Chapter 281

281.61(12)(h) (h) Inspect periodically safe drinking water loan program project construction to determine project compliance with construction plans and specifications approved by the department and the requirements of the safe drinking water loan program.

281.61(13) (13) Capitalization grant. The department may enter into an agreement under 42 USC 300j-12 (a), with the federal environmental protection agency to receive a capitalization grant for the safe drinking water loan program.

281.61 History History: 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 25, 159; 2009 a. 217; 2011 a. 19, 32; 2013 a. 7, 12; 2015 a. 55; 2021 a. 112.

281.61 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 166, Wis. adm. code.

281.62 281.62 Other drinking water quality activities.

281.62(1) (1) In this section:

281.62(1)(a) (a) “Community water system” means a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents of the area served by the public water system or that regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

281.62(1)(b) (b) “Noncommunity water system” means a public water system that is not a community water system.

281.62(1)(c) (c) “Public water system” has the meaning given in s. 281.61 (1) (c).

281.62(2) (2) 

281.62(2)(a) (a) With the approval of the department of administration, the department may expend funds from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.320 (2) (s) and (x) for any of the following:

281.62(2)(a)1. 1. Providing a loan to the owner of a community water system or a nonprofit noncommunity water system to acquire land or a conservation easement from a willing seller or grantor to protect the source water of the water system from contamination and to ensure compliance with national primary drinking water regulations under 42 USC 300g-1.

281.62(2)(a)2. 2. Providing a loan to the owner of a community water system to do any of the following:

281.62(2)(a)2.a. a. Implement voluntary source water protection measures in areas delineated as provided in 42 USC 300j-13 in order to facilitate compliance with national primary drinking water regulations under 42 USC 300g-1 or otherwise significantly further the health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 USC 300f to 300j-26.

281.62(2)(a)2.b. b. Implement a program for source water quality protection partnerships as provided in 42 USC 300j-14.

281.62(2)(a)3. 3. Assisting the owner of a public water system to develop the technical, managerial and financial capacity to comply with national primary drinking water regulations under 42 USC 300g-1.

281.62(2)(a)4. 4. Delineating or assessing source water protection areas as provided under 42 USC 300j-13.

281.62(2)(a)5. 5. Protecting wellhead areas from contamination as provided in 42 USC 300h-7.

281.62(2)(b) (b) In any fiscal year, the department may not expend under par. (a) more than 15 percent of the funds provided under 42 USC 300j-12 in that fiscal year. In any fiscal year, the department may not expend under par. (a) 1., 2., 3., 4. or 5. more than 10 percent of the funds provided under 42 USC 300j-12 in that fiscal year.

281.62(3) (3) 

281.62(3)(a) (a) With the approval of the department of administration, the department may expend funds from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.320 (2) (s) and (x) for any of the following:

281.62(3)(a)1. 1. Public water system supervision as provided in 42 USC 300j-2 (a).

281.62(3)(a)2. 2. Technical assistance concerning source water protection.

281.62(3)(a)3. 3. Developing and implementing a capacity development strategy required under 42 USC 300g-9 (c).

281.62(3)(a)4. 4. Operator certification required under 42 USC 300g-8.

281.62(3)(b) (b) In any fiscal year, the department may not expend under par. (a) more than 10 percent of the funds provided under 42 USC 300j-12 in that fiscal year.

281.62(4) (4) With the approval of the department of administration, the department may expend funds from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.320 (2) (s) and (x) to provide technical assistance to public water systems serving 10,000 or fewer persons. In any fiscal year, the department may not expend under this subsection more than 2 percent of the funds provided under 42 USC 300j-12 in that fiscal year.

281.62 History History: 1997 a. 27.

281.625 281.625 Drinking water loan guarantee program.

281.625(1) (1) In this section:

281.625(1)(a) (a) “Community water system” means a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or that regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

281.625(1)(b) (b) “Local governmental unit” has the meaning given in s. 281.61 (1) (am), except that the term does not include a joint local water authority created under s. 66.0823.

281.625(1)(c) (c) “Noncommunity water system” means a public water system that is not a community water system.

281.625(1)(d) (d) “Public water system” has the meaning given in s. 281.61 (1) (c).

281.625(2) (2) The department, in consultation with the department of administration, shall promulgate rules for determining whether a loan is an eligible loan under s. 234.86 (3) for a loan guarantee under s. 234.86. The rules shall be consistent with 42 USC 300j-12.

