Chapter NR 856
WATER USE REGISTRATION AND REPORTING
Subchapter I — General Provisions
NR 856.13 Determining withdrawal capacity. NR 856.14 Responsible parties. NR 856.15 Open records requests and water use information. Subchapter II — Registration
Subchapter III — Recordkeeping and Reporting
NR 856.30 Measurement and reporting requirements. NR 856.31 Measurement methods and frequency. NR 856.10NR 856.10 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to implement s. 281.346 (3), Stats., by establishing requirements for registering water withdrawals and collecting and reporting of accurate water withdrawal data to support management of the state’s water resources. NR 856.10 HistoryHistory: CR 10-059: cr. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11. NR 856.11(1)(1) Unless exempted under sub. (2), this chapter applies to the following persons regardless of whether the activity is permitted, approved, or otherwise authorized under other regulatory authority of the department: NR 856.11(1)(a)(a) Any person who proposes to begin a withdrawal from the waters of the state using a water supply system or systems on one property, or a public water supply, with the capacity to withdraw an amount averaging 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period. NR 856.11(1)(b)(b) Any person who proposes to increase the capacity of a water supply system or systems on one property, or a pubic water supply, so that it will have the capacity to withdraw an amount averaging 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period. NR 856.11(1)(c)(c) Any person who on July 1, 2009, had a water supply system or systems on one property or a public water supply with the capacity to withdraw from the waters of the state an amount averaging 100,000 gallons per day or more in any 30-day period. NR 856.11(1)(d)(d) Any person who proposes to begin a diversion on or after December 8, 2008, or who had a diversion on December 8, 2008. NR 856.11(2)(2) This chapter does not apply to withdrawals for any of the following purposes: NR 856.11(2)(a)(a) To supply vehicles, including vessels and aircraft, for the needs of the persons or animals being transported or for ballast or other needs related to the operation of the vehicles. NR 856.11(2)(b)(b) To use in a noncommercial project that lasts no more than three months for fire fighting, humanitarian, or emergency response purposes. NR 856.11 HistoryHistory: CR 10-059: cr. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11. NR 856.12NR 856.12 Definitions. In this chapter: NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (e), Stats., defines “consumptive use” to mean “a use of water that results in the loss of or failure to return some or all of the water to the basin from which the water is withdrawn due to evaporation, incorporation into products, or other processes.” NR 856.12(2)(2) “Continuous water use” means a water use that is intended to be uninterrupted through time except for short periods such as for maintenance and because of power outages. NR 856.12(3)(3) “Department” means the department of natural resources. NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (h), Stats., defines “diversion” to mean “a transfer of water from the Great Lakes basin into a watershed outside the Great Lakes basin, or from the watershed of one of the Great lakes into that of another, by any means of transfer, including a pipeline, canal, tunnel, aqueduct, channel, modification of the direction of a water course, tanker ship, tanker truck, or rail tanker except that ’diversion’ does not include any of the following: 1. The transfer of a product produced in the Great Lakes basin or in the watershed of one of the Great Lakes, using waters of the Great Lakes basin, out of the Great Lakes basin or out of that watershed. 2. The transmission of water within a line that extends outside the Great Lakes basin as it conveys water from one point to another within the Great Lakes basin if no water is used outside the Great Lakes basin. 3. The transfer of bottled water from the Great Lakes basin in containers of 5.7 gallons or less.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (je), Stats., defines “Great Lakes basin” to mean “the watershed of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River upstream from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, within the jurisdiction of the parties.” NR 856.12(6)(6) “Intermittent water use” means a water use that starts and stops irregularly or regularly through time. NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section NR 812.07 (68), Wis. Adm. Code, defines “one property” to mean “all contiguous land controlled by one owner, lessee, or any other person having a possessory interest. Lands under single ownership bisected by highways or railroad right-of-ways are considered contiguous.” NR 856.12(8)(8) “Owner,” for water supply systems other than public water supply systems, means a person who owns property on which a water supply system is located or proposed to be located or the designated representative of such a person. For public water supply systems, owner means a person who owns the public water supply or designated representative of such a person. NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (nm), Stats., defines “person” to mean “an individual