98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB5629

 

Introduced , by Rep. Robyn Gabel

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Water Loss Accounting Awareness Act. Provides that, before July 31, 2015, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois State Water Survey of the University of Illinois, and other local and regional water management leaders and interested parties as the Agency deems appropriate, shall submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report that reviews and evaluates the latest available information on water loss in Illinois including existing data, policies, procedures, and institutional knowledge (including publicly available reports from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the American Water Works Association, and the State archives). Effective immediately.


LRB098 17318 MGM 52413 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5629LRB098 17318 MGM 52413 b

1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Water
5Loss Accounting Awareness Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Agency" means the Illinois Environmental Protection
8Agency.
9    "Water loss" means a loss in potable water within a water
10supply distribution infrastructure either through real losses
11such as pipeline leakage and water main breaks or apparent
12losses when consumption is not properly measured or billed such
13as metering inaccuracies or theft.
14    "Water loss control" means the efforts of water utilities
15to provide accountability in their operation by reliably
16auditing their water supplies and implementing controls to
17minimize system losses.
 
18    Section 10. Water loss study and report.
19    (a) Before July 31, 2015, the Agency, in consultation with
20the Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Commerce
21Commission, the Illinois State Water Survey of the University
22of Illinois, and other local and regional water management

 

 

HB5629- 2 -LRB098 17318 MGM 52413 b

1leaders and interested parties as the Agency deems appropriate,
2shall submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report
3that reviews and evaluates the latest available information on
4water loss in this State, including existing data, policies,
5procedures, and institutional knowledge (including publicly
6available reports from the federal Environmental Protection
7Agency (USEPA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA),
8and the State archives), including coverage of the following:
9        (1) The overall extent and cost of water loss within
10    this State's water supply infrastructure. This should
11    include:
12            (A) estimates of the volume and economic costs of
13        water loss from water supply infrastructure;
14            (B) estimates of the costs associated with water
15        infrastructure failure such as main breaks, system
16        disruption, property damage, and expenditures for
17        treating and pumping unused or lost water; and
18            (C) evaluation of the impact water loss has on
19        other identified demands for water supply and resource
20        management, including increasing climate-related
21        drought, commercial and industrial demand, energy
22        production and consumption, and related impacts.
23        (2) Data about current water loss practices within this
24    State and nationally, along with information on the costs
25    and benefits of these practices, including:
26            (A) a summary of the types of water loss accounting

 

 

HB5629- 3 -LRB098 17318 MGM 52413 b

1        approaches used by public and private water supply
2        utilities in this State, and identified or anticipated
3        costs and benefits;
4            (B) policies, practices, and procedures in other
5        states that have adopted regulation, standards, or
6        guidance for water loss accounting and identified
7        costs and benefits; and
8            (C) the potential costs and benefits to utilities
9        and this State for implementing standardized water
10        loss accounting, either by utility or utility class,
11        for example, size.
12         Quantitative costs should include: cost of
13    implementing audits, including staff training time and
14    system upgrades, any costs to customers, and job impacts.
15    Benefits should include elimination of system leaks and
16    breaks, including water and treatment cost savings, energy
17    savings from reduced pumping and treatment, and potential
18    job creation. Analysis should also contain descriptions of
19    qualitative costs and benefits. These may include
20    increased system reliability, improved consumer
21    confidence, watershed benefits from decreased pumping and
22    treatment, increased interdepartmental cooperation in data
23    reporting and water loss prevention efforts, and improved
24    accountability between utilities that import or export
25    water, due to data standardization.
26    (b) The study shall also provide recommendations based on

 

 

HB5629- 4 -LRB098 17318 MGM 52413 b

1these findings in relation to:
2        (1) Cost effective strategies to improve water loss
3    accounting, control, and public transparency including:
4            (A) a summary of currently available water loss
5        auditing methods, such as the American Water Works
6        Association (AWWA) methodology and manual (M36); and
7            (B) policies and practices to improve public
8        reporting of water loss conditions.
9        (2) Opportunities to accelerate State-wide adoption of
10    water loss accounting by water utilities, including a
11    timeline for implementation, and support that would be
12    needed for utilities to implement a water loss accounting
13    system.
14        Support does not need to be limited to State resources.
15    The report may also recommend an external technical
16    committee and encourage partnerships with nonprofit or
17    civic organizations.
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
19becoming law.