Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2660-E, first ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 705, §13, is further amended to read:

In addition to fees authorized under section 9, the commissioner may shall impose an annual operation fee upon each public community water system in the State to maintain adequate staffing levels for the program.

Sec. 2. Allocation. The following funds are allocated to the Public Drinking Water Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.

1999-00 2000-01

HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Bureau of Health

Positions 3.0 3.0

Personal Services $136,392 $143,211

All Other 37,649 39,531

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ________ ________

TOTAL $174,041 $182,742

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Maine Public Drinking Water Commission to establish a drinking water fee to fund the staffing of the Maine Public Drinking Water Control Program. This fee will be imposed on community public water systems. Currently the annual fee is assessed to all public water supplies. This change will relieve noncommunity public water systems, such as restaurants, lodging places, schools, etc., from paying this fee.

This bill also appropriates additional funds to go into the named account from the General Fund to fund 3 positions in the Maine Public Drinking Water Control Program, within the Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Division of Health Engineering.