STATEHOUSE (June 27, 2019) – State Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) today joined Gov. Eric Holcomb at the Statehouse for the ceremonial signing of Senate Enrolled Act 4 and House Enrolled Act 1406.
SEA 4, authored by Charbonneau, serves as Indiana’s next step toward studying and managing Indiana’s water resources by encouraging a regional water planning approach that works with local utilities to examine water loss caused by poor infrastructure.
This law calls for the appointment of a water information coordinator and creates a Storm Water Management Task Force, which will include stakeholders such as industrial users and the agricultural community.
Additionally, SEA 4 requires local and regional water systems to report to the State Management Performance Data Hub as the central collection point for all water data.
“Ensuring water is clean, safe and affordable for Hoosiers remains a top priority for me,” Charbonneau said. “It is crucial we understand the challenges facing the waters of Indiana so we can solve them, and I believe the bills signed by the governor today are a great step in achieving a long-term water system plan for our state.”
HEA 1406, which Charbonneau sponsored, creates a Water Infrastructure Assistance Fund and outlines how state funding can be utilized to assist local water infrastructure programs.
SEA 4 and HEA 1406, which take effect July 1, were created in response to the findings and recommendations made by the 2018 Water Infrastructure Task Force.
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For a high-resolution photo of Charbonneau, click here.
A photo of the bill signing is included below.
