Public Health deems appropriate. Upon request by the Commissioner of Public Health, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, pursuant to section 22a-378, shall suspend a permit issued pursuant to section
22a-368 or impose conditions on a permit held pursuant to said section. The time for
such suspension or conditions shall be established in accordance with subdivision (1)
of subsection (a) of section 22a-378. As used in this section and section 22a-378, "public
drinking water supply emergency" includes the contamination of water, the failure of
a water supply system or the shortage of water.
(P.A. 84-281, S. 1, 4; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)
History: P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction
services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction
Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.