281.346(9)(c)
(c)
Public comment. The department shall receive public comments on a proposal for which it receives an application to which par.
(b) 1. applies or on a proposed general permit under sub.
(4s) (a) for a 30-day period beginning when the department gives notice under par.
(b) 1. The department shall retain all written comments submitted during the comment period and shall consider the comments in making its decisions on the application.
281.346(9)(d)1.1. The department shall provide an opportunity for any interested person or group of persons, any affected local governmental unit, or any state agency to request a public hearing with respect to a proposal for which the department receives an application to which par.
(b) 1. applies or on a proposed general permit under sub.
(4s) (a). A request for a public hearing shall be filed with the department within 30 days after the department gives notice under par.
(b). The party filing a request for a public hearing shall indicate the interest of the party and the reasons why a hearing is warranted. The department shall hold a public hearing on a proposal for which the department receives an application to which par.
(b) 1. applies or on a proposed general permit under sub.
(4s) (a) if the department determines that there is a significant public interest in holding a hearing.
281.346(9)(d)2.
2. The department shall promulgate, by rule, procedures for the conduct of public hearings held under this paragraph. A hearing held under this paragraph is not a contested case hearing under ch.
227.
281.346(9)(d)3.
3. The department shall provide public notice of any hearing held under this paragraph in the manner provided under par.
(b) 1. The notice shall include the time, date, and location of the hearing, a summary of the subject matter of the application or proposed general permit, and information indicating where a copy of the application or proposed general permit that is the subject of the hearing may be found on the department's Internet website. The summary shall contain a brief, precise, easily understandable, plain language description of the subject matter of the application or proposed general permit. If the hearing concerns an application received by the department, the notice shall also include the name and address of the applicant.
281.346(9)(e)
(e)
Public access to information. Any record or other information provided to or obtained by the department regarding a proposal for which an application under sub.
(4) or
(5) is received is a public record as provided in subch.
II of ch. 19. The department shall make available to and provide facilities for the public to inspect and copy any records or other information provided to or obtained by the department regarding a proposal for which an application for a new or increased diversion or withdrawal under sub.
(4) or
(5) is received, except that any record or other information provided to the department may be treated as confidential upon a showing to the secretary that the record or information is entitled to protection as a trade secret, as defined in s.
134.90 (1) (c), or upon a determination by the department that domestic security concerns warrant confidential treatment. Nothing in this subsection prevents the use of any confidential records or information obtained by the department in the administration of this section in compiling or publishing general analyses or summaries, if the analyses or summaries do not identify a specific owner or operator.
281.346(9)(h)
(h)
Expediting review. The department shall take appropriate measures to expedite, to the extent feasible, applicable reviews by the regional body, Great Lakes council, parties, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec of applications under this section that are subject to regional review.
281.346(10m)(a)
(a) The Wisconsin coastal management council, created under s.
14.019, shall amend this state's coastal management program submitted to the U.S. secretary of commerce under
16 USC 1455, to incorporate the requirements of this section, as they apply to the water resources of the Great Lakes basin, and shall formally submit the proposed amendments to the U.S. secretary of commerce.
281.346(10m)(b)
(b) After approval of the amendments submitted to the U.S. secretary of commerce under par.
(a), the Wisconsin coastal management council shall, when conducting federal consistency reviews under
16 USC 1456 (c), consider the requirements specified under par.
(a), if applicable.
281.346(10m)(c)
(c) If the department issues a permit for a withdrawal to which this section applies, and the withdrawal is subject to a federal consistency review under
16 USC 1456 (c), the Wisconsin coastal management council shall certify that the withdrawal is consistent with this state's coastal management program.
281.346(11)
(11)
Information, reports, and assessments. 281.346(11)(a)1.1. The department shall develop and maintain a water resources inventory consisting of information about the waters of the state including information about the location, type, quantity, and uses of water resources and the location, and type of diversions, withdrawals, and consumptive uses and quantities of withdrawals and water losses. The department shall develop the inventory in cooperation with federal and local governmental entities, agencies of this state and of the other parties, tribal agencies, and private entities. The department shall use information in the registry under sub.
(3) (c) in creating the inventory.
