Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Chaparro and Assemblyman Benson
SYNOPSIS
Requires water suppliers to reimburse residential customers for drinking water testing under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources Committee on September 22, 2022, with amendments.
An Act concerning reimbursement of costs of water testing to residential customers, and supplementing P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The owner or operator of a public water system shall reimburse a residential customer at the request of the 1[municipality in which the customer resides,] customer1 for the cost of water testing at the residence by a laboratory certified by the Department of Environmental Protection 1[,]1 when the testing is necessitated by the exceedance of a maximum contaminant level, or action level, as appropriate, of a federal or State drinking water standard by the public water system. 1[The costs of the water testing shall not be borne by the public water system’s regulated rate customers.] An owner or operator of a public water system that is regulated by the Board of Public Utilities may petition the board to include in the public water system’s operation and maintenance costs the reasonable reimbursement costs of testing incurred pursuant to this section. The board shall not authorize a rate of return on the reasonable reimbursement costs included in the operation and maintenance costs pursuant to this section.1
b. The Department of Environmental Protection shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.