Section 9 Punishment for water supply tampering

Section 9. Any person who without lawful authority takes or diverts any water from any water supply within the watershed system of the division, or who corrupts or defiles any such water supply, or any source of such water supply, or who injures, destroys or interferes with any property held or used by the authority for the purpose of constructing, operating or maintaining the watershed system, or who violates or refuses to comply with any rule, regulation or order of the department shall be subject to a criminal fine of not more than 50,000 dollars or imprisonment for not more than l year; provided, however, that in cases of continuing violation, such maximum fine may be 10,000 dollars per day for each day such violation occurs or continues. Notwithstanding any limitation on criminal penalties set forth in the preceding sentence, any person convicted of the wanton or malicious destruction of or injury to any property used in the construction, operation or maintenance of the watershed system shall also be liable in tort to the department for triple the amount of damages thereby caused. Any such fine or tort judgment shall be payable to the treasury of the commonwealth.