281.346(11)(a)2.
2. The department shall create the water resources inventory under subd.
1. no later than June 1, 2014, or the first day of the 60th month beginning after the compact's effective date, whichever is later.
281.346(11)(b)
(b)
Annual report on water resources. Beginning within 60 months after the compact's effective date, the department shall annually report to the Great Lakes council the information from par.
(a) regarding withdrawals that average 100,000 gallons per day or more over a 30-day period, including consumptive uses, in the basin and any diversions, as well as the amounts of the withdrawals, water losses from consumptive uses, and diversions in the basin reported under sub.
(3) (e).
281.346(11)(c)
(c)
Program report. No later than 12 months after the compact's effective date, and every 5 years thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the Great Lakes council and the regional body describing the implementation of the program under this section, including the manner in which withdrawals from the Great Lakes basin are managed, how the criteria for approval under subs.
(4),
(5), and
(6) are applied, and how conservation and efficiency measures are implemented.
281.346(11)(d)
(d)
Assessment of water conservation and efficiency program. After the compact's effective date, the department shall annually assess the effectiveness of the water conservation and efficiency program under sub.
(8) (c) in meeting the Great Lakes basin water conservation and efficiency goals under sub.
(8) (a). In each assessment, the department shall consider whether there is a need to adjust the Great Lakes basin water conservation and efficiency program in response to new demands for water from the basin and the potential impacts of the cumulative effects of diversions, withdrawals, and consumptive uses and of climate. The department shall provide the assessment to the Great Lakes council and the regional body and make it available to the public.
281.346(11)(e)
(e)
Assessment of cumulative impacts. The department shall participate in the periodic assessment of the impacts of withdrawals, diversions, and consumptive uses under s.
281.343 (4z) (a).
281.346(11)(f)
(f)
Report on threshold. No later than the 60th month beginning after the compact's effective date, the department shall submit to the legislature under s.
13.172 (2) a report analyzing the impact of the threshold under sub.
(5) (a) and providing any recommendations to change the threshold.
281.346(11)(g)
(g)
Water use report. Beginning no later than 8 years after June 11, 2008, or 5 years after the last report published under s.
281.344 (11), whichever is earlier, and every 5 years thereafter, the department, using water use data reported under this section, shall publish a water use report to summarize water usage, identify related trends, identify areas of future water usage concerns, and recommend future actions to promote sustainable water use. The department shall also include in the report water resource information derived from reporting and data accumulation requirements under other water regulatory laws.
281.346(12)(a)(a) Subject to par.
(am), a person who has a water supply system with the capacity to make a withdrawal from the waters of the state averaging 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period shall pay to the department an annual fee of $125, except that the department may promulgate a rule specifying a different amount and except that, notwithstanding the department's rule-making authority, no person is required to pay more than $1,000 per year under this paragraph.
281.346(12)(am)
(am) The following are not considered in determining the capacity of a water supply system for the purposes of par.
(a):
281.346(12)(am)1.
1. The capacity of a well that has a capacity of less than 100,000 gallons per day and that is used primarily to provide water to a single-family or multifamily residence.
281.346(12)(am)2.
2. The capacity of a well used primarily for fire protection purposes.
281.346(12)(b)
(b) In addition to the fee under par.
(a), a person who withdraws from the Great Lakes basin more than 50,000,000 gallons per year shall pay to the department an annual fee in an amount specified under par.
(c).
281.346(12)(c)
(c) The department shall promulgate a rule specifying the amount of the fee under par.
(b).
281.346(12)(d)
(d) A person who submits an application under sub.
(4) shall pay to the department a review fee of $5,000 and shall pay to the department an amount equal to any fees imposed on this state related to review of the proposed diversion by the Great Lakes council or the regional body.
281.346(13m)
(13m)
Exceedances. It is not a violation of this section to withdraw an amount of water that exceeds the withdrawal amount specified in a permit issued under sub.
(5) or in the database under sub.
(4s) (i), unless the amount by which the withdrawal exceeds the withdrawal amount would result in the application of the state decision-making standard under sub.
(5m) or the compact decision-making standard under sub.
(6).
