281.346(1)(o)1.
1. Water used as part of the packaging of a product is part of the product.
281.346(1)(o)2.
2. Other than water used as part of the packaging of a product, water that is used primarily to transport materials in or out of the Great Lakes basin is not a product or part of a product.
281.346(1)(o)3.
3. Except as provided in subd.
1., water that is transferred as part of a public or private supply is not a product or part of a product.
281.346(1)(o)4.
4. Water in its natural state, such as in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, aquifers, or water basins, is not a product.
281.346(1)(pm)
(pm) “Public water supply" means water distributed to the public through a physically connected system of treatment, storage, and distribution facilities that serve a group of largely residential customers and that may also serve industrial, commercial, and other institutional customers.
281.346(1)(ps)
(ps) “Reasonable water supply alternative" means a water supply alternative that is similar in cost to, and as environmentally sustainable and protective of public health as, the proposed new or increased diversion and that does not have greater adverse environmental impacts than the proposed new or increased diversion.
281.346(1)(q)
(q) “Regional body" means the body consisting of the governors of the parties and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec, Canada, or their designees as established by the Great Lakes — St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement.
281.346(1)(r)
(r) “Source watershed" means the watershed from which a withdrawal originates. If water is withdrawn directly from a Great Lake or from the St. Lawrence River, then the source watershed is the watershed of that Great Lake or the watershed of the St. Lawrence River, respectively. If water is withdrawn from the watershed of a stream that is a direct tributary to a Great Lake or a direct tributary to the St. Lawrence River, then the source watershed is the watershed of that Great Lake or the watershed of the St. Lawrence River, respectively.
281.346(1)(t)
(t) “Straddling community" means any city, village, or town that, based on its boundary existing as of the compact's effective date, is partly within the Great Lakes basin or partly within the watersheds of 2 of the Great Lakes and that is wholly within any county that lies partly or completely within the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(1)(tm)
(tm) “Straddling county" means a county that lies partly within the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(1)(u)
(u) “Technical review" means a thorough analysis and evaluation conducted to determine whether a proposal that is subject to regional review under this section meets the criteria for approval under sub.
(4),
(5), or
(6).
281.346(1)(w)
(w) “Water dependent natural resources" means the interacting components of land, water, and living organisms affected by the waters of the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(1)(wm)
(wm) “Water loss" means the amount of water that is withheld from or not returned to the basin from which it is withdrawn as a result of a diversion or consumptive use or both.
281.346(1)(wp)
(wp) “Water supply system," when not preceded by “public," means one of the following:
281.346(1)(wp)1.
1. Except as provided in subd.
2., the equipment handling water from the point of intake of the water to the first point at which the water is used.
281.346(1)(wp)2.
2. For a system for providing a public water supply, the equipment from the point of intake of the water to the first point at which the water is distributed.
281.346(1)(x)
(x) “Waters of the Great Lakes basin" means the Great Lakes and all streams, rivers, lakes, connecting channels, and other bodies of water, including tributary groundwater, within the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(1)(y)
(y) “Withdraw" means to take water from surface water or groundwater.
281.346(1)(z)
(z) “Withdrawal" means the taking of water from surface water or groundwater, including the taking of surface water or groundwater for the purpose of bottling the water.
281.346(1)(zm)
(zm) “Without adequate supplies of potable water" means lacking a water supply that is economically and environmentally sustainable in the long term to meet reasonable demands for a water supply in the quantity and quality that complies with applicable drinking water standards, is protective of public health, is available at a reasonable cost, and does not have adverse environmental impacts greater than those likely to result from the proposed new or increased diversion.
281.346(2)
(2)
Determinations concerning applicability of requirements. 281.346(2)(a)(a)
Use of surface water divide. For the purposes of this section, the surface water divide is used to determine whether a withdrawal or transfer of surface water or groundwater is from the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(2)(b)
(b)
Diversions and withdrawals from more than one source. For the purposes of this section, the diversion or withdrawal of water from more than one source within the Great Lakes basin to supply a single facility or public water supply system is considered one diversion or withdrawal.
281.346(2)(bm)
(bm)
Subsequent withdrawals for aquacultural purposes. If a fish farm withdraws water and places it in an aquacultural pond that is registered with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, any subsequent use of that water from that pond is not a withdrawal for the purposes of this section, if the subsequent use is not, and does not result in, a diversion or an intrabasin transfer.
281.346(2)(c)
(c)
Water loss. The department shall promulgate rules for determining the amount of water loss from consumptive uses.
281.346(2)(d)
(d)
County boundaries. For the purposes of sub.
(1) (d),
(t), and
(tm), a county's boundaries as of December 13, 2005, shall be used to determine whether a county lies partly within the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(2)(e)1g.1g. The baseline for a withdrawal that before December 8, 2008, averaged 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period but to which subd.
