Bill Summary for Bill Number SB09-080

Date: 03/10/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-080

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.008 (Attachment A). An amendment Moved an amendment to L.008 to strike the word "no Moved to refer House Bill 09-080, as amended, to t	Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection PASS

09:51 AM -- Senate Bill 09-080

Representative Looper, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-080 concerning limited exemptions for water collected from certain residential rooftops. The bill allows for the collection of precipitation from up to 3,000 square feet of a roof of a residence that is not connected to a domestic water system serving more than three single-family dwellings. The collected water must be used for ordinary household purposes; fire protection; watering of animals and livestock; and irrigation of not more than one acre of gardens and lawns. A person wanting to capture rooftop precipitation who meets the qualifications in the bill must submit an application and pay a fee to the state engineer. Owners of certain wells are allowed to collect rooftop precipitation under the same use limitations as contained in their well permits. She answered questions from the committee. She described amendment L.008 (Attachment A).

The following individuals testified:

10:01 AM -- Kevin Rein, Division of Water Resources, Assistant State Engineer, spoke in favor of the bill. He described how the bill addresses three different scenarios: individuals with existing well permits, new well permits to construct a well for first time, and mountain huts without wells or other non-well users. Mr. Rein also discussed how the bill affects the prior appropriation system. He answered questions from the committee and explained the different classifications of wells and what a designated groundwater basin is.

10:17 AM

Mr. Rein continued to answer questions from the committee concerning how this bill expands water use for sites that currently have wells. He also responded to questions about enforcement issues within the Water Resources Division. The committee also asked questions about how mountain huts using collection systems would be regulated.

10:35 AM

Mr. Rein continued to answer questions from the committee concerning fees and the connection between surface water and groundwater systems. He also clarified that the Division of Water Resources would continue to protect senior water right holders.

10:39 AM -- Janet Williams, American Council of Engineering Companies, spoke in support of the bill. She explained that the bill does not expand the amount of water allowed under an exempt well permit, the bill just provides another way of accessing water.

10:42 AM -- Laura Lock, Colorado River Water Conservation District, spoke in support of the bill and stated that the Colorado River Water Conservation District board voted unanimously to support the bill.

10:43 AM -- Doug Kemper, Colorado Water Congress, spoke in favor of the bill and stated that the Colorado Water Congress voted unanimously to support the bill.


BILL:	SB09-080
TIME:	10:44:36 AM
MOVED:	Looper
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.008 (Attachment A). An amendment to L.008 to correct a typographical error was moved and adopted. Amendment L.008, as amended, passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Curry
		VOTE
	Gardner C.
	Hullinghorst
	Labuda
	Looper
	McKinley
	McNulty
	Pace
	Solano
	Sonnenberg
	Tipton
	Vigil
	Fischer
	Curry

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-080
TIME:	10:45:55 AM
MOVED:	Looper
MOTION:	Moved an amendment to L.008 to strike the word "no" on page one line 20 of amendment L.008. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Vigil
		VOTE
	Gardner C.
	Hullinghorst
	Labuda
	Looper
	McKinley
	McNulty
	Pace
	Solano
	Sonnenberg
	Tipton
	Vigil
	Fischer
	Curry

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB09-080
TIME:	10:47:13 AM
MOVED:	Looper
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 09-080, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The committee discussed the potential need to have the Water Resources Review Committee further consider how exempt wells are being used. The motion passed on a 12-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	McNulty
		VOTE
	Gardner C.	Yes
	Hullinghorst	Yes
	Labuda	Yes
	Looper	Yes
	McKinley	Yes
	McNulty	Yes
	Pace	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Sonnenberg	Excused
	Tipton	Yes
	Vigil	Yes
	Fischer	Yes
	Curry	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS