bill telling fire departments when water outages kill the hydrants

The text as introduced · 569 words

89R71 LRM-F

By: Swanson
H.B. No. 516

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to notice of a water service interruption provided by

public water systems in unincorporated areas of certain counties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 341, Health and Safety

Code, is amended by adding Section 341.03561 to read as follows:

Sec. 341.03561. REQUIRED NOTICE OF WATER SERVICE

INTERRUPTION PROVIDED BY CERTAIN PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS TO FIRE

DEPARTMENTS. (a) In this section:

(1) "Fire department" has the meaning assigned by

Section 795.001.

(2) "Hydrant" has the meaning assigned by Section

341.03571.

(3) "Public safety answering point" has the meaning

assigned by Section 772.001.

(4) "Regulatory authority" means the Texas Commission

on Environmental Quality or the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

(b) This section applies only to a public water system

located in the unincorporated area of a county that contains a

municipality in which the governing body of the municipality or

another regulatory authority has adopted standards to require the

installation and maintenance of a hydrant in accordance with

Section 341.0358, 341.03585, or 341.0359.

(c) The regulatory authority of a public water system to

which this section applies shall by rule require the public water

system to provide to each fire department providing fire

suppression services in the area where the hydrant is located

notice of a water service interruption that renders the hydrant

temporarily unavailable for use in a fire emergency. The notice

must be provided:

(1) for a planned water service interruption, before

the interruption begins; and

(2) for an unplanned water service interruption of

three hours or more, as soon as practicable but not later than 24

hours from the time the authority is first notified or otherwise

becomes aware of the interruption.

(d) A public water system to which this section applies

shall provide to each fire department notified of a water service

interruption under Subsection (c) notice of the water service's

resumption not later than two hours after the time the water service

is resumed.

(e) For purposes of this section, a hydrant unavailable for

pumping directly from the hydrant is unavailable for use in a fire

emergency.

(f) For purposes of providing the required notices under

Subsections (c) and (d), the regulatory authority of a public water

system may approve the use of:

(1) a dynamic information database described by

Section 418.192, Government Code; and

(2) the public water system's Internet website or a

social media platform, as defined by Section 120.001, Business &

Commerce Code, that allows fire departments to subscribe to or

otherwise receive notices from the website or platform.

(g) The regulatory authority of a public water system may

delegate the system's duty to provide notice under Subsection (c)

or (d) to a public safety answering point that relays information to

fire departments providing fire suppression services in the area

where the affected hydrant is located. A public safety answering

point delegated the duty to provide notice under Subsection (c) or

(d) must provide that notice in accordance with the applicable time

for notice under those subsections.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.