281.625(3) (3) The department shall determine whether a loan to the owner of a community water system or the nonprofit owner of a noncommunity water system is an eligible loan under s. 234.86 (3) for the purposes of the loan guarantee program under s. 234.86.

281.625(4) (4) With the approval of the department of administration, the department of natural resources may transfer funds from the appropriation accounts under s. 20.320 (2) (s) and (x) to the Wisconsin drinking water reserve fund under s. 234.933 to guarantee loans under s. 234.86.

281.625(5) (5) The department may contract with the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority for the administration of the program under this section and s. 234.86.

281.625 History History: 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 12; 2015 a. 55.

281.63 281.63 Financial assistance program; combined sewer overflow abatement.

281.63(1) (1) Legislative findings. The legislature finds that state financial assistance for the elimination of combined sewer overflow to the waters of the state is a public purpose and a proper function of state government.

281.63(2) (2) Definitions. As used in this section:

281.63(2)(a) (a) “Combined sewer” means a sewer intended to serve as a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer or as an industrial sewer and a storm sewer.

281.63(2)(b) (b) “Combined sewer overflow” means a discharge of a combination of storm and sanitary wastewater or storm and industrial wastewater directly or indirectly to the waters of the state when the volume of wastewater flow exceeds the transport, storage or treatment capacity of a combined sewer system.

281.63(2)(c) (c) “Facilities plan” means that plan or study which demonstrates the need for the proposed sewerage system or sewerage system component and which demonstrates through a systematic evaluation of alternatives that the selected alternative is the most cost-effective means of correcting combined sewer overflows.

281.63(2)(d) (d) “Federal act” means the federal water pollution control act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 to 1376.

281.63(3) (3) Administration. The department shall administer the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program. The department shall promulgate rules necessary for the proper execution of this program.

281.63(4) (4) Eligibility.

281.63(4)(a) (a) Eligible municipalities. Only a municipality with a sewerage system which is violating ch. 283 or title III of the federal act because of combined sewer overflow is eligible to receive financial assistance under the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program.

281.63(4)(b) (b) Eligible projects. Only a project for construction necessary to abate combined sewer overflows identified in department-approved facilities plans as cost-effective and reasonably necessary for water quality improvements is eligible for financial assistance under the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program, except that the department need not determine the cost-effectiveness of projects performed under a contract awarded under s. 200.49.

281.63(4)(c) (c) Facility planning; engineering design. Only a municipality which has completed facility planning and engineering design requirements for a combined sewer overflow abatement project is eligible to receive financial assistance under the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program.

281.63(5) (5) Application. A municipality which seeks financial assistance under the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program shall submit an application to the department. The application shall be in the form and include the information the department prescribes by rule. The department shall review all applications for financial assistance under this program. The department shall determine those applications which meet the eligibility requirements of this section.

281.63(6) (6) Priority. Each municipality shall notify the department of its intent to apply for financial assistance under the combined sewer overflow abatement financial assistance program. For those municipalities that notify the department of their intention to apply for financial assistance under this program by December 31, the department shall establish annually a priority list which ranks these projects in the same order as they appear on the list prepared under s. 281.57 (6) (a).

281.63(7) (7) Payment. Upon the completion by the municipality of all application requirements, the department may enter into an agreement with the municipality for a grant of up to 50 percent of the eligible construction costs of a combined sewer overflow abatement project if the municipality can begin construction within 3 months after the department is ready to allocate funds.

281.63(8) (8) Advance commitments for reimbursement of engineering design costs. The department may make an advance commitment to a municipality for the reimbursement of engineering design costs from funds appropriated under s. 20.866 (2) (to) subject to all of the following requirements:

281.63(8)(a) (a) The advance commitment shall include a provision making the reimbursement of engineering design costs conditional on the award of a construction grant.

281.63(8)(b) (b) The advance commitment may be made only for engineering design activities commenced after the department makes the advance commitment.

281.63(8)(c) (c) The advance commitment may be made only if the municipality has completed all facility planning requirements.

281.63(8)(d) (d) The advance commitment may be made only for engineering design costs related to a project that is eligible for assistance under sub. (4).

281.63(8)(e) (e) The advance commitment shall be subject to a priority determination system consistent with sub. (6).

281.63 History History: 1981 c. 20, 317; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29; 1995 a. 227 s. 427; Stats. 1995 s. 281.63; 1999 a. 150 s. 672.

281.65 281.65 Financial assistance; nonpoint source water pollution abatement.

