§ 9-10B-19 — Promulgation of Rules Governing Declarations of Beneficial Use and Certificates of Use

As soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than one year from February 23, 1993, the commission, in consultation with the Office of Water Resources, shall promulgate and adopt rules and regulations governing declarations of beneficial use and certificates of use. Such rules and regulations shall be consistent with the objectives of this chapter and the provisions of this section. In addition to any other requirement established by the commission, the following provisions shall govern all declarations of beneficial use submitted to, and certificates of use issued by, the Office of Water Resources:
(1) Certificates of use may be transferred, consigned, or conveyed, in whole or in part, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the commission;
(2) Declarations of beneficial use shall be submitted periodically in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commission and declarations of beneficial use shall be submitted within 90 days of a substantial change in any person’s beneficial use of the waters of the state or a change in the name of a person diverting, withdrawing, or consuming waters of the state who has previously submitted a declaration of beneficial use in accordance with regulations promulgated by the commission. In cases where a certificate of convenience and necessity has been issued or is issued in the future for any plant, property, or facility in accordance with Section 37-4-28, the term of any certificate of use shall be for the useful life of the facility, not to exceed 40 years;
(3) In the event a new or revised certificate of use has not been issued by the Office of Water Resources within 90 days of a person’s submission of a declaration of beneficial use as required under regulations promulgated by the commission, the person submitting such declaration may continue to divert, withdraw, or consume the waters of the state, shall comply with rules and regulations regarding declarations of beneficial use, and shall not be subject to any civil action or order issued by the Office of Water Resources for failing to submit a declaration of beneficial use; and
(4) Each certificate of use shall acknowledge the estimated amount, in gallons, of the waters of the state used on an annual average daily basis by the holder thereof and shall acknowledge the estimated capacity, in gallons, of the waters of the state potentially diverted, withdrawn, or consumed on any given day by such person as set forth in such person’s declaration of beneficial use. For purposes of this chapter, certificates of use shall only acknowledge the estimated amount of water in gallons initially diverted, withdrawn, or consumed by a person from the waters of the state and shall not include waters that are recycled, reclaimed, or otherwise reused by such person or waters that are diverted, withdrawn, or consumed by a person pursuant to a certificate of use and stored for subsequent use by such person.

Legislative History

(Acts 1993, No. 93-44, p. 78, §20.)