Walker budget eyes more regional water planning. Lawyers??

I hope my water law friends can help decipher these two short pages - - 799-800 - - in the Governor's Executive Budget. 

Something is afoot with the state carving out some new regional water powers to be placed somewhere , as I read it.

Could Waukesha, or the Southeastern Regional Planning Commission or a new regional water authority as already envisioned by SEWRPC, business groups and within the Waukesha-Oak Creek water diversion supply agreement - - details here - -  be awarded some more regional water planning powers - - "an areawide water quality planning agency designated by the governor" - - as mentioned in the Govern's budget text, below? 

Who's going to be included in such a new planning body, and why? 

Remember that Waukesha roped several neighboring communities into its Great Lakes water diversion application without these communities initial approvals?

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Page - 799 -2017 - 2018  Legislature

LRB-1928/1

SECTION 1800
ASSEMBLY BILL 64

SECTION 1800.  281.348 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

281.348 (1) (cm)  “Great Lakes council” means the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence

River Basin Water Resources Council, created under s. 281.343 (2) (a).

SECTION 1801.  281.348 (3) (c) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

281.348 (3) (c) 1.  Delineation of the area for which the plan is being prepared

and proposed water supply service areas for each public water supply system making

a withdrawal covered by the plan, except as provided in par. (cm) or (cr)

SECTION 1802.  281.348 (3) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:

281.348 (3) (cm)  For the purposes of plans under par. (a), and except as

provided in par. (cr), an areawide water quality planning agency designated by the

governor under ch. NR 121, Wis. Adm. Code, shall delineate the proposed water

supply service areas for all of the public water supply systems in the planning area

for which the agency is designated.  An areawide water quality planning agency shall

delineate proposed water supply service areas that are consistent with the approved

areawide water quality management plan under s. 283.83 for the planning area and

that permit the development of plans that are approvable under par. (d).  An

areawide water quality planning agency may also provide regional water needs

assessments and other regional water supply planning information.  The process for

conducting regional activities under this subsection may be the same as the process

for regional water supply planning for a groundwater management area designated

under s. 281.34 (9).

SECTION 1803.  281.348 (3) (cr) of the statutes is created to read:

281.348 (3) (cr)  For the purposes of plans under par. (a), the Great Lakes

council may delineate the proposed water supply service areas for a public water

supply system making a withdrawal from the Great Lakes basin.  The proposed

Page - 800

water supply service areas delineated by the Great Lakes council need not be consistent with the approved areawide water quality management plan under s. 283.83 for the planning area. 

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