281.65(1) (1) The purposes of the nonpoint source pollution abatement financial assistance program under this section are to:

281.65(1)(a) (a) Provide the necessary administrative framework and financial assistance for the implementation of measures to meet nonpoint source water pollution abatement needs identified in areawide water quality management plans.

281.65(1)(b) (b) Provide coordination with all elements of the state’s water quality program in order to ensure that all activities and limited resources are optimally allocated in the achievement of this state’s water quality goals.

281.65(1)(c) (c) Provide technical and financial assistance for the application of necessary nonpoint source water pollution abatement measures.

281.65(1)(d) (d) Focus limited technical and financial resources in critical geographic locations where nonpoint source related water quality problems and threats are the most severe and control is most feasible.

281.65(1)(e) (e) Provide for program evaluation, subsequent modifications and recommendations.

281.65(2) (2) In this section:

281.65(2)(a) (a) “Best management practices” means practices, techniques or measures, except for dredging, identified in areawide water quality management plans, which are determined to be effective means of preventing or reducing pollutants generated from nonpoint sources, or from the sediments of inland lakes polluted by nonpoint sources, to a level compatible with water quality objectives established under this section and which do not have an adverse impact on fish and wildlife habitat. The practices, techniques or measures include land acquisition, storm sewer rerouting and the removal of structures necessary to install structural urban best management practices, facilities for the handling and treatment of milkhouse wastewater, repair of fences built using grants under this section and measures to prevent or reduce pollutants generated from mine tailings disposal sites for which the department has not approved a plan of operation under s. 289.30 or s. 295.51.

281.65(2)(am) (am) “Governmental unit” means any governmental unit including, but not limited to, a county, city, village, town, metropolitan sewerage district created under ss. 200.01 to 200.15 or 200.21 to 200.65, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, regional planning commission or drainage district operating under ch. 89, 1961 stats., or ch. 88. “Governmental unit” does not include the state or any state agency.

281.65(2)(b) (b) “Nonpoint source” means a land management activity which contributes to runoff, seepage or percolation which adversely affects or threatens the quality of waters of this state and which is not a point source as defined under s. 283.01 (12).

281.65(2)(be) (be) “Priority lake” means any lake or group of lakes that are identified under sub. (3) (am).

281.65(2)(bs) (bs) “Priority lake area” means a priority lake and the area surrounding the priority lake designated by the department for the implementation of the nonpoint source pollution abatement project for the priority lake.

281.65(2)(c) (c) “Priority watershed” means any watershed that is identified under sub. (3) (am) or (4) (cm) or (co).

281.65(2)(d) (d) “Structural urban best management practices” means detention basins, wet basins, infiltration basins and trenches and wetland basins.

281.65(3) (3) The land and water conservation board shall do all of the following:

281.65(3)(a) (a) Review the lists submitted under sub. (4) (c) and (cd) and reports submitted under sub. (4) (c) and (cg).

281.65(3)(am) (am) Identify priority watersheds and priority lakes as provided in sub. (3m).

281.65(3)(ap) (ap) Review and approve priority lake and priority watershed plans prepared under sub. (5m) and modifications to those plans prepared under sub. (5s). The board may exempt minor plan modifications from the requirement of board approval.

281.65(3)(at) (at) Review rules drafted under this section and make recommendations regarding the rules before final approval of the rules by the natural resources board.

281.65(3)(b) (b) Before September 1 of each even-numbered year, submit to the governor and the department a report that includes all of the following:

281.65(3)(b)1. 1. Recommendations for the amount to be appropriated for the program under this section for the following fiscal biennium.

281.65(3)(b)5. 5. Any changes that the board determines would improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the program under this section.

281.65(3)(bm) (bm) Whenever the board determines necessary, submit to the governor and the department recommendations concerning changes to the amounts appropriated for the program under this section or recommendations concerning any changes that would improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the program under this section.

281.65(3)(c) (c) Assist counties and the department to resolve concerns about the program under this section.

281.65(3)(d) (d) Establish priorities for the allocation of funds in the event that program needs exceed available funding in any fiscal biennium.

281.65(3)(e) (e) After reviewing a plan submitted under sub. (4) (k), request the building commission to authorize public debt to be contracted in the amount that the board determines to be necessary for the purposes of the program under this section.

281.65(3)(f) (f) Require the department and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection to conduct or contract for another person to conduct any evaluation or audit of the program under this section and of individual priority watershed or priority lake projects that the board determines is necessary.