281.346(14)(a)(a) Any person who violates this section or any rule promulgated or approval issued under this section shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $10,000 for each violation. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
281.346(14)(c)
(c) In addition to the penalties under par.
(a), the court may order the defendant to abate any nuisance, restore a natural resource, or take, or refrain from taking, any other action as necessary to eliminate or minimize any environmental damage caused by the violation.
281.346 Cross-reference
Cross-reference: See also ch.
NR 860, Wis. adm. code.
281.346 Annotation
Diversions from the Great Lakes: Out of the Watershed and in Contravention of the Compact. Wabiszewski. 100 MLR 627 (2016).
281.348
281.348
Water supply service area plans for public water supply systems. 281.348(1)(a)
(a) “Compact's effective date" means the effective date of the Great Lakes — St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact under s.
281.343 (9) (d).
281.348(1)(b)
(b) “Cost-effectiveness analysis" means a systematic comparison of alternative means of providing a water supply in order to identify alternatives that will minimize total resources costs and maximize environmental benefits over a planning period.
281.348(1)(c)
(c) “Great Lakes basin" means the watershed of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River upstream from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
281.348(1)(cm)
(cm) “Great Lakes council” means the Great Lakes — St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council, created under s.
281.343 (2) (a).
281.348(1)(d)
(d) “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.
281.348(1)(e)
(e) “Total resources costs" includes monetary costs and direct and indirect environmental as well as other nonmonetary costs.
281.348(1)(f)
(f) “Withdraw" means to take water from surface water or groundwater.
281.348(1)(g)
(g) “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.
281.348(2)
(2)
Determinations concerning applicability of requirements. 281.348(2)(a)(a) For the purposes of this section, the surface water divide is used to determine whether a withdrawal of surface water or groundwater is from the Great Lakes basin.
281.348(2)(b)
(b) For the purposes of this section, the withdrawal of water from more than one source within the Great Lakes basin to supply a common distribution system is considered one withdrawal.
281.348(3)(a)1.1. The department shall establish, by rule, and administer a continuing water supply planning process for the preparation of water supply plans for persons operating public water supply systems. The period covered by a plan under this subsection may not exceed 20 years. A regional planning commission may prepare plans for persons operating public water supply systems.
281.348(3)(a)2.
2. A person operating a public water supply system that serves a population of 10,000 or more and that withdraws water from the waters of the state shall prepare a plan under this section no later than December 31, 2025.
281.348(3)(a)3.
3. A person operating a public water supply system shall obtain department approval of a water supply service area plan that provides for a new or increased diversion that requires approval under s.
281.346 (4) or a new or increased withdrawal that requires approval under s.
281.346 (4s) or
(5).
281.348(3)(a)4.
4. Except as provided in subd.
3., a person operating a public water supply system is not required to obtain department approval of a water supply service area plan.
281.348(3)(b)
(b) The department shall include in the process under par.
(a) procedures and requirements for all of the following:
281.348(3)(b)1.
1. Public review and comment on a proposed plan. For a plan prepared after the compact's effective date covering a public water supply system that withdraws water from the Great Lakes basin, the procedures and requirements under this subdivision shall be consistent with s.
281.343 (6) (b).
281.348(3)(b)2.
2. Submission of the plan to the governing body of each city, village, and town whose public water supply is addressed by the plan.
281.348(3)(b)2e.
2e. Submission of the plan to the department if department approval is required under par.
(a) 3. 281.348(3)(b)2m.
2m. Approval of the plan by the department if department approval is required under par.
(a) 3. 281.348(3)(b)5.
5. Reopening or reconsideration by the department of a previously approved plan.
281.348(3)(bm)
(bm) A person preparing a plan under par.
(a) shall consider existing regional water needs assessments and other regional water supply planning information.
281.348(3)(c)
(c) A person preparing a plan under par.
(a) shall include all of the following in the plan:
281.348(3)(c)1.
1. Delineation of the area for which the plan is being prepared.
281.348(3)(c)1m.
1m. If department approval is required, delineation of proposed water supply service areas for each public water supply system making a withdrawal covered by the plan, except as provided in par.
(cr).
281.348(3)(c)2.
