Public Water Supply Program
"It is hereby declared to be the public policy of the State of New York that the waters of the state be conserved and developed for all public beneficial uses" (Environmental Conservation Law §15-0105).
Among the oldest of these efforts is the Public Water Supply Program, first established in 1905 and now administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). This program protects and conserves available water supplies by ensuring equitable and wise use of these supplies by those who distribute potable (drinkable) water to the public for domestic, municipal, and other purposes.
New Law
An updated version of §15-0105 was recently enacted and will take effect on February 15, 2012. Click the link titled "New Water Resources Law" in the right hand margin of this page.
Guidance
The official guidance for design of drinking water facilities in New York State is the document titled Recommended Standards For Water Works, also known as "Ten-State Standards" (see "Offsite Links" in right column). This publication contains policies for the review and approval of plans and specifications for public water supplies. It is a report of the Water Supply Committee of the Great Lakes--Upper Mississippi River Board of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers. Member states and province: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
Water Conservation at Public Water Supplies
Legislation took effect on January 1, 1989 adding water conservation to the standards for permit issuance in this program. Each applicant must document the local water conservation measures taken and those measures planned for future implementation.
Accordingly, the Department developed a Water Conservation Manual describing beneficial near term and long range water conservation measures that can be adapted as necessary to reflect local water resource needs and conditions. A fillable Water Conservation Program Form (WCPF) (PDF, 94KB) was also developed to help applicants organize and present the information needed to evaluate the local water conservation program and must be submitted with a water supply application. (This document is an interactive form and may be filled out on your computer and then saved and/or printed.) Both the Manual and the Form can be obtained from the links above or at the appropriate DEC Regional Environmental Permits office or from the Bureau of Water Resource Management at the DEC Central Office.
More about Public Water Supply Program:
- Recommended Pump Test Procedures For Water Supply Applications - Pump test results are required as part of any Water Supply Application involving a new or additional groundwater source. The DEC has developed a set of recommended standards as shown on this page.
- Water Conservation Manual - Each public water supply applicant must document the local water conservation measures taken and those measures planned for future implementation.
- Water Supply Well Decommissioning Recommendations - Detailed instructions and contact information on public water supply well decommissioning.