or other entity, including a government or a nongovernmental organization, including any scientific, professional, business, nonprofit, or public interest organization or association that is neither affiliated with nor under the direction of a government.” NR 856.12(10)(10) “Property” has the same meaning as “one property,” as specified in sub. (7). NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (pm), Stats., defines “public water supply” to mean “water distributed to the public through a physically connected system of treatment, storage, and distribution facilities that serve a group of largely residential customers and that may also serve industrial, commercial, and other institutional customers.” NR 856.12(12)(12) “Source” means an individual location where water is withdrawn from groundwater or surface water, such as a well or surface water intake. NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (wm), Stats., defines “water loss” to mean “the amount of water that is withheld from or not returned to the basin from which it is withdrawn as a result of a diversion or consumptive use or both.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (wp), Stats., defines “water supply system”, when not preceded by “public”, to mean “one of the following: 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the equipment handling water from the point of intake of the water to the first point at which the water is used. 2. For a system for providing a public water supply, the equipment from the point of intake of the water to the first point at which the water is distributed.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: The water supply system includes all points of intake of water into a water supply system.
NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.01 (18), Stats., defines “waters of the state” to include “those portions of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior within the boundaries of this state, and all lakes, bays, rivers, streams, springs, ponds, wells, impounding reservoirs, marshes, watercourses, drainage systems and other surface water or groundwater, natural or artificial, public or private, within this state or its jurisdiction.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.34 (1) (h), Stats., defines “well” to mean “any drillhole or other excavation or opening deeper than it is wide that extends more than 10 feet below the ground surface and is constructed for the purpose of obtaining groundwater.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (y), Stats., defines “withdraw” to mean “to take water from surface water or groundwater.” NR 856.12 NoteNote: Section 281.346 (1) (z), Stats., defines “withdrawal” to mean “the taking of water from surface water or groundwater, including the taking of surface water or groundwater for the purpose of bottling the water.” NR 856.12 HistoryHistory: CR 10-059: cr. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11. NR 856.13NR 856.13 Determining withdrawal capacity. NR 856.13(1)(1) The withdrawal capacity for a property is the total capacity in gallons per day from all water sources on the property. NR 856.13 NoteNote: The withdrawal capacity may not necessarily be the same as the approved maximum daily withdrawal set forth by another department approval or permit, such as a high capacity well approval or a permit issued under s. 30.18, Stats. NR 856.13(2)(2) The withdrawal capacity for a public water supply is the total capacity from all water sources in the system. NR 856.13(3)(3) The capacity of individual water sources shall be one of the following: NR 856.13(3)(b)(b) For pumped sources, the maximum hydraulic capacity of the most restrictive component of the water supply system. If the most restrictive component is a pump, the maximum capacity is determined based on the pump curve at the lowest system pressure setting. NR 856.13 HistoryHistory: CR 10-059: cr. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11. NR 856.14NR 856.14 Responsible parties. The person responsible for registering, reporting, amending, or terminating registrations as required under this chapter is one of the following: NR 856.14(1)(1) For water supply systems, the owner of the property on which the water supply system is located. NR 856.14(2)(2) For public water supply systems, the owner of the public water supply system. NR 856.14 HistoryHistory: CR 10-059: cr. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; correction to numbering made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register December 2010 No. 660. NR 856.15NR 856.15 Open records requests and water use information. NR 856.15(1)(1) The locations of withdrawals and diversions are sensitive information that may impact domestic security. NR 856.15(2)(2) Open records requests received by the department under ss. 19.21 to 19.39, Stats., that request information on the locations of withdrawals or diversions may be subject to greater scrutiny by the department because of domestic security concerns, as allowed under s. 281.346 (3) (cm), Stats. The department may request any of the following with respect to open records requests seeking information on the locations of withdrawals or diversions, in order to address domestic security concerns:
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