2. An inventory of the sources and quantities of the current water supplies in the area.
281.348(3)(c)3.
3. A forecast of the demand for water in the area over the period covered by the plan.
281.348(3)(c)3m.
3m. Identification of the existing population and population density of the area for which the plan is prepared and forecasts of the expected population of the area during the period covered by the plan based on growth projections for the area and municipally planned population densities.
281.348(3)(c)4.
4. Identification of options for supplying water in the area for the period covered by the plan that are approvable under other applicable statutes and rules.
281.348(3)(c)4m.
4m. A cost-effectiveness analysis of regional and individual water supply and water conservation alternatives if the plan provides for a new or increased diversion requiring approval under s.
281.346 (4) or a new or increased withdrawal requiring approval under s.
281.346 (4s) or
(5).
281.348(3)(c)5.
5. An assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of carrying out specific significant recommendations of the plan.
281.348(3)(c)6.
6. A demonstration that the plan will effectively utilize existing water supply storage and distribution facilities and wastewater infrastructure to the extent practicable.
281.348(3)(c)7.
7. Identification of the procedures for implementing and updating the plan.
281.348(3)(c)8.
8. An analysis of how the plan supports and is consistent with applicable comprehensive plans, as defined in s.
66.1001 (1) (a), and applicable approved areawide water quality management plans under s.
283.83.
281.348(3)(cm)
(cm) For the purposes of plans under par.
(a), an areawide water quality planning agency designated by the governor under ch.
NR 121, Wis. Adm. Code, may provide regional water needs assessments and other regional water supply planning information.
281.348(3)(cr)
(cr) For the purposes of plans under par.
(a), if the Great Lakes council approves a diversion area for a public water supply system proposing to make a diversion from the Great Lakes basin under s.
281.346 (4) (e), that diversion area shall be the delineated water supply service area for purposes of this section and does not need to be consistent with the approved areawide water quality management plan under s.
283.83 for the planning area.
281.348(3)(d)
(d) If department approval of a plan is required, the department may not approve a plan unless all of the following apply:
281.348(3)(d)1.
1. The plan provides for a water supply system that is approvable under this section and other applicable statutes and rules based on a cost-effectiveness analysis of regional and individual water supply and water conservation alternatives.
281.348(3)(d)2.
2. The plan will effectively utilize existing water supply storage and distribution facilities and wastewater infrastructure to the extent practicable.
281.348(3)(d)5.
5. Beginning on December 8, 2011, if the plan covers a public water supply system that withdraws water from the Great Lakes basin, the plan complies with any applicable requirements in s.
281.346 (5e).
281.348(3)(e)
(e) The department shall specify in its approval of a plan under this section a water supply service area for each public water supply system making a withdrawal covered by the plan. The department may not limit water supply service areas based on jurisdictional boundaries, except as necessary to prevent waters of the Great Lakes basin from being transferred from a county that lies completely or partly within the Great Lakes basin into a county that lies entirely outside the Great Lakes basin, or except where the water supply service area is delineated by a diversion area approved by the Great Lakes council under par.
(cr).
281.348(4)
(4)
Withdrawal amount in certain plans. If a plan under this section that covers a public water supply system making a withdrawal from the Great Lakes basin requires department approval, the department shall specify a withdrawal amount for the public water supply system equal to the greatest of the following:
281.348(4)(a)
(a) The amount needed for the public water supply system to provide a public water supply in the water supply service area in the plan during the period covered by the plan, as determined using the population and related service projections in the plan.
281.348(4)(b)
(b) If the withdrawal is covered by an individual permit issued under s.
281.344 (5) or
281.346 (5) when the department approves the plan, the withdrawal amount in that permit when the department approves the plan or, if the withdrawal is covered by a general permit issued under s.
281.344 (4s) or
281.346 (4s) when the department approves the plan, the withdrawal amount for the public water supply system in the database under s.
281.346 (4s) (i) when the department approves the plan.
281.348(5)
(5)
Water supply service area. A water supply service area plan prepared under this section does not create, establish, or evidence an obligation for any water utility to provide service to the service area delineated or covered in the plan. The public service commission may not require a water utility to extend or provide service to an area on the basis of the provisions of a plan.
