HB171 Alabama 2016 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Will AinsworthLt. Governor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2016

Title

Sewer systems, community and cluster wastewater systems, regulation by Public Service Commission, Sec. 22-25B-1 am'd.

Summary

HB171 would extend state regulation to privately owned wastewater systems that discharge into surface waters by removing existing exclusions in the definitions.

What This Bill Does

The bill removes exclusions that kept certain private cluster, community, and small-flow cluster wastewater systems out of regulation if they discharged into surface waters. It would bring these systems under the oversight of ADEM, ADPH, and the Public Service Commission, applying the same design, permit, and operation standards as other regulated systems. Systems must be designed and certified by licensed engineers and meet the design and permit requirements established by ADPH or ADEM, with the usual design-flow thresholds maintained. The act becomes effective immediately upon passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Privately owned cluster, community, and small-flow cluster wastewater systems that discharge into surface waters: now subject to regulation by ADEM, ADPH, and PSC and required to meet engineering, design, and permit standards.
• Residents and businesses served by those systems: will be covered by regulated service, rate oversight, and compliance requirements established by the regulating agencies.

Key Provisions

• Removes the exclusions for systems that discharge directly to surface waters from the definitions of cluster wastewater system, community wastewater system, and small-flow cluster system.
• Subjects privately owned wastewater systems discharging to surface waters to regulation by ADEM, ADPH, and the Public Service Commission under the existing framework.
• Keeps design-flow thresholds for cluster (≤15,000 GPD) and community (>15,000 GPD) systems, with requirements that systems be designed and certified by licensed engineers and comply with ADPH or ADEM design/permit standards.
• Defines terms such as CERTIFICATE OF ECONOMIC VIABILITY and WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT ENTITY within the amended chapter, and states the act becomes effective immediately after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Service Commission