WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLY, the official text

H7918 2026 -- H 7918 ======== LC005756 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLY Introduced By: Representatives Casey, Phillips, and J. Brien Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 46-13-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 46-13 entitled Public 2 Drinking Water Supply is hereby amended to read as follows: 3 46-13-22. Cross-connection control. 4 (a) The director is hereby authorized to adopt consistent statewide regulations governing 5 the content of cross-connection control plans and to require that all community public water 6 systems and all non-transient, non-community public water systems prepare a cross-connection 7 control plan. The purpose of these plans shall be to protect the public water system distribution and 8 transmission infrastructure from contamination through cross-connections. All community public 9 water systems and all non-transient, non-community public water systems shall certify to the 10 director that said plan complies with the regulations in accordance with the following schedule: 11 (1) Community and non-transient, non-community public water systems serving more than 12 five hundred (500) people shall submit certification of compliance no later than June 30, 2011, and 13 implement said plan immediately thereafter. 14 (2) Community and non-transient, non-community public water systems serving five 15 hundred (500) people or fewer shall submit certification of compliance no later than June 30, 2012, 16 and implement said plan immediately thereafter. 17 (b) The regulations governing cross-connection control plans adopted by the director shall 18 at a minimum include: the installation of cross-connection control valves at all newly constructed 19 service connections prior to the provision of water service; the installation of cross connection 1 control valves at all commercial and industrial service connections. The installation of cross- 2 connection control devices shall not be made a mandatory condition of a transfer of a residential 3 property that exists as of the effective date of this act [June 27, 2007]. 4 (c) Public water supply systems shall be authorized to terminate water service to any 5 customer who fails to install the appropriate cross-connection control device upon due notice. 6 (d) The cross-connection control devices required to be installed shall be models approved 7 by the Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research of the University of 8 Southern California (FCCCHR, USC), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and/or 9 the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE). 10 (e) The director may also adopt and enforce standards including the establishment of fees 11 for certification of persons engaged in cross-connection surveying or backflow prevention, 12 assembly training, repair and maintenance testing ; provided, however, that no regulation or rule 13 shall be promulgated or enforced which requires the inspection or certification of any backflow 14 prevention device or system more frequently than once every ten (10) years except in response to 15 an emergency or public health situation . 16 (f) Any regulations and/or standards promulgated, amended and/or administered pursuant 17 to the provisions of this section shall conform to the requirements of chapter 35 of title 42 (“The 18 Administrative Procedures Act.”) 19 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC005756 ======== LC005756 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO WATERS AND NAVIGATION -- PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLY *** 1 This act would require that a backflow test be performed every ten (10) years, rather than 2 the current yearly inspection. 3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC005756 ======== LC005756 - Page 3 of 3