SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1779

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 11, 1997

      The Senate Health Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1779 with committee amendments.

      As amended by committee, this bill requires any supplier of water in the State required by federal or State law to test the water supplied from public water systems to annually notify, in writing by mail, each of the customers supplied with water of the results of the required testing and provide the customers with a list of contaminants found in water and acceptable levels of these contaminants. The term "supplier of water" is defined in the "Safe Drinking Water Act," P.L.1977, c.224 (C.58:12A-1 et seq.), as a person who owns or operates a public water system. A public water system is defined under the law as a system for the provision of piped water for human consumption with at least 15 service connections or regularly serving at least 25 individuals.

      The committee amendments specify that notification should be made in writing by mail.

      As amended, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2160 (1R) (Steele and Bodine), which the committee also reported favorably on this date.