Senate File 2308 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
                                           RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3167)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to certain water treatment and supply=related
  2    inspections conducted when certain property is sold or
  3    transferred.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 5447SV 81
  6 tm/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 455B.172, Code Supplement 2005, is
  1  2 amended by adding the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  11.  A building where a person resides,
  1  4 congregates, or is employed that is not connected to a public
  1  5 sewage disposal system shall have the sewage disposal system
  1  6 inspected at the time of sale or transfer of ownership of the
  1  7 building to ensure that all wastewater is properly treated.
  1  8 The septic tank shall be opened and pumped at the time of
  1  9 inspection or shall have been pumped and the pumping
  1 10 documented within the previous year.  Any secondary treatment
  1 11 system shall be inspected.  Failing or improperly functioning
  1 12 systems shall be renovated to meet current standards either by
  1 13 the seller, or by agreement, within a reasonable time period
  1 14 by the buyer.  A building where a person resides, congregates,
  1 15 or is employed that is not served by a public water supply
  1 16 system shall have the private water well inspected and a water
  1 17 sample taken and tested for coliform bacteria and nitrates at
  1 18 the time of sale or transfer of ownership of the building.
  1 19 Information about abandoned wells, water test results, and
  1 20 deficiencies from current private water supply well standards
  1 21 shall be conveyed to the buyer or transferee before the sale
  1 22 or transfer of ownership of the building is final.  The
  1 23 inspection requirements of this subsection shall not apply if
  1 24 an inspection has occurred within two years of the time of
  1 25 sale or transfer of ownership of the building.  A local board
  1 26 of health shall be responsible for enforcing the inspection
  1 27 requirements of this subsection within its jurisdiction.  A
  1 28 city or county may charge reasonable inspection fees for
  1 29 purposes of this subsection.
  1 30    Sec. 2.  IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.  Any fees imposed as a
  1 31 result of the enactment of this Act are intended to cover the
  1 32 costs of any state mandate included in this Act and this
  1 33 specification of state funding shall be deemed to meet all the
  1 34 state funding=related requirements of section 25B.2,
  1 35 subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be
  2  1 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by, and
  2  2 enforcement of this Act against, all affected political
  2  3 subdivisions.
  2  4                           EXPLANATION
  2  5    This bill relates to certain water treatment and supply=
  2  6 related inspections conducted when certain property is sold or
  2  7 transferred.
  2  8    The bill provides that a building where a person resides,
  2  9 congregates, or is employed that is not connected to a public
  2 10 sewage disposal system shall have the sewage disposal system
  2 11 inspected at the time of sale or transfer of ownership of the
  2 12 building to ensure that all wastewater is properly treated.
  2 13 The bill requires the septic tank to be opened and pumped at
  2 14 the time of inspection or to have been pumped and the pumping
  2 15 documented within the previous year.  The bill requires any
  2 16 secondary treatment system to be inspected.  The bill requires
  2 17 failing or improperly functioning systems to be renovated to
  2 18 meet current standards either by the seller, or by agreement,
  2 19 within a reasonable time period by the buyer.
  2 20    The bill provides that a building where a person resides,
  2 21 congregates, or is employed that is not served by a public
  2 22 water supply system shall have the private water well
  2 23 inspected and a water sample taken and tested for coliform
  2 24 bacteria and nitrates at the time of sale or transfer of
  2 25 ownership.  The bill requires information about abandoned
  2 26 wells, water test results, and deficiencies from current
  2 27 private water supply well standards to be conveyed to the
  2 28 buyer or transferee before the sale of the building is final.
  2 29    The bill provides that the inspection requirements under
  2 30 the bill shall not apply if an inspection has occurred within
  2 31 two years of the time of sale or transfer of ownership of the
  2 32 building.
  2 33    The bill requires that a local board of health shall be
  2 34 responsible for enforcing the inspection requirements of the
  2 35 bill within its jurisdiction.  The bill allows cities and
  3  1 counties to charge reasonable inspection fees.
  3  2    The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
  3  3 section 25B.3.  The bill provides that any fees imposed
  3  4 pursuant to the bill are intended to cover the costs of any
  3  5 state mandate included in the bill.  The inclusion of this
  3  6 specification of state funding is intended to reinstate the
  3  7 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
  3  8 mandates included in the bill.
  3  9 LSB 5447SV 81
  3 10 tm:rj/gg/14