1m. does not apply is the amount determined under sub.
(4e).
281.346(2)(e)1m.
1m. If a person making a withdrawal that averages 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period registered the withdrawal under s.
281.344 (3) (a) 1. and reported as required under s.
281.344 (3) (e) and the department did not automatically issue a notice of coverage under s.
281.344 (4s) (c) or an individual permit under s.
281.344 (5) (c) for the withdrawal, the baseline for the withdrawal is the amount determined under s.
281.344 (5m) for the withdrawal or, if the department determines a different amount under sub.
(4e), the amount determined under sub.
(4e).
281.346(2)(e)2.
2. The baseline water loss for a consumptive use for which the department has specified an authorized base level of water loss under s.
281.35 (6) (a) 2. is the amount of that authorized base level on the compact's effective date.
281.346(2)(e)4.
4. The baseline volume for a diversion for which the department has issued an approval under s.
281.344 (3m) or
(4) before the compact's effective date is the interbasin transfer amount specified in the approval on the compact's effective date.
281.346(2)(e)6.
6. The department shall provide a list of the baseline volumes determined under this paragraph to the Great Lakes council and the regional body no later than 12 months after the compact's effective date.
281.346(2)(em)
(em)
Change of ownership. Regional review or Great Lakes council approval is not required when there is a change of ownership of a water supply system that withdraws, diverts, or consumptively uses waters of the Great Lakes basin unless the new owner proposes a change that is otherwise subject to regional review or Great Lakes council approval.
281.346(2)(f)
(f)
Hydrologic units. The Lake Michigan and Lake Huron watershed shall be considered to be a single hydrologic unit and watershed.
281.346(2)(g)
(g)
Public trust doctrine. Nothing in this section may be interpreted to change the application of the public trust doctrine under
article IX, section 1, of the Wisconsin Constitution or to create any new public trust rights.
281.346(3)
(3)
Statewide registration and reporting. 281.346(3)(a)1.1. Any person who proposes to begin a withdrawal from the waters of the state using a water supply system that will have the capacity to withdraw an average of 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period, to increase the capacity of a water supply system so that it will have the capacity to withdraw an average of 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period, or to begin a diversion shall register the withdrawal or diversion with the department.
281.346(3)(a)2.
2. Any person who, on July 1, 2009, has a water supply system with the capacity to make a withdrawal from the waters of this state averaging 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period and who has not registered the withdrawal under s.
281.344 (3) (a) shall register the withdrawal with the department.
281.346(3)(b)
(b) A person to whom par.
(a) applies shall register on a form prescribed by the department and provide all of the following information:
281.346(3)(b)1.
1. The name and address of the registrant and the date of registration.
281.346(3)(b)2.
2. The locations and sources of the withdrawal or diversion.
281.346(3)(b)3.
3. The daily capacity of the withdrawal or diversion and the daily capacity to withdraw or divert from each source.
281.346(3)(b)4.
4. An estimate of the volume of the withdrawal or diversion in terms of gallons per day average in any 30-day period.
281.346(3)(cm)
(cm) The department may consider domestic security concerns when determining whether information regarding locations of withdrawals and diversions contained in the registry under par.
(c) may be released to the public.
281.346(3)(e)1.1. Each person who makes a withdrawal from the waters of the state that averages 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period or diverts any amount and who has registered the withdrawal or diversion under par.
(a) or s.
281.344 (3) (a) shall annually report to the department the monthly volumes of withdrawal, whether the person withdraws at least 1,000,000 gallons per day for 30 consecutive days, and, if applicable, the volumes of diversion and, subject to par.
(em), water loss from consumptive use.
281.346(3)(e)2.
2. In addition to the information required under subd.
1., the department may, by rule, create different reporting frequencies or require additional information from a person who registers a withdrawal, or diversion under par.
(a) or s.
281.344 (3) (a) based upon the type or category of water use.
281.346(3)(em)
(em) If a person to whom par.
(e) 1. applies provides any of the water that the person withdraws to a public water supply system, the person who operates the public water supply system, rather than the person who withdraws the water, shall annually report to the department the volume of water loss from the consumptive use of the water provided to the public water supply system.
281.346(3)(f)
(f) The department may require additional information under par.
(b) 10. or
(e) 2. only if the information is related to the purposes of the compact.
281.346(4)(a)(a)
Prohibition. Beginning on the compact's effective date, no person may begin a diversion, except as authorized under par.
(c),
(d), or
(e) or an approval issued under s.
281.344 (4), and no person may increase the amount of a diversion over the diversion amount specified in an approval under this subsection or over the interbasin transfer amount specified in an approval issued under s.
281.344 (3m) or
(4), except as authorized under par.
(c),
(d), or
(e).
