7-82-709 - Authority of board to investigate compliance with federal and state law.
7-82-709. Authority of board to investigate compliance with federal and state law.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the utility management review board shall have the authority, in the case of public water systems of utility districts, to investigate, with the assistance of the department of environment and conservation and the comptroller of the treasury, and determine the financial, technical, and managerial capacity of the systems to comply with the requirements of the federal and the state acts; and to require systems to take appropriate action to correct any deficiencies in such areas, including, but not limited to, changes in ownership, management, accounting, rates, maintenance, consolidation, alternative water supply, or other procedures. The utility management review board also may approve or disapprove such corrections as a condition for any public water system of a utility district to receive assistance from the authority under § 68-221-1206(a)(3).
(b) The utility management review board shall have the authority to investigate public water systems of utility districts whose unaccounted for water loss as reported in the utility district's annual audit is excessive as established by rules determined by the board. In the event a utility district fails to take the appropriate actions required by the board to reduce unaccounted for water loss to an acceptable level, the utility management review board may petition the chancery court in a jurisdiction in which the utility district is operating to require the utility district to take such actions.
[Acts 1997, ch. 483, § 23; 2007, ch. 86, § 2; 2007, ch. 243, § 3.]