281.346(4)(b)1.1. A person who proposes to begin a diversion or to increase the amount of a diversion under par.
(c),
(d), or
(e) shall apply to the department for approval.
281.346(4)(b)2.
2. A person may apply under subd.
1. for approval of a new or increased diversion under par.
(c) or
(e) only if the person operates a public water supply system that receives or would receive water from the new or increased diversion.
281.346(4)(b)3.
3. Operators of 2 or more public water supply systems may submit a joint application under subd.
1. for a new or increased diversion under par.
(c) or
(e).
281.346(4)(b)4.
4. A person who applies under subd.
1. shall provide information about the potential impacts of the diversion on the waters of the Great Lakes basin and water dependent natural resources and any other information required by the department by rule.
281.346(4)(b)4m.
4m. If a person who applies under subd.
1. will not directly withdraw the water proposed to be diverted, the person shall identify any entities that may withdraw the water and provide evidence of support from each of those entities in the form of a letter or resolution.
281.346(4)(b)4p.
4p. If the person who applies under subd.
1. will not directly return the water to the Great Lakes basin, the person shall identify any entities that may return the water and provide evidence of support from each of those entities in the form of a letter or resolution.
281.346(4)(b)4s.
4s. If the proposal for which a person applies under subd.
1. is subject to the exception standard under par.
(f), the person shall provide documentation of how the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the receiving water under par.
(f) 3. will be protected and sustained as required under ss.
30.12,
281.15, and
283.31, considering the state of the receiving water before the proposal is implemented and considering potential adverse impacts due to changes in temperature and nutrient loadings. If the receiving water is a surface water body that is tributary to one of the Great Lakes, the person shall include a description of the flow of the receiving water before the proposal is implemented, considering both low and high flow conditions.
281.346(4)(b)5.
5. If the proposal for which a person applies under subd.
1. is subject to the exception standard under par.
(f), the person shall provide an assessment of the individual impacts of the proposal for the purposes of par.
(f) 5. The person may also include a cumulative impact assessment.
281.346(4)(bg)1.1. The department shall determine whether a proposal under par.
(b) is subject to par.
(c) or
(e) as follows:
281.346(4)(bg)1.a.
a. If the proposal is to provide a public water supply within a single city, village, or town, the proposal is subject to par.
(c) or
(e) based on the boundaries of that city, village, or town.
281.346(4)(bg)1.b.
b. If the proposal is to provide a public water supply within more than one city, village, or town, any portion of the proposal that provides a public water supply within a straddling community is subject to par.
(c) and any portion of the proposal that provides a public water supply within a community described in par.
(e) 1. (intro.) is subject to par.
(e).
281.346(4)(bg)2.
2. For the purposes of applying the requirements in pars.
(c),
(e), and
(f) to a proposal under par.
(b), the department shall use, as appropriate, the current or planned service area of the public water supply system receiving water under the proposal. The planned service area is the service area of the system at the end of any planning period authorized by the department in the approved water supply service area plan under s.
281.348 that covers the public water supply system.
281.346(4)(c)
(c)
Straddling communities. The department may approve a proposal under par.
(b) to begin a diversion, or to increase the amount of a diversion, to an area within a straddling community but outside the Great Lakes basin or outside the source watershed if the water diverted will be used solely for public water supply purposes in the straddling community and all of the following apply:
281.346(4)(c)1.
1. An amount of water equal to the amount of water withdrawn from the Great Lakes basin, less an allowance for consumptive use, will be returned to the source watershed.
281.346(4)(c)2.
2. No surface water or groundwater from outside the source watershed will be returned to the source watershed unless all of the following apply:
281.346(4)(c)2.a.
a. The returned water will be from a water supply or wastewater treatment system that combines water from inside and outside the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(4)(c)2.b.
b. The returned water will be treated to meet applicable permit requirements under s.
283.31 and to prevent the introduction of invasive species into the Great Lakes basin.
281.346(4)(c)2.c.
c. The proposal maximizes the amount of water withdrawn from the Great Lakes basin that will be returned to the source watershed and minimizes the amount of water from outside the Great Lakes basin that will be returned to the source watershed.
281.346(4)(c)2m.
2m. The proposal is consistent with an approved water supply service area plan under s.
281.348 that covers the public water supply system unless the proposal is to provide water to a straddling community that includes an electronics and information technology manufacturing zone designated under s.
238.396 (1m).
281.346(4)(c)3.
3. If the proposal would result from a new withdrawal or an increase in a withdrawal that would average 100,000 gallons or more per day in any 90-day period, the proposal meets the exception standard under par.
(f).
281.346(4)(c)4.
4. If the proposal would result in a new water loss or an increase in a water loss from consumptive use that would average 5,000,000 gallons or more per day in any 90-day period, all